[myspauyijbv]

What role can religion realistically play in the eradication of poverty?

By Ray Innen Parchelo


Ottawa, Canada -- "Poverty is not simply material deprivation but includes information, food, physical health, community, our natural environment and spiritual experience. Poverty does not exist in a vacuum, it is the flip-side of wealth.
Only the most naive would ignore that the roots of poverty and its relief lie in unjust and discriminatory social and economic structures, combined with political and social values which place personal advantage over collective well-being.

The belief that fostering greed will somehow trickle down to create wealth among those exploited to feed that greed is surely insane. As long as we are driven to value and strive after "bigger, better, more" -- an obscene accumulation of wealth, in all its forms -- indifferent to the costs for the rest of the world, we can only undermine and nullify any hope of relieving poverty.

Similarly, the most basic teaching of the Buddha is that the cause of our individual and collective sorrow is greed, clinging to what is impermanent as if we could own it. Buddhists are taught to actively express the virtue of "Dana" (generosity) as part of the end of suffering. Mirroring the Buddha's generosity in his teaching us the Way to relieve suffering, we too are directed to act generously for the same goal."


Continued :http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index....6,9763,0,0,1,0


COMMENTS?

[Abraham]

How do we promote and foster an understanding of interconnection with all life ? Abstract examples, quoting Pali canon, for me it is the interactions with others - the paths we can see we chose, the fork in the road due to the people we encountered ... just musing

[Kubasarika]

Only the most naive would ignore that the roots of poverty and its relief lie in unjust and discriminatory social and economic structures, combined with political and social values which place personal advantage over collective well-being.

Couldn't agree more

[zdlupikkkdi]

Christopher Hitchens once said that the way to tackle poverty is the liberation of women. To give them better education and more control over their reproduction


If this is true I'm not sure how positive religion may be .....

[crycleascentyv]

If this is true I'm not sure how positive religion may be .....

And there are many other means to acomplish this goal that have nothing to do with religion. Poverty and religion have coexisted together for centuries in humankind development and both are still there.

[finasteride]

for me it is the interactions with others -

Yes, true Andy,

[hansen384cbh]

If this is true I'm not sure how positive religion may be .....

I would probably re-phrase this as "If this is true I'm not sure how negative religion may be...".

[gomosopions]

Originally Posted by clw_uk If this is true I'm not sure how positive religion may be .....

I would probably re-phrase this as "If this is true I'm not sure how negative religion may be...". Why? I feel like I'm missing some nuance of meaning here. Maybe because I just woke up. =P

[9uWzBx4l]

Maybe because I just woke up

[Trebbinsa]

naturally religious practitioners can help thru generosity. for example, i sponsor two African children & their communities

but alot of poverty seems to be caused my politics & military conflict, of which worldly religion has played its role

when we distinguish 'religious practise' from 'worldly religion', then it is an uphill battle (imo)

still, we do our best

[DumErrory]

still, we do our best

[SpyRemo]

Why?

Religion/religious organizations have, in the past, also been ruthlessly suppressive and degrade to dogma and a need to defend the dogma, thereby leading to all kinds of evil and elitism. This is what I meant - no profound observation but, I think, true.

[sbrscnds]

religious organizations have,

...dogmatic organized ideas

I agree plogsties,