Kristen Gyles | Poverty and piety

Which came first: the chicken or the egg? This question is probably every child’s first encounter with philosophy. Kids have been debating with each other about whether the chicken or the egg came first, perhaps since the existence of the chicken … or the egg. The question for today is somewhat similar and may be equally difficult, but far more important.

There is a stark correlation between poverty and religiosity, across the world. Almost all the available research seems to suggest that the world’s poorest countries, many of which are situated in Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Latin America, are the most religious. Some don’t like the word religious, so perhaps ‘spiritual’ is a better descriptor. People living in these parts of the world typically pray the most, talk about God the most and centre their lives around their spiritual beliefs. They walk the walk and talk the talk. On the other hand, wealthier countries like Sweden, Japan and most European countries are, for the most part, indifferent to anything that even remotely resembles religion.

There are exceptions to every rule – the biggest exception in this case being the United States. However, the trend seems to be that the most secular regions are the wealthiest. So, is it religiosity that drives poverty or poverty that drives religiosity? Or is it all one big coincidence?

Karl Marx says religion is a protest against real suffering and that it’s the opium of the people. In other words, he thinks poverty is what, for the most part, drives humanity into the hands of God. Of course, these are my words – not his – because he did not believe in God.

HOPE AND MEANING

Marx was not totally wrong. Religion offers hope and meaning, and this becomes particularly important in places where life is unpredictable and harsh. When someone hasn’t had a proper meal in days, hasn’t enjoyed good health in years or hasn’t experienced the luxury of life free from persecution, religion can easily become a comforting solace or even a lifeline. It becomes easy, and even necessary to believe that the suffering is a part of ‘God’s plan’. Add to that the promise of an eternal reward, and the ailing individual becomes motivated to press through their many trials. So, religion is a powerful coping mechanism for many people. And, well, if you have nothing you need to cope with, then you may not need a coping mechanism.

In wealthier societies, supported by stable economies and extensive social safety nets, there is a strong illusion of control. Technology, modern medicine, insurance, and all the other handy innovations available today are available at the snap of a finger and therefore reduce the reliance on divine intervention. The truth is that without the experience of hunger, joblessness, instability, persecution, ill-health or any other misfortune, one can easily forget about God – and in fact, many do. No one prays like a sickness-stricken believer on their deathbed, or like the family breadwinner who has been laid off. But what happens when the mystery illness disappears or another job comes around? The prayers become much more infrequent, much more lacklustre, and now they last less than 60 seconds before sleepiness starts to set in.

With all that said, many Christians will admit that the expression of any desire or ambition to attain wealth, in the presence of the pastor, priest or even choir director, will attract, at best, a disdainful look, or at worst, a scathing rebuke. This seems to be the reality for practitioners of several other religions as well. There are numerous passages of scripture that make the pursuit of wealth into a questionable affair.

INFAMOUS ASSERTION

First, there is the infamous assertion by Jesus in Mark 10:25 of the New Testament that “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God”. In my lifetime, I have heard so many explanations for this strange text, but what no one can deny is that the text makes it clear that it is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. For every Christian, the ultimate goal is to make it into the Kingdom of God, so how else does a devout Christian deal with such a loaded text except to shun the very appearance of riches?

Bible stories like that of the rich, young ruler and stories of wealthy but unscrupulous Bible characters also hint at the corrupting influence of money. After all, the love of money is the root of all evil, right? Nonetheless, the Bible does say that “money answereth all things” (Eccl. 10:19) and gives account of several righteous, yet wealthy men who seem to have achieved God’s approval.

In many Christian jurisdictions, it is noble to be poor. Poverty is associated with meekness, kindness and generosity. Wealth, on the other hand, is associated with greed and selfishness. So, many Christians oscillate between wanting more money and not wanting more money. They don’t know what to want. Could that explain why so many deeply religious, Christian countries are so poor?

Who knows. But it is good to be aware of our biases. Some of us will never admit it (even to ourselves) but we want to stay poor. We think it is more virtuous to live a lowly life of poverty. It also feels good to decry shame on rich people and talk about how selfish and wicked they are – because doing so, secretly makes us feel superior in some way. But we will never admit it, because, well, it sounds pretty silly, doesn’t it?

Kristen Gyles is a free-thinking public affairs opinionator. Send feedback to kristengyles@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com