Religion, wealth + Poverty

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Introduction

In this essay I will be looking at issues around religion wealth and poverty and basis needs of the third world. I will examine religious responses on poverty + analyse the work of religious charities.

Poverty mean poor, Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not being able to go to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.

Poverty is a call to action -- for the poor and the wealthy alike -- a call to change the world so that many more may have enough to eat, adequate shelter, access to education and health, protection from violence, and a voice in what happens in their communities.

Absolute poverty- no access to basic needs.

Relative poverty- can’t afford the same things as most other people in society.

Basic needs:

Food- Food helps us to grow and develop. This is the most important in poverty because if people don’t have enough food they will be die. At least one in eight of the world’s population does not have enough to eat.

Clean water- those people living in developed countries they can’t have clean water. Clean, safe drinking water is essential for life.

Houses- housing provides us with protection and security. For poor people is very important houses because if they haven’t place for living they have to go to the street. In poverty people don’t have enough money for buying houses.

Clothes- this is the most important part because if they don’t have clothes they can’t go out from house.

Education- we take education for granted but in the poorest countries of the world only four adults in ten can read and write and less than one in four children go to secondary school.

Work- work can give us identity, security and the means to meet many of our other basic needs.

In the world today, there are developed countries like Britain and Japan, developing countries like Brazil and Malaysia and less economically developed countries (LEDCs) like Bangladesh and Mali where people regularly starve to death.

If there is to be a fair world, then the economically developed countries need greater help from the developed countries. It is also in the interests of developed countries to help the LEDCs because they need new markets for their goods and they need products like cotton, tea and coffee from the LEDCs. The world is now inter-dependent.

Interdependence means countries relying on each other for our survival. The north countries need south countries because of resources and technology. The poorer countries in the south need help from the north this is called interdependence. The Brant commission is the idea of global interdependence was highlighted by an organisation. The report written by them in 1980 called north south: a programme for survival,

The developed and development countries have to work together to resolve their problems and solve common threats such as famine.

Christian teaching on poverty it has always been important for Christian. Many people of goodwill give money to charities, raise funds and campaign to help the less fortunate people of the world. But Christians do it for very specific religious reasons and we will explore these first. Christian’s care about the poor is because they have inherited the teaching about social justice in the Old Testament. All of the Christian churches today follow the teachings of the new testament that state it is a Christian’s duty to help people in need whether in world because everyone is a neighbour. Jesus said in the parable of the Good Samaritan that Christians must love their neighbours whatever their race or country. Christians feel that it is part of their religious duty to help the poor. Christian believes that there is another reason why we cannot really say ‘it is nothing to do with us’. It is a fundamental Christian belief that all people are made no members. The teaching of the church itself, which has been very influential in bringing some of these changes about.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Teaches that Christians have a duty to inform themselves about the problem of poverty and to pray, think and act to protect the poor in everything they do. Living out the meaning of the mass in the world means sharing there as well. Christian believes that wealth is dangerous and may lead people away from God. The poor people have a special place in the life and teaching of Jesus himself. Jesus sharing the life of the poor and identifying with them.

The teaching of John the Baptist in preparation for Jesus adult ministry. The social concern of the Old Testament prophets.

Jesus teaching was about the kingdom of God. Many people believed that their wealth was a sign of God’s blessing and an assurance of their place in the coming kingdom.

Jesus said,

“Happy are you poor;

The kingdom of God is yours!

Happy are you who are hungry now;

You will be filled.”

(Luke 6:20)

The really important people in the kingdom is God, he said they are not the respectable and the wealthy. Many biblical teachings show that if people have the wrong attitude to money, wealth can lead them away from God. Those who follow Jesus are live simple lives, not worrying about possessions but trusting in God to provide for their basic needs. The second religious reason why Christians think it is their duty to serve the poor is because Jesus teaches them to in the Gospels. After ‘Jesus’ death and resurrection, the early church carried on the teaching of Jesus and tried to live up to it.

Jesus told a parable about the end of the world when everyone would come before him to be judged. The good would be sent to heaven because; as Jesus said when I was hungry you gave me food. When you did it for the least of my brothers, you did it for me. The bad people were told they were going to hell because they had never fed the hungry. When they asked when they had never done these things, Jesus said, when you did not do it for other people you did not do it for me.

Quotes from the Bible

“No one can serve two master.

Either he will hate the one and

love the other, or he will

be devoted to the one and

despise the other, you cannot

serve both God and money;”

(Mathew 6:24)

“The kind of fasting I want is this:

remove the chains of oppression

and the yoke of injustice, and let

the oppressed go free. Share your

food with the hungry and open your

homes to the homeless poor. Give

clothes to those who have nothing

to wear, and do not refuse to help

your own relatives. Then my favour

will shine on you like the morning

sun, and your wounds will be quickly

healed. I will always be with you to

save you; my presence will protect

you on every side. When you pray,

I will answer you. When you call to me,

I will respond. If you put an end to

oppression, to every kind of gesture

of contempt, and to every evil word;

if you give food to the hungry and

satisfy those who are in need, then the

darkness around you will turn to the

brightness of noon.”

(Isaiah 58:6-10)

My views of the Christian teachings is that it doesn’t matter what is your religion and what the God said about the poverty. You don’t have to follow the Jesus. The main point is that helps people to have their education and try to get their basic needs to sustain life. I realise that other people may have different views from mine because they still following what the Jesus told about the poverty.

Islamic teaching on wealth and poverty are reflected in Zakah, one of the five pillars of Islam. Islam teaches that all people are equal. This equality exists on a spiritual level. Muslims believe that Allah will judge all people, depending upon their actions in this life. Muslims believe that Allah created everyone and they are all equal in his sight. Islamic teaching about wealth and poverty in the practice of Zakah. This has been used for centuries to tackle the problems of wealth and poverty and to combat greed and envy. Every Muslim is expected to serve Allah by their contributions because it is the will of Allah that all Muslims are cared for. Islam teaches that Allah created the world and created humans to look after the earth. Muslims have teaching about how people should treat the natural world. Islam teaches that wealth is a good thing, but it must be shared with the poor. The Qu’ran says that Muslims should give Zakah and Sadaqah to help the poor.

The Arabic word ‘Zakah’ means to purify or cleanse. Zakah, on the other hand, is a duty performed on a regular basis, and not regarded as a charity. . It is a contribution paid once a year. The aim of paying Zakah is to keep your wealth free of greed and selfishness. This is also a test of Muslim honesty expenditure.

Zakah money may only be used for certain set purposes:

To help the poor.
To release from dept.
To help needy travellers.
To free captives.
To win people over to the cause of Allah.

It is one of the basic principles of Muslim economy, based on social welfare and fair distribution of wealth. Muslims are expected to tax their income and wealth as a matter of duty, and to hand over a certain proportion on an annual basis to those who are less fortunate.

In Islam sharing wealth is not an optional extra; it is something commanded by God in the religious pillars of Zakah.

The Zakah is usually collected and sent off during the fast of Ramadan. Zakah will help your relatives to recover from disease by giving charity. Zakah is usually paid in secret so that rich people receive no false praise or admiration, since they are doing no more that their duty; and poor people are not made ashamed in receiving. Muslim pay Zakah annually on the basis of two and a half percent of all their savings and income above the level needed to keep their family. Zakah for Eid-ul-Fitr is a special payment of a set amount, the equivalent of two meals. Every Muslim who is financially able to do this should give this to the poor on behalf of each member of the family.

Eid-ul-Adha involves the sacrifice of an animal for the pilgrims on hajj, and is a voluntary act for other Muslims round the world. The animal is dedicated to Allah, and then slaughtered by the person best able to do this, as painlessly as possible; then it is divided up and shared.

Fasting especially during Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar, is an act of self-discipline and self-sacrifice. It requires a great deal of effort.

Quotes from the Quran

“O believers! Don’t cancel your charity

by reminders of your generosity, or by

holding it against them like those who

give their wealth only to be seen by

other…they are like hard, barren rock

on which is little soil. Heavy rain falls on

it and leaves it just a bare stone.”

(Surah 2:264)

“Those who spend their wealth day and

night in secret and in public have their

reward with their lord; on them shall be

no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

(Surah “: 274)

My views on the Islamic teachings is that they should explain more about the poverty and how hardly poor people living in the developing countries. They also should help poor people with money, clothes, food etc. Public should be more strict to the government to get the right for poor people whose not getting basic needs in their life. The government have to help poor people to sustain life.

Christian Aid In the world 1 in 2 people live in poverty. Christian aid they want to half poverty by 2015. Many children’s dies of hunger I every 8 seconds’ like Jesus Christian aid side with poor +act to make a change.

In 1945 the government stared to help refugees. They collected money from every house and its called Christianity week.

In 1950-57 they successful the charity develop to become ‘Christian aid’. They involve people from the all churches. Christian people fight for justice. Their dream to the poverty, also their mission to work with churches to end the poverty. Christian aid week help every year.

300,000 volunteers help to collect money. It’s not just a relief organisation it’s a key member of UK disasters emergency commission and act action by churches together. It’s a Good Samaritan. It’s not just a blue light agency (not just for emergencies.)

They help people when there is a disaster. When the war +disaster strike, Christian helps with food +aid. This is not their main job, they just want to help people and help themselves. Christian help with thing like health, education, clean water. Transport, farming and housing. Christian aid has local ‘partners’ many of which are churches these help people gain things like food, shelter and right decent wages.

“I have come that they may

have life before death. they

mean life in all its fullness life

is more than just breathing.”

John (10:10)

They challenge the embellishment of people power. In India many woman of the lowest caste got help from Christianity to buy a field. No bank would lend them money. The poverty is man made caused by injustice +greed.

Globalisation as only was good for some work. It exploits the south it’s lead to;

-Child labour

-Low pay

-Poor condition

These things we would not put up with in developed world. Globalisation has given little things to the poor people/companies. They make money from the un-ethical trading. Tilted trade is in favour of the north countries. Christian names +shames, the companies wants the World Bank to drop the dept. Christian is great believer in people power. Christian support fair-trades for good though the co-op.

Christian wants the justice. The volunteers work together.

Islamic relief worldwide (IRW) is dedicated to alleviating the poverty and suffering of the world’s poorest people. IRW recognises the need for poor people to initiate their own enterprises so that they may endeavour to provide for themselves and their families. They need for poor people to be involved in income generating activities is so that they can be free from the constraints of poverty. This becomes easier to understand when you become familiar with the conditions that poor people in the developing world have to face. Knowledge about these conditions is important in knowing how to help. If you are a tax payer Islamic relief can claim 33% of any donation made by you where the values is £250 or more, from the tax you have already paid to the inland revenue. About more than 1.3 billion people live in poverty. In poverty land is an important source of income and status, some of the poorest people have no land holdings and therefore have to resort to finding employment, which is not always easy to come by and is usually very poorly paid. Many people in the world suffer from either water shortages or the lack of access to safe water. It is estimated that at least 30% of the world’s population still does not have access to safe water. Water is, of course an essential resource and one that is taken for granted in the developed world.

Water is natural, but often-scarce resource, essential for human life and all other bio system.

Islamic relief worldwide recognises this hence it has initiated a water and sanitation programme. In south Asia although water as a whole is not scare the water network and the quality of the water is very poor. A significant amount of children and adults lose their lives due to diarrhoea related diseases. In fact more that two million deaths from diarrhoea alone could be avoided each year if all people had reasonable water and sanitation services.

Christian aid has different project going on like health workers in Bangladesh at the people’s health centre. More than 80 health workers are based at health centre. All of them are local woman who know local problems. They are also the only woman in the country who travels by bicycle, because it is the best way to reach the villages to pass on their knowledge about sanitation, nutrition and hygiene.

In southern Africa home and water are very important for poor people. The World Bank could be more careful to make sure that overseas aid is given to projects that really do help the poorest people. For this reason, Christian aid makes some grants to organisations that aim to help people understand the cause of poverty and what must be done to get rid of it.

Islamic relief also has different project going on like the community action programme in Bangladesh. Formerly known a Islamic relief rural aid programme is located in the districts of Rangpur in Bangladesh. Through the establishment of local groups it aims to initiate income-generating activities by developing local savings and credit schemes. Local people save a certain amount of money each week and this is along with Islamic relief’s support then used to finance such activities.

Fair trade means buying and selling in a satisfactory way. Farmer that is paid a fair price for their crop has enough money available. With this money they can invest in business. This then improves quality and quantity of output. When output is improved there is more spare money to spend on things like education improvements, health care, water cups, food and shelter.

Farmers can then invest in the community. Overall this means improved quality of life and opportunities.

I think they are at relieving world poverty but they need more improvement.

“There should be no rich

people as long as there is

poverty in the world.”

I don’t agree with this quote because in Islam Allah send some people as rich and some people as poor. Rich people are supposed to help and support poor people by given money and do charity work for e.g. Prince Diana help with charity and Richard Branson provided money. If some people won’t be able to help poor people by give money they should encourage them.

Some people would agree with this quote because people earned money by working for their self not to help or share with other people.

In Christianity Jesus told a parable in the bible about a rich man and poor woman. The rich man gives 5 gold jewelleries and the poor woman gave a silver jewellery to help poor people. Jesus asked people who is most helpful, people said the rich man but Jesus said the poor woman because she gave everything what she had to help people.

Conclusion

In conclusion I would argue that to get rid of poverty there is a need for world development. In one way rich countries help poor people by giving money to get poor countries resources and poor countries help rich countries by sharing out the resources.

The only reason why poor countries helping rich countries because they have the resources but they don’t have enough money to develop the resources that’s why they have to sell their sources to rich countries and rich countries take the disadvantages of the chance which is really shameful and that’s the only reason for wealth and poverty and basis needs to the third world. Rather than buying their resources rich countries should help poor countries by giving money that is they can have it back after poor countries develop their own resources.

Our religions teach us to help the poor by giving out charity to make themselves feel good; it’s not a selfless act.

Religions show us that how hardly people living in developing countries and the difference between helpings in two religious ways. People believe God will be happy with them + they will go to heaven. Religion charities drop in ocean. They help poor people but are not enough for them to sustain life. We need to do things in a huge scale to get rid of poverty.

Rather than following Christianity or Islam become a good human being it will help more for poor people to get their basic needs which is their rights to the government and to us.