6. Religious Attitudes to World Poverty.

Learning Objective: To examine the key issues of this topic to prepare for the G.C.S.E. examination.

ChristianityJesus – “love your neighbour as yourself”“Treat others as you would wish to be treated”

Golden RuleJesus told a rich man “sell all you have and give to

the poor then you will have treasures in heaven”Faith in action – a Christian can’t claim to love God if

they are not prepared to help the needyThose who help the needy are rewarded in heaven –

parable of the sheep and the goats.

SikhismDhan (part of sewa) means to serve humanity by giving to

charity and giving time to help those in need“There can be no worship with out performing good deeds”

Guru Granth Sahib“Heaven is not attained without good deeds”“After you shall depart this life, God shall demand a

reckoning of your deeds that in his ledger are recorded” – karma / reincarnation

Vand Chhakna – give generouslyDaswandh – give 1/10 th of surplus wealth to serve others eg

disaster relief

What are LEDC’s?They are less economically developed countries.They are generally south of the Equator, have high and

growing populations, issues with their climate, prone to natural disasters, have been or are ravaged by civil war, have massive national debt and are exploited by richer countries.

Examples are – Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda – extreme poverty, civil war, political corruption, Aids epidemics and low incomes.

Key concepts.Justice – the idea that people have a right to

be treated fairly and a share of the wealthStewardship – the responsibility to look after

the world and everything in it, especially the poor

Compassion – the ability humans have to be affected by the suffering of others and want to care / help them

Basic needs of life!FOODWATERSHELTERHEALTHEDUCATIONEMPLOYMENT

What causes poverty across the world?CLIMATE – lack of water, crops fail, severe floodsNATURAL DISATERS – floods in Bangladesh, hurricane in

Burma, can’t be controlledWAR – unstable governments, civil war, money spent on

weapons, destruction of humans & buildingsCORRUPTION – no democratically elected government,

kept in power by force, bribery & fear, no money to poor DEBT – borrow from World Bank or richer countries, have

to pay back high interest, G8 wipe out debts?EXPLOITATION – trade favours richer countries, smaller

farmers are paid low amounts for crops eg coffee, Fairtrade tires to ensure a fair price is paid

ChristianityJesus – “love your neighbour as yourself”“Treat others as you would wish to be treated”

Golden RuleJesus told a rich man “sell all you have and give to

the poor then you will have treasures in heaven”Faith in action – a Christian can’t claim to love God if

they are not prepared to help the needyThose who help the needy are rewarded in heaven –

parable of the sheep and the goats.

SikhismDhan (part of sewa) means to serve humanity by giving to

charity and giving time to help those in need“There can be no worship with out performing good deeds”

Guru Granth Sahib“Heaven is not attained without good deeds”“After you shall depart this life, God shall demand a

reckoning of your deeds that in his ledger are recorded” – karma / reincarnation

Vand Chhakna – give generouslyDaswandh – give 1/10 th of surplus wealth to serve others eg

disaster relief

CAFOD – just one worldSet up in 1962 by Catholic churches to make

fundraising more effective. Gives money to disaster relief & aid work,

campaigns for a fairer world, education work.Recent projects – water pipes in a shanty

town in Brazil for access to clean water.

Khalsa AidSet up in 1999, an inter-national relief organisation

founded on the Sikh principles of sewa, selfless service and universal love.

A UK registered charity, also in North America & Asia.Provides relief to victims of disasters, wars & other

tragic events.Recent projects – flood victims in the Punjab,

emergency aid, helping refugees and rebuilding lives.

Types of AidShort-term aid = immediate response to an emergency –

essentials – medicine, food, clean water, tents and blankets. Often charities join forces to raise money and then to distribute the aid. Governments often promise money and aid, and charities are in a good position to get it to the affected areas. Examples – China earthquake, Burmese floods.

Long-term aid = rebuild the lives of the survivors. Helping people recover physically and emotionally. Set up projects like building schools, hospitals, wells for clean water.

Gandhi

“Give a man a fish and he can feed himself for a day; teach him how to use a fishing rod and he can feed himself forever”

Can you explain the difference between the 2 types of aid using this quote from Gandhi?

Sustainable Development“development which meets the needs of the present

without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”

Growth and development must take place within limits, without ecological and cultural disruption, and use technology which can be maintained locally.

Environment must maintain industries without pollution and natural resources should not be exploited or used up.

Examples – Village Volunteers – improve life in villages eg health care, economic growth, equality, justice, rights

Rainforest Alliance – ensure forestry, farming & tourism do not damage the rainforest & benefit local people.

What can religious believers do about world poverty?Buy Fairtrade productsOrganise sponsored eventsGive time / money to a projectRaise other people’s awareness of the issuesPrayRead their Holy Book for teachings & guidanceOrganise events at their place of worshipGet involved with a charity eg CAFOD or Khalsa Aid