YEAR 11 REVISION KEYCARD – Religious attitudes to
Rich and Poor in British Society
Essential revision: RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES TO RICH AND POOR IN
BRITISH SOCIETY
What do we mean by ‘rich’ and ‘poor’?
Poor = not having enough money to provide basic necessities e.g. food, home.
Rich = having more money than you need to provide basic necessities e.g. food, home.
How do people become rich?

Wealthy family and inherit a lot of money
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Marry rich spouse and share their wealth

May inherit their money and possessions if they die

Gifts
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Won the lottery (The National Lottery in UK)
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Invest in financial markets
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Invent a product/create something e.g. pop song or work of art. Songwriters earn a
royalty payment every time their song is played
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Have a talent e.g. film star/footballer

Work extremely long hours e.g. shop owner and have studied over many years e.g. doctor,
lawyer

Saving and investing wisely
Why are some people poor?

UNEMPLOYMENT

LOW WAGES

WASTEFUL SPENDING PATTERNS (Alcohol, tobacco, gambling etc.)

DEBT (credit cards, mortgage etc.)
Religious attitudes to the rich and poor

Most religions accept that there wills always be rich and poor people.

They teach about equality, in that each person is valued and shown equal care and respect.

They also teach that it is how wealth is acquired and used that is important e.g. did a
person get rich by exploiting others and whether their wealth has made them greedy and
selfish. They would object to exploitation such as paying workers below the minimum wage
and charging high prices for products just to increase profits.

All religions teach that spritual riches are more important than material riches. What
matters most is what a person does with their wealth, not how much they have.

All religions expect rich people to use their wealth to help others e.g. supporting charities
which help the poor.

YEAR 11 REVISION KEYCARD – Religious attitudes to
Rich and Poor in British Society
Examples from specific religions (attitudes towards rich and poor)
CHRISTIANITY
People have been given talents which should not be wasted (so can use them to earn money).
However, the temptation is to make more than what is needed, taking people’s attention away
from God, which should be avoided. ‘The love of money is the root of all evil’ (1 Timothy 6 10).
Wealth is God-given and Christians should exercise stewardship in how they use it. Parables of
the Lost Sheep/Good Samaritan and Love your neighbour also influence the attitudes of
Christians
BUDDHISM
The Buddha left a wealthy life for a poorer one because wealth leads to craving and selfishness,
which cannot lead to true happiness. Ascetics, monks and nuns are respected for giving up money
and possessions
Religious attitudes towards the responsible use of money

Religions who believe in a God teach that wealth is a gift and God expects people to use it
to help others, as well as themselves (everyone has a duty not to be greedy and selfish
but to help others less fortunate than themselves)

People may help their local community, giving time and money to support projects and
charities (many children are taught to save money to give to charity to help less
fortunate

Many religions teach that responsible use of money helps a person’s spiritual growth e.g.
earning good karma or a way of entering heaven
Examples from specific religions (attitudes towards responsible use of money)
CHRISTIANITY
Christianity teaches that excess wealth should be shared with the poor (will support charity
work). Jesus told his followers that the poor would always be with them and that they should do
what they can to help. His parables also teach people about giving their riches to the poor
BUDDHISM
Buddhists believe that excess wealth should be given to the poor so the giver can earn good
karma. Excess wealth should be used to help eliminate poverty (as advised in the Eightfold path
to Enlightenment
YEAR 11 REVISION KEYCARD – Religious attitudes to
Rich and Poor in British Society
How can the poor be helped? (poverty overcome)

EDUCATION and TRAINING (courses in numeracy and literacy/courses in vocational
skills e.g. bricklaying/part time college courses whilst working/maintenance allowances for
16-19 year old college students

COUNSELLING (young people = Connexions/adults = Citizens Advice service)

GOVERNMENT HELP (minimum wage/unemployment, child and invalidity benefits/state
pensions/tax credits etc.
The roles of different individuals and organizations in caring for the poor
LOCAL AUTHORITIES: Local authorities have a responsibility to care for the poor and
vulnerable in our communities. They provide the following services:

Social workers to assist individuals and families in need or at risk

People to advise the poor on how best to provide for themselves and their families

Support workers to give practical help to the elderly and others who find it difficult to
cope on their own
Local authorities also provide houses or flats for rent, which is subsidized through housing
benefit if a person cannot afford it (top of list are families with young children and those
homeless who are escaping domestic violence)
CHARITIES AND RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS: Charities support the poor, including
collecting and redistributing 2nd hand clothes and household goods to families in need, supporting
children (e.g. NSPCC) and supporting the elderly (e.g. Help the Aged). Some charities e.g.
Salvation Army are run by religious organizations (particularly helps the homeless). Most
charities are dependent on the public (donating money/goods and giving their time voluntarily).
Some charities also receive money from the National Lottery
FAMILIES: Many relatives help out family members who fall on hard times. However, some are
in need because of the breakdown of the family e.g. because of abuse, arguments and addiction
The National Lottery
On November 19th 1994, the National Lottery was drawn live on live TV giving the 7 jackpot
winners approx. £840,000 each. Since then, there has been the added temptation the European
lottery draw (Euromillions) and instant ‘scratch-cards’ (where majority of prizes are very small
and paid out straightaway)
YEAR 11 REVISION KEYCARD – Religious attitudes to
Rich and Poor in British Society
How does the lottery benefit people in Britain?
Out of very £1 spent, 28p is given to ‘good causes’. However, this has to be bid for (by sports
clubs, museums etc.) and there are strict rules about who or what can benefit. There are 4 main
categories of good cause (%s show total of lottery funding):

ARTS (16.67%)

HERITAGE (16.67%)

SPORT (16.67%)

HEALTH, EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT and CHARITABLE EXPENDITURE (50%)
Some grants (funds) have attracted criticism e.g. funding for the Royal Opera House and British
Museum as some people think these do not benefit the poor. However, smaller grants have been
given to local communities and charities help the poor.
Religious attitudes to the National Lottery

All the main religions (apart from Christianity) forbid any form of gambling (including the
National Lottery) as it is seen as a way of earning money without doing honest work and
can promote greed and encourage laziness

Money should be used for the necessities of life and not for speculating to win more

For every person who becomes richer as a result of gambling, many others become
addicted and poorer (affecting families)

Some Christian denominations (Church of England and Roman Catholic Church) whilst not
encouraging gambling, will allow believers to gamble in moderation

‘Good causes’ funds have been used by some Christian charities

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The Heritage Fund has provided finance for the upkeep of churches and cathedrals

Many big winners cannot cope with sudden riches
The risk of an unsuitable winner (rapist, prisoner, etc.)
OTHER VIEWS:


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Tickets are usually affordable
No-one is forced to play lotteries
It is a bit of fun.