Are wealthy countries in anyway responsible to lift poor countries out of poverty?

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Should the Catholic Church then get involved in creating businesses and building infrastructure in third world countries?
Clearly this would require the permission of the countries government and working with the governments but perhaps this is a plausible solutionšŸ¤”
 
The ceo of the Red Cross makes upwards of 500k per year. Thatā€™s not a volunteer.
 
In a way, yes, monasteries used to be very productive centers. The land they owned was leased to the poor cheaply so they could farm their own food
 
Probably not about directly creating businesses and infrastructure but mentoring people and helping them create businesses and infrastructure for themselves. Itā€™s not a hand out but a hand up.

There are several charities that teach people how to create and run small businesses and help them build and obtain infrastructure such as electrical power plants and clean drinking water.

I know several members of my family who volunteer with Doctors Without Borders and Dentists without borders. I have also supported charities which help build sources for clean drinking water.

Imagine if all one billion of us Catholics did our part in helping others. It would help a lot.
 
Taking personal ownership of God-given resources as though youā€™ve done something special to deserve it canā€™t be Christian, I think. Of course, we have a responsibility to help those less fortunate than us.

Of course, we rarelyl do it, because steak dinners are more delicious than helping weā€™ve never met is satisfying-- at least for most.
 
Eric_Hyom said:
Twenty thousand children die every day from grinding poverty, preventable disease and starvation. While the mega rich continue to buy their multi million dollar toys. I donā€™t find that hilarious.
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No parents?

No local government?

No locally provided education?

No local agriculture?

Why is Haiti so poor ā€¦ and the Dominican Republic doing well? They are both on the same island!

Why is North Korea so poor ā€¦ and South Korea doing so well? The are both on the same peninsula ā€¦ and North Korea has mineral wealth!
 
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RobertAdams said:
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JanSobieskiIII:
Wrong šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ like hilariously wrong.
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Hello Poster ā€œJanSobkeskilll.ā€ I think you may be overlooking the phenomena where those at the top complain much of the bad effects of high wages in raising the price, and thereby lessening the sale of their goods both at home and abroad. They say nothing concerning the bad effects of high profis. They are silent with regard to the pernicious effcts of their own gains. They complain only of those of other people.
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High wages are bad only when dictated by the government without regard to the value an employee delivers (which is why many businesses move or speed up their efforts to automate).

Also, please define ā€œhigh profitsā€ā€¦maybe provide a few examples?

Thanks!
 
Well, ā€œhilariousā€ is probably a bad word choice, but yeahā€¦ definitely not the solution.
 
What I meant by hilarious is the statement was made so boldly and yet even a cursory knowledge of economics would dispel any notion as to its validity. And yet people still repeat such tired arguments.
 
The CEO of our Red Cross (European, not US) makes about 40.000ā‚¬ a year. Although that is not really a volunteer, I believe it is an acceptable amount, especially since, according to my coordinator when I signed up, the spirit of the Red Cross is volunteering. Thatā€™s how it was set up.

And no, I was not happy when I heard the US CEO earned so much, where is the spirit of volunteering that started the Red Cross? I did not think that was correct, but its not my say.

My division however, when I work in, all my bosses are volunteers, all of them. This is where the spirit of the Red Cross still lives on, according to me anyway.
 
Singapore has no natural resources ā€¦ but is very wealthy.

Mexico and Venezuela are flush with oil but are poor.

But there are other oil-countries that are doing well.
 
Itā€™s funny how ultra-conservatives find so many ways to explain away Matthew 25 and half the gospel. Christians directly GIVING to the poor, the tradition of almskeeping, is probably the command Christ emphasized more than anything else. And he made it pretty clear that eternal damnation awaits those who ignore this command.
 
kgmlg said:
My division however, when I work in, all my bosses are volunteers, all of them. This is where the spirit of the Red Cross still lives on, according to me anyway.
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Where do they get money for food?
 
I actually asked the same question and got smiled at.

In the case of the President of my division, he has a different job as a public servant somewhere, with very favourable and flexible ā€œoffice hoursā€. His other job knows of his commitment to the Red Cross and gives him flexibility. This guy actually has a family with fairly young children, and is also very active in sports events. One of them supermen I guess, i donā€™t know how he does it, really nice man though.

Most of the other people are the same. They have either day jobs or afternoon jobs that they can combine with their really heavy volunteering. ThatĀ“s vocation I think, juggling all of that. Some are retired, some were stay at home moms with empty nests, somehow it works out.
 
LOL, yes, the original founders of the Red Cross apparently were fairly wealthy and/or very talented people who wanted to do something for the injured in the war. Thatā€™s how they told me it started. šŸ™‚
 
twf said:
Itā€™s funny how ultra-conservatives find so many ways to explain away Matthew 25 and half the gospel. Christians directly GIVING to the poor, the tradition of almskeeping, is probably the command Christ emphasized more than anything else. And he made it pretty clear that eternal damnation awaits those who ignore this command.
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Judge much? Reading the hearts of ā€œultra-conservativesā€ and judging their souls is in your job description?

Can you show me which ā€œultra conservativesā€ here are trying to ā€œexplain away Matthew 25ā€ and half the gospel? Thatā€™s a pretty strong accusation, so Iā€™m sure you would not bear false witness and would back up your claim with facts.

Most of the posters that conservatives (like me) disagree with have no real understanding of business or economics. One poster told me they donā€™t have any need to learn about economic theory and implied it wasnā€™t important at allā€¦that mindset is why some people are unnecessarily poor! (consider people poor people who buy things on a ā€˜rent to ownā€™ basis and end up paying way more for a product because they donā€™t understand how interest rates work). Others I disagree with seem to ignore the impact of poor governmental leadership on the poor. (consider Zimbabwe or Venezuela as prime example).

The conservatives I know first look for ways to get people out of the cycle of poverty, by trying to create an environment for economic (job) growth. Realizing that the government is the most inefficient way to deliver help to those in need is also important.

Looking for sustainable ways to help the poor does not go against Mt 25. Trying to make charity dollars go farther does not go against Mt 25. Wanting to find ways to get people out of the cycle of poverty does not go against Mt 25. Being realistic about poor leadership and corruption and its impact on the poor does not go against Mt 25.
 
If one is hired by the rich kids, they sort of expect their staff will also be rich.

[What?? No polo ponies? No sail boat?]]
 
Sorry, no polo ponies, do cats count? I have a couple of those. šŸ™‚ No boat either. šŸ˜¦
 
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