Introduction
Almost 8.5% of people around the world are in poverty, which is living on less than $2.45 USD (World Bank). That is almost 700 million people, which is more than the US population. But what is the cause of this injustice?
Source: US Census Bureau
Commandments Say
According to the idea of the just distribution of goods, people are supposed to get what they need in order to survive. This derives from many sources, one of them being the Ten Commandments. Specifically, the Seventh and Tenth:
- 7th: Thou shalt not steal.
- 10th: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.
The Cake Delemma
Imagine a mother with four children. She bakes for them (all four of them) a cake. Now, the first child comes and takes 50% of the cake. The second child, 30%, and the third child, 15%. The last child is left with 5%. Now, the mother commanded them to share the cake; and technically, they did. But mathematically and locally, if the cake was made for all four of them, they should have all gotten 25%. This is like the earth's resources, some people get way more than others, leaving them with barely enough to survive. But why?