Living the Good Life (Part II) Chapter 8

1. Living the Good Life (Part II) Chapter 8 Mr. Garcia Religion 10

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.