Poverty ,wealth and charity in

Christianity
 Description of hunger from an
impoverished
"Feed the hungry," that's what the old pastor used to preach. Treat everyone as if they
were a dear relative. Problem is, we're all hungry now. People don't share ,they hoard,
even if they can't eat it all before it spoils. Everyone says they got nothing,' no way to
tell if it's true or not. All I know is my stomach feels like a black hole every moment I'm
awake and there's never enough to quell the pain or even provide a hint of relief.
I am having to fight hard to hold onto every good thing I ever was, or the pain and
emptiness will walk me into a morbid quagmire of despair and darkness. The same is
true for the body and the soul. 
Before I start my PowerPoint, I would like to say how widespread poverty is. Did you know that
according to Christian aid information, by the time this lesson ends,420 children in poverty will die.
Yes you heard right 420 people mercilessly killed by the choices made generations before they even
existed. Here is a description of an impoverished human being from the perspective of an observer:

Her skin is bronzed, tortured by the sun due to monotonous exposure. The stench of sweat is evident.
Her messy hair and dirtied skin is a sure sign of rough living (not to mention the worn-out clothes –
most likely handed down from a previous generation).
Her eyes are firm to the untrained eye, yet I see loneliness as they become unfocused.
These were eyes of experience; they'd seen a lot, not all of it pleasant. Her hardened look and stone-
cold gaze were a clue to their witness.

She seems mature. Most likely a child who simply skipped childhood, forced to look after her multiple-
generation family, and no doubt a slave to the poverty stricken world. She works tirelessly all day to
find some form of nourishment for her family's weeping bones as the skin clings tightly to them.
When the sun goes down, and the work comes to a stop, however, her beauty becomes prominent.
The weariness originating from the stress of life can be seen clearly during this time. Still a child, her
look of innocence makes your stomach congeal in sadness as the heavy burden appears, written all
over her body.

But she is among millions in this life. This "life" is all she's known. Her face – thinner than thin – clearly
carves out her sharp features, leaving the attention not on her full, cracked lips, not on her hollowed-
in cheeks, but on her tired eyes. She will not go to school. She will not leave her home. She will not
escape her life. A bad hand dealt to her, and a country of slaves. Slaves not to a human, but to a life;
poverty and hunger their master, one which she cannot leave.
 https
://media.giphy.com/media/QWjTYE
oWhQgiZWqEw7/source.mov

Would you want this to be your

everyday life ?why if so/not?
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Mr Carman r/71_CQ3ZbT
 Teachings on poverty
The bible teaches that Christians should act with compassion to less fortunate people
e.g. people that have an appearance similar to the slide before. They believe that life
is sacred and that God loves every human being. Some beliefs are that it is better to be
poor than to be rich and live in luxury .A quote that supports this is that it is harder for a
rich man to get into the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle

Liberation Theology is a movement within the Roman Catholic Church. It began in Latin
America in the 1950s. Christians working in this movement focus on helping those who
live in poverty. They believe that poverty is the single most important issue faced by
people in today's world as poverty leads to all sorts of disadvantages to do with health,
education and participation in society.
 What do you believe is charity?
What is charity? A guilty handful of coins rattled into a box on a street corner? The
nudge of conscience at Christmas?

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Mr Carman
 Charity
A common understanding of charity is what many people of faith would call
‘almsgiving’ - a strong tradition in both Christianity and Islam - as well as Buddhism
and other faiths. During Lent, for example, Christians are urged to pray, to fast and to
give alms (money or goods) to people in need. Motivation is important - in both
Christianity and Islam giving alms in secret is better than receiving human praise for
the practice.

However, charity is the highest form of love, signifying the reciprocal love between
God and man that is made manifest in unselfish love of one's fellow men.
The prophet Mormon tells us, “Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest
of all, for all things must fail—but charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth
forever” (Maroni 7:46–47; see also 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Nephi 26:30; Maroni 7:44–45,
48).
Jesus taught that we should give food to the hungry, shelter to those who have none,
and clothes to the poor. When we visit the sick and those who are in prison, it is as if
we were doing these things for Him instead. He promises that as we do these things,
we will inherit His kingdom. (See Matthew 25:34–46.)
We should not try to decide whether someone really deserves our help or not
(see Messiah 4:16–24). If we have taken care of our own family’s needs first, then we
should help all who need help. In this way we will be like our Father in Heaven, who
causes rain to fall on the just and on the unjust alike (see Matthew c–45).
 Parable (From Bible )that shows charity
The parable teaches us that we should give to those in need, regardless of whether they
are our friends or not (see Luke 10:30–37; see also James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 3rd
ed. [1916], 430–32).
 Wealth?
The New Testament seems to show wealth more as a danger than as a blessing. It
emphasises the dangers more than the desirability of wealth. Jesus set the tone for this
emphasis with his statement, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the
kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:24-25). This statement is cited in all
three synoptic Gospels. But how often do we hear preachers repeat it today? Jesus
underscores his teaching about the dangers of wealth in his parable about the rich
farmer who acquired sufficient wealth to secure a comfortable retirement. He is called
a “fool” at his death. Jesus explains by saying, “So is the one who lays up treasure for
himself and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21). In his evangelistic call to would-be
disciples to deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow him, Jesus warns, “What
does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). If we
neglect this aspect of the call of Christ in our preaching of the gospel, we will be guilty
of distorting the gospel just like the liberals of an earlier generation.
When we turn to 1 Timothy 6 we find more warnings about the dangers of wealth. Paul
says that it is right to want basic necessities like food and clothing: “But if we have food
and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Tim. 6:8). Beyond that necessity, wealth
is not a big deal. Paul says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we
brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world” (6:6-7).
It is not essential that we are rich, but it is essential that we are godly and contented.
Elsewhere Paul says that he is content even while suffering: “For the sake of Christ,
For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). The idea of strength in weakness is
another neglected biblical doctrine today.
Let’s get back to the warnings. In 1 Timothy 6:9-10 Paul says:
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and
harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a
root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the
faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Another strong warning comes in the parable of the sower, where Jesus says about the
seed sown among thorns, “The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the
desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).
These two strong warnings tell us how the desire for wealth can cause huge harm by
deceiving us into giving up God’s way for the way of supposed prosperity. Sadly, today we
find so many people who have fallen into these very traps. They have ruined their spiritual
lives and condemned themselves to an unhappy life. In light of such strong warnings
about the dangers of desiring to be rich, backed by so many whose lives have been ruined
in this way, preachers should be careful not to inflame that desire by promising wealth to
their hearers.
 Other views
The Roman Catholic Church is often criticised for its wealth when
so many people live in absolute poverty. The Church owns valuable
property and art. Some argue that it should give more of its wealth
away to the less fortunate. However, some Christians argue that
the Bible teaches that there is nothing wrong with wealth in itself.
It is greed that is wrong.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the poor represent those
who are marginalised in society. Jesus himself taught the
importance of helping those who are poor and need help. The
Church also teaches about the 'preferential option for the poor',
that in order to improve life for the poor, we should speak for the
voiceless and defend the defenceless. The Roman Catholic Church
was an open supporter, amongst many churches, of Jubilee Year.
A charity that strives to eradicate
poverty
 Background information
founded in 1945

Its headquarters are in London

Location: interchurch house,35 lower marsh, London

The chief executive is: Amanda

Khozi Mukwashi
 What does it do and what is its aim?

The purpose of Christian Aid is to end poverty and to relieve or

combat malnutrition, hunger, disease, sickness or distress throughout
the world

For over 70 years, they’ve been standing with the poorest of our neighbours. They
work in 37 countries, with people of all faiths and none, to stand up for dignity,
equality and justice. 

They stand with the most vulnerable and excluded people of the world – both in
times of crisis and for the longer term. They give people survival essentials when
they are without shelter or refuge, and help them find the strength and resources
they need to flourish and protect themselves from shocks and disasters. 
They support people to stand up for their rights and to build stable, secure lives
they can enjoy living.
 
They work to educate and mobilise
people from all kinds of backgrounds to
build a movement that can change the
course of history and bring social justice
to all.

They campaign to ensure a more

equal division of power in the world,
promoting the rights and voices of
women and girls – and anyone
discriminated against because of
who they are. 

They push our political

leaders to tackle climate
change and tax dodging –
which hit the poorest the
hardest – and for our
society to welcome those On

who have been forced to off

flee their homes overseas. 

 Summary of Christian Aid

Christian Aid is the official relief and development agency of 41

Protestant and Orthodox churches in the UK and Ireland, and
works to support sustainable development, stop poverty, support
civil society and provide disaster relief in South America, the
Caribbean, Africa and Asia including the Middle East. 
My opinions
What do I think about situations when people lose their human rights because of
poverty?
Poverty is an outrage against humanity. It robs people of their dignity and lets injustice
thrive and I believe this is really unfair as the person is the same bag of bones and flesh
with the only difference being how much is in his bank account

Is it important for me to follow religious teachings?

I believe it is not important for me to follow religious teachings as they would not impact
my current life/situation.

Are my views similar to or different from those of my family and friends and those of
other religions?

My views are similar to those of my friends and quite distinct from my family's. My
views are similar to other religions like Islam e.g. you should regularly donate to charity.
Splat the cat
 rules

1)Only the person that has answered the question correctly can
throw
2)You can only throw from where you are sitting
3)You only get a point if you hit the cat(including the strange
deformed doughnut with sprinkles that is somehow supposed to
be its body)
4)When you receive the ball, you cannot give the ball to anyone
else
5)Only I can change the rules(perhaps Mr Carman as well)
 Questions
Rub out the contents on the board!!!
1)What does 18:12 mean ?(write on board)
2)What parable was used in my power point?(parable of the good Samaritan )
3)Tell me a denominations have I talked about in my power point?(Liberation Theology,
roman catholic church)
4)What charity did I talk about in my power point and when was it founded?(Christian
Aid ,1945)
5)Who was beaten in the parable of good Samaritan?(Jew)
6)Who helped the Jew?(Samaritan)
7)Which quote is cited in all three synoptic Gospels?(How difficult it is for those who
have wealth to enter the kingdom of God)
8)How does the New testament show wealth?(more of a danger than a blessing)
9)Where and when did Liberation theology begin?(Latin America in the 1950s)
 Conclusion
Overall, the teachings on wealth are all found in the Bible like in parables or in specific
verses e.g. 3:12
Thank you for listening

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