Why Catholics should try to remove World Poverty
Catholics believe wealth is a gift from God and must be used in a way that is pleasing to him. Catholics are also taught that the possession of wealth can be a hindrance, to those who would serve God and enter his kingdom. In order for Catholics to know what they should do and how they should behave with their money they turn to the teachings of the church. The teachings of the church come from the bible, the Magestirum and the Catechism.
Catholics should try to remove world poverty because it is in the teachings of the bible, which tells us that if people have the wrong attitude to money, wealth can lead them away from God. True happiness is not found in riches or wellbeing, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement but in God alone – Catechism of the Catholic Church (1723)
The bible also teaches Catholics that a person should use his or her wealth to meet the needs of those dearest to them first and then the needs of others. Jesus told a parable about the end of the world when everyone would come before him and be judged. Jesus said the good would be reunited with God because “when I was hungry you fed me, when I was thirsty you gave me drink”. He then told the bad people they would go to hell because they never helped him. When the people asked when had they ever seen Jesus or when he had ever needed help, Jesus told them “when you did not do it for others, you did not do it for me”. Jesus tells us that by helping others by removing world poverty we will be rewarded in heaven.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that God blesses those who come to the aid of the poor and rebukes those who turn away from them. Love for those poor is incompatible with immoderate uses of riches of their selfishness use.
Catholics should try to relieve world poverty by we are all brothers and sisters in Gods eyes so we should try our best to help each other. Catholics can do this by helping to drop the debt and to help organisation like CAFOD which send aid to third world countries.
CAFOD
The Catholic Agency For Overseas Development (CAFOD), previously known as the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development, is a -based international working to and suffering in . It is funded by the community in and , the and the general by donations.
Cafods main aim for its long term aid is education. They beilieve this is the main component to breaking the poverty cycle and by helping the next generation. “give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a life.” CAFOD work with and use local christian organizations in each country to find out what the best solution is in each country. they work along side people over many years to help bring about a lasting change.A good example of long-term aid is support for health programmes, such as eradicating malaria or other diseases. Illness often causes poor families to sell their animals or fall into debt in order to pay for treatment. By improving their overall health, people are less likely to become destitute.
CAFOD have a fund of money which is raised to help deal with natural disasters such as the tsunami, an earthquake or famine. At the time of need this takes over long term aid because it is more important. Official aid may be short term, intended to help people who are suffering from a crisis or disaster such as an earthquake, a flood, a famine or war. It usually involves providing money, food, blankets or whatever is most urgently needed. Voluntary aid is less likely to be short term. Although voluntary agencies may supply emergency aid, it is usually linked to efforts by the local community and would involve making sure they had the means for their long-term development. For example, aid for refugees after a war will usually include help to rebuild their homes, and to buy seeds and farm implements or whatever they need to become self-sufficient.
Although aid is needed to help those who are suffering now, CAFOD and other voluntary agencies believe that it is important to attack the root causes of poverty. Their work therefore includes public education, to make people aware of the issues, and campaigning, to try to change the policies of governments, international institutions or multinational companies.
As well as campaigns to improve the working conditions for people in developing countries, CAFOD, along with other NGOs, has campaigned to change the Structural Adjustment Policies of the World Bank and to reduce third world debt. It is currently campaigning to change unfair rules of the World Trade Organisation that put poor countries at a disadvantage.
“Direct aid is an appropriate response to immediate, extraordinary needs caused by natural catastrophes, epidemics, and the like. But it does not suffice to repair the grave damage resulting from destitution or to provide a lasting solution to a country’s needs. It is also necessary to reform international economic and financial institutions so that they will better promote equitable relationships with less advanced countries.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church No 2440
Our catholic faith calls us to act to help those less fortunate than ourselves we can do this by helping CAFOD to help children to get a better education. If this world is a test for us we must attempt to pass it by helping those who suffer. Our faith tells us that we should love our neighbour as we ourselves would like to be loved, this according to Jesus’ teaching includes everyone even our enemies by helping CAFOD and donating and giving our services we can help the suffering and in turn we one day would like to be helped in that way.
“World poverty is caused by selfishness”
This question looks at whether world poverty is caused by humans and their selfishness, greed, jealousy, power as opposed to their being other such factors such as natural disasters which are outside of man’s control.
Some people believe this because man can change poverty and end it. But they choose not to because it would lose them money and take effort. They could end poverty by dropping the debt, it would take a long time for third world countries to become developed but with help it could happen. Richer countries choose not to help with poverty by not having fair trading laws. Trade barriers are designed to ensure that the rich countries remain rich whilst the poor suffer. This show how selfish rich countries are. Also richer countries keep most of the resources for them selves, 20% of the worlds population has 80% of the worlds resources. Without man helping to change poverty nothing will ever change. If they drop the debt then people would be able to help them elves by building better homes, growing more crops and getting a better education. Eve if a natural disaster did hit they would be able to recover. And if man would be able to help each other in trouble it would stop people going into poverty.
