Gandhi on Poverty

Circumscribed amongst the seemingly endless list of ecological problems our world is currently staring face to face with, there is one that, depending on what region of Earth is analyzed, could be considered one the world 's most overlooked dilemmas. Poverty is making its way across the globe like a disease, affecting not just those without employment, but everyone. Anyone who pays taxes helps to fund America 's welfare program. Anybody who lives in or frequently travels through inner-city areas knows the best routes to take on which to easily avoid beggars. What is the right way to deal with those in dire need of financial relief? The Holy Bible is very clear in it 's guidance towards such a subject: It is the duty of all followers, rich and poor, to do anything they can to help anyone in need. Christians, being dominant in America, obviously struggle when faced with a chance to help someone in need. Why is it so obvious? Well, take a look at how many homeless, hungry people there are out there. In a land full of people who supposedly agree with the book that says "He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done," it is tough to understand why poverty is in abundance and on the rise (New International Version, Proverbs 19:17). Ronald Sider is quick to summarize this verse: "Helping a poor person is like helping the Creator of all things with a loan" (Sider, 68). It is a Christian 's duty to serve those who need it, for in doing so, he is serving the Lord. "Since God cares so much for the poor, it is hardly surprising that he wants his people to do the same. God 's command to believers to have a special regard for the poor, weak, and disadvantaged is" one of the main themes of the Bible, according to Sider (78). Gandhi, who was not a Christian, explored the idea of poverty in a more socially ethical way: "According to me the economic constitution of India and for that matther of the world, should be such that no one

Cited: Gandhi, Mahatma. All Men Are Brothers. New York City: World Without War Publications, 1958. Sider, Ronald J.. Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: A Biblical Study. 3rd. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1977. The Teen Study Bible, New International Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998.