Describe, analyze and explain Christian teachings on wealth, poverty, charitable giving and charity.
. "Feed the man dying of hunger, for if you do not feed him, you are killing him". Christianity teaches a lot on the above topics. This is seen clearly in Christian teachings like ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’ Mark 12:30-3
‘Love your neighbor’ this implies that one must care for other i.e. see to their needs and protect them from poverty and oppression. We were all made in the image of God, so everyone should be equal.
Christianity teaches that the love for money is the root of all evil. It also says that you can’t serve both God and money. In Jesus’ second great commandment, Jesus told his followers that:
…it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:25
When speaking about wealth he taught that people should look after one another:
‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Matthew 25:35-36
The world's major religions teach that their God is good and as part of this argument they say that God wants a happy and good life for everyone. The religions teach that their followers should try to make the world a better place for everyone. Despite these beliefs, the world is a place where many people are poor and suffering whilst others live more comfortable lives.
When it comes to business, Christians must make sure that how they earn their living does not hurt other people. People argue that Christians should not be involved in the arms trade, in prostitution or pornography. Some people say that Christian doctors and nurses must never take part in an abortion.
The law in the United Kingdom now allows shops to open on Sundays. Some Christians say that this breaks the Fourth Commandment:
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Religious people believe that they should work towards ending poverty and help others to improve their living standards.
The First Article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
This same idea is also found in the Tenth Commandment, which teaches:
You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.
Exodus 20:17Christian compassion
Many people in the world seem to think that making money is the main purpose of their lives but this goes against Christian teaching:
People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
I Timothy 6:9-10
True happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement... God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor and rebukes those who turn away from them. Rich nations have a grave moral responsibility towards those which are unable to ensure the means of their development by themselves.
(3) Describe, analyze and explain how the work of one Christian agency working for world development.
Tearfund is an ‘evangelical Christian relief and development charity’ working to bring help and hope to communities in need around the world.
Last year, Tearfund supported over 500 projects in nearly 100 countries.
In partnership with other evangelical Christian groups and churches around the world, Tearfund proclaims and demonstrates the gospel. The gospel underpins all our work as we strive for the physical and spiritual well being of people. Tearfund provides a channel for this partnership which is expressed through prayer, time and money.
Tearfund works in the following areas of development: healthcare; urban renewal; conflict and justice; environment and agriculture; education and training.
Tear Fund started in 1960, The World Refugee Year when people started caring and helping refugees. It was then called EAR Fund (Evangelical Alliance Refugee Fund). Money started flowing so encouraging considering starting a fund. Under the leadership of Rev George Hoffman the name became The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund. It made a grant to a development program in Argentina. Starting with an annual income of only £ 34,000 it has now expanded to an annual income of £ 32,500,000. Working alongside many partners and sister organizations, like EFICOR, CAFOD, CHRISTIAN AID and other such local organizations, Tearfund has established a wide-ranging network. One of the many projects undertaken by Tear Fund was the Gujarat (India) earthquake. With a death toll of around 50,000 lives and the infra structure in chaos, Tearfund and its partners provided emergency relief which included food, medicine and shelter. Long term plans for reconstruction of houses and lives were also made. Aid money of £ 1 million was also poured in. Tear Fund’s Community development and health program in Nepal, in its fifth year of using a participatory approach in which the villagers are encouraged and empowered to form problem solving groups. This targeted the women, the low cast, the fringes of the society, the poorest of the poor, widows aiming to empower them so that they can help themselves. Another part of the program trained village health workers, providing school based health education and encouraged the development skills of community midwives and health volunteers. Water being a major issue, Tear Fund has set up a safe drinking water project in India. Working through EFICOR the program has been involved in well drilling for the past 25 years, drilling over 4000 wells, providing drinking water for remote and inaccessible villages of India. The desperate need for water in India is affected by the cast system which prevents everyone using the same well causing death in some cases. Water-borne diseases like diarrhea has also caused deaths due to people using polluted and dirty water. In drought prone areas EFICOR tries to raise community awareness about health, sanitation and hygiene issues. Underprivileged communities who are excluded from government programs are provided with tube wells and people are educated in hand pump maintenance and repair. So using its wide network and funds, Tear Fund reaches out to many providing hope, help and life.
Poverty is lacking possessions or the necessities of life, inferior in quality.
B: Give your own response to the view that: “There should be no rich Christian as long as there is poverty in this world”. Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered other points of view. (ADD VERSES)
Poverty means lacking material possessions or the necessities of life. I disagree with this statement as in the Old Testament there were a lot of rich followers. If there aren’t any rich Christians to help and support the poor and oppressed then who will? The Bible doesn’t say that there shall not be any rich Christians, it states that it is when more importance is given to the wealth than God, . Wealth is said to be gifted by God as blessings so it would be wrong to reject God’s blessings. If there weren’t any rich Christians then there wouldn’t be anyone to help the poor and oppressed as commanded in the Bible. There is nothing wrong with having money as long as God is put before it and the money was achieved in a rightful way. God has said that there will be poverty in the world as long as there is sin in the world. So I think it is God’s intention that some Christians are rich so that they can help others and do God’s work even though they will be tempted to do other wise. Some people use God’s talents and gift to achieve what they are today. For that they use their determination to work sincerely to arrive at their goal. Which may have made them ‘rich’. I also think that it is wrong if people have worked hard for what they have achieved.
Some people say that greedy rich people ‘leaching’ wealth off the poor cause poverty. They argue that people become rich because somewhere along the line someone has been cheated or treated unfairly. Although this maybe true I would reply to this comment saying that this is isn’t the case normally and when it does happen, it is wrong. Others say that there need not be rich Christians, other people could help the poor. Although this is right and it does happen, I would argue that most aid organizations, relief workers, missionaries are either Christians or are funded by Christians. Some others argue that people are rich only because God gave them blessings, talents or riches. So they should give back all they have to the work of God to show God their appreciation. I would reply to this saying that people need some money to live and so it would be wrong to take away. A lot of rich people give away a lot of money to charity. But we refer to the story of the poor widow who Jesus praised for giving out of her poverty. People argue that here it is clearly shown that people should give out of their poverty not out of their abundance. I would argue that they don’t have to give the money in the first place and that whatever they are giving it still contributes. This doesn’t mean that poor people need to do anything for Christianity. They shouldn’t say we are poor so we can’t afford to give anyway there are many other rich people who can give a lot more. Some argue that the Bible teaches that there should be no rich Christians. I would reply saying that the passages refer to the spiritual riches. In that a rich Christian can take part in philanthropic activities rather than selfish, self-gratifying and material acts If there aren’t any rich people then the economy will fall and the scope for development will be less. There will also be less competition and motivation to succeed in life.
I think that rich people shouldn’t give away money just like that. This can lead to corruption and laziness of people. I think they should set up free medical, education and other such facilities for the public.
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