On this page you will find:
Charities (specific to the Christian faith)
Charity
In the Old Testament, there are plenty of occasions when the people are given laws by God which make it clear that they are to care for the poor and treat them with justice:
If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or temporary resident, so that he can continue to live among you ...you must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit.
Leviticus 25:35, 37
In the New Testament, the parable of the sheep and the goats shows Jesus' stance on caring for the poor:
31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Matthew 25:31-46
There are many different ways in which Christians might demonstrate a love and concern for the poor.
For example:
- They might devote their lives to working with the poor
- They may give money to charities
- they might commit to a simple lifestyle, saving the money for noble causes
- The might commit to not be so wasteful
- They might choose to buy Fairtrade, to ensure their money goes to responsible companies
As well as providing food for emergencies, Christian Aid works to improve farming techniques and equipment so they can become independent. It campaigns for fair wages and fair trade agreements, and trains locals to be nurses and doctors, as well as providing emergency medical supplies. Christian Aid is particularly supportive of women's projects, because women are often left to care for and support their families unaided when their husbands are killed in wars or by terrorists.
At the heart of CAFOD is the Christian belief that everyone is made in the image of God, and that Christians should recognise Christ in each person. CAFOD states that its vision for the world is where:
- Everyone has a fair share of creation
- The rights and dignity of each person are respected, discrimination is ended and people unite as a single human family from which no one is excluded
- The voice of the poor is heard and lives are no longer dominated by greed.
- Everyone has access to food, shelter and clean water, to a livelihood, health and education.
