Transcript Living the Good Life (Part II) Chapter 8

Living the Good Life (Part II)
Chapter 8
Mr. Garcia
Religion 10
1. What did Julie identify as some of the cause of poverty in the
village where she staying?
•
Exploitation and destruction of the culture for the five hundred
years.
•
The free trade agreement between Canada, the United
States, and Mexico.
2. How does the way commercial culture suggests we might find
happiness differ from the way Jesus says we can find joy?
Although the commercial culture suggests that we can find
happiness in having what we want, Jesus says that we can
find joy in loving relationships with God one another.
3. Define these terms: development, living simply.
•
Development is the process of transforming the structures of
society so that all people, rich and poor, are able to fulfill their
human potential and live dignified life.
•
Living simply is about making choices that deepen our joy
because they focus on the essentials of life, not on illusions of
what brings happiness. It is about living in a way that values
the sacredness ourselves, others, and God’s creation more
than material possessions.
4. Based on what you have learned in this course so far, what do
you think enabled Julie to find joy during her experience?
5. What is the wealth gap? Provide a statistic that illustrates that
gap.
The difference between wealthiest and the poorest people. Any
one of the following statistics is an acceptable answer:
• The wealthiest 20 percent of the world’s people consume 86
percent of its goods and services, while the poorest 20 percent
of the world’s people consume less than 1 percent of them.
• Although the United States comprise less than 5 percent of the
world’s population, its people consume more than a quarter of
the world’s goods and services.
• A North American consume sixteen times more than does a
person in Mexico.
• In the United States, the richest 20 percent of the population
receives half of the total U.S. income, while the poorest 20
percent receives only 3.6 percent.
6. What is our culture’s dominant attitude toward
material wealth? How does the Christian attitude
toward material wealth differ?
Our culture tends to view its wealth as a good thing, and
to say that it is the key to happiness. Although
Christianity views material resources as basically
good, it rejects the illusion that people can find
fulfillment through the possession of material wealth
alone. That is because living a fully human life
involves nurturing our souls, not just our bodies.
7. Define the term living crazily.
Living crazily results when we value having things more
than being true to who we are as images of God.
8. Name and briefly describe three aspects of poverty of being.
• Forgetting our true identity. When we define ourselves by what we have, we
lose sight of our dignity. We think that possessions can fill our deepest
needs.
• Forgetting that we are called to community. When we think that we can find
fulfillment in what we have, we lose sight of our need for to other people and
the needs of other people This kink of individualism does not seek the
common good.
• Forgetting that we live within the limits of God’s creation. When we seek
happiness in consumerism, we can see the earth as something we own
rather than as a gift from God. In doing so, we lose sight of the earth’s
limited resources.
9. Why does Catholic social teaching regard the wealth gap as a sign of
injustice?
Because those who have more resources than they need or could ever use are
often reluctant to share them with those who lack the basic necessities of
life.
10. Use your Bible to find three of Jesus’ teaching about wealth and poverty,
and write them down. In a paragraph, identify common themes in the
teachings.
11. How does the Eucharist call us to commitment to those who
are poor?
All Christian ministries, including justice, find their source in the
Eucharist because those who celebrate the Eucharist enter into
communion with Christ and share in his victory over death. The
Eucharist is a source of life and it strengthens the solidarity
among people. It commits us in a special way to those who are
poor because by uniting us with Christ, the Eucharist also
unites us with all those who yearn for fullness of life.
12. What conviction is at the heart of a eucharistic response to
poverty?
If we share, there always will be enough.
13. What does Catholic social teaching say should be the most
important guide for making economic decision?
Concern for human dignity.
14. What tests the justice of a society?
How it treats its poorest members.
15. Define universal destination of goods, and briefly explain its
major implications for economic life.
The universal destination of goods is the concept that the
resources of the earth are intended for all people. This means
that our right to own property is limited by the basic needs of
the larger community. We are called to manage our economic
resources in a way that benefits the common good of the global
household.
16. What does recognizing that the earth belongs to God imply
about our relationship with creation?
It implies that we need to care for the earth’s natural resources,
not only to preserve them for future generations but also simply
because they are good in and of themselves.
17. How are Christians called to overcome a fear
of sharing what they have with those in need?
Trust in the providence of God enables Christians
to overcome a fear of sharing. For Catholics,
celebrating the sacraments, especially the
Eucharist, nurtures the ongoing conversion
necessary to practice eucharistic sharing in
everyday life.
18. Choose five of the human right listed on page
149 and explain how each could be used to
evaluate whether an economy promotes or
undermines human dignity.
19. Name four principles that guide simple living, and briefly
explain each.
• Human dignity. We value people more than possessions, and
we make decisions about our lifestyle according to the effects
of these decisions on human dignity.
• Relationships. We seek joy in our relationships with others, and
we make decision with the common good of the rest of the
global community in mind.
• Environment. When we make daily choices, we factor in the
environmental impact of our choices.
• Trust. We trust that God will provide us with what we need
when we live in love.
20. How does living simply better enable us to work to overcome
poverty?
By helping us to live out our human dignity more fully, giving us
more free time, reducing our dependence on material goods,
and deepening our solidarity with others, living simply makes it
easier for us to share ourselves and our resources with those
who are poor.
21. What is ideal form of direct action, and why is it
preferable?
Direct assistance that respects human dignity brings
people greater freedom to participate in the economic
life of the community.
22. Describe the ways the principles of simple living and
a Eucharistic response to poverty are illustrated in
Curitiba.
23. Refer again to the causes of poverty listed in chapter
7. Choose three of those causes and for each, briefly
discuss how the principles of eucharistic sharing could
help to change or overcome the situation.