Outline Catholic Teaching on Wealth and Poverty Essay Example
In this essay I am going to outline and explain the teaching on wealth and poverty. I am going to do this by using examples from parables that were told be Jesus. This issue is quite a difficult issue for Catholics and often it is a matter for their own consequence. Although, the churches teaching is quite clear on this issue.
The word wealth means that you have a lot of money and in being wealthy means that you have enough money to buy luxuries and buying more than the essentials you need to live. The word poverty means that you do not have enough money to buy the essential items that you need to live e.g. Food and Water. The Catholics teach that if you are wealthy, than that is not a bad thing if you have earned it by working hard in a career. However, if you are greedy with your wealth and keep it all for yourself then in the eyes of Catholics that is a bad thing. Also, if you have earned your wealth by doing something that is morally acceptable than you are not a true follower of Jesus. E.g. Being a Drug Dealer.
Christians believe that wealth is a gift from God which can be used for either good or evil, so in itself is not a bad thing, it is our attitude towards wealth and material possessions that is at the heart of the issue. Consequently having the wrong attitude towards money can lead you away from God and therefore Christians should only gain money in a moral and lawful way, as it is a gift from God and not theirs along. Jesus taught his disciples in the parable of the 'Rich Young Man' (Mark 10:21-23) the difficulties the rich face in entering the kingdom of God.
In the parable of the rich young man Jesus was approached by a man that ran up to him, knelt before him and asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus told the young man to follow the commandments. With this the man said that he had obeyed all the commandments since he was a young boy. So Jesus Replied “Sell all you have and give the money to the poor and you will have riches
The word wealth means that you have a lot of money and in being wealthy means that you have enough money to buy luxuries and buying more than the essentials you need to live. The word poverty means that you do not have enough money to buy the essential items that you need to live e.g. Food and Water. The Catholics teach that if you are wealthy, than that is not a bad thing if you have earned it by working hard in a career. However, if you are greedy with your wealth and keep it all for yourself then in the eyes of Catholics that is a bad thing. Also, if you have earned your wealth by doing something that is morally acceptable than you are not a true follower of Jesus. E.g. Being a Drug Dealer.
Christians believe that wealth is a gift from God which can be used for either good or evil, so in itself is not a bad thing, it is our attitude towards wealth and material possessions that is at the heart of the issue. Consequently having the wrong attitude towards money can lead you away from God and therefore Christians should only gain money in a moral and lawful way, as it is a gift from God and not theirs along. Jesus taught his disciples in the parable of the 'Rich Young Man' (Mark 10:21-23) the difficulties the rich face in entering the kingdom of God.
In the parable of the rich young man Jesus was approached by a man that ran up to him, knelt before him and asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. Jesus told the young man to follow the commandments. With this the man said that he had obeyed all the commandments since he was a young boy. So Jesus Replied “Sell all you have and give the money to the poor and you will have riches