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This may be speculation, but I have noticed that many countries with extreme poverty that have a Christian faith are Catholic. I have also noticed that when the influence of the Church wanes, as in Europe, that economic conditions improve. Is this unfounded speculation or is there some truth in this? A theory I have is that uncontrolled population growth is encouraged by the Church and so is poverty of the masses. While religion in general tends to depress the innovation of individuals, it seems that this particular faith has a history of causing much suffering in the Western world.
All religious nations are prone to poverty. Look at the US as an example. The more secular an area, the more prosperous it is.
It's probably because religious people sit around and pray for things to happen, secular people actually go out and do them.
Actually, per capita income in the United States has widened significantly over that of Western Europe over the past 30 years, typically by a factor of 15-20%.
Source? Cowboy Capitalism, by Olaf Gersemann, respected economics writer of the Financial Times.
Now, back to the original point of the thread, it's really hard to refute that. I'm not sure of the underlying causes, whether Catholicism flourished in Mediterranean and Slavic cultures, whereas Protestantism is predominant in Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, and Scandinavian cultures. If the reverse had been true, would we be asking if Protestant countries were prone to poverty?
I don't think religion specifically has an influence on poverty, but there are defiantly factors that drive it that are part of religious beliefs. One of the big ones is huge families, where opportunities for additional education (college) are unaffordable by the family...or if it is a predominate view in the culture can drive down wages as more and more people compete for the same jobs.
Innovation is a another definite thing pushed back by religious beliefs, every new technology or different cultural norm is denounced by groups due to religious beliefs. If we look back in the past medicine, astronomy, and physics were delayed for centuries due to beliefs and denouements by religious authorities...imagine what technology level humanity would be at now if we embraced new ideas and change.
Actually, per capita income in the United States has widened significantly over that of Western Europe over the past 30 years, typically by a factor of 15-20%. ?
Per capita income is not a measure of poverty. All that measures is total money divided by total people, which is not an exact science. In that same time, the income disparity of the US has skyrocketed.
It's probably because religious people sit around and pray for things to happen, secular people actually go out and do them.
And once again ignorance rears its ugly head.
There are several factors contributing to poverty and religion in specific regions. In South America, there was a heavy Spanish influence. After Columbus returned from the "New World" in 1493, Spain and Portugual had been at each others throats for a long time. Upon announcing his new "discoveries" the pope at the time (Pope Alexander) split the New World between the two nations (both heavy in Catholic religion). As they Spanish and Portugese began expanding into the new world, so did the new religion. When the two nations left the New World, they left half-civilized countries with only faith and power vacuums. Those that were powerful enough to take control of those countries laid the foundation for the corruption that is still rampant in most of them. That left only religion for most of the population to hold on to, especially in current time where they (the countries) have developed militaries.
For Asia, it must also be understood that those that are predominantly Catholic (Philippines - approximately 83%) was also under Spanish control during the 9th and 15th centuries until the Philippine-American War (1899-1902).
It's also no suprise that much of Africa has Catholic populations as the religion spread from Europe south through Morocco, Libya, Egypt and others. It continue to spread even as Islam began to spread from the Middle East westward through Persia (present day Iran), Iraq, and Saudi Arabia west into Africa.
Many of the impovershed countries are impovershed because of corrupt governments, not because of an adoption of religion. The two are mutually exclusive in the fact that they did not breed from each other. In fact, Christianity (specifically the Catholic faith) is based on the spread of religions to those countries from richer first world societies.
Per capita income is not a measure of poverty. All that measures is total money divided by total people, which is not an exact science. In that same time, the income disparity of the US has skyrocketed.
You're talking around the point. The United States populace not only enjoys greater per capita income, but our material prosperity remains higher than even industrialized countries, when you compare working class to working class. The real deal here is that you made a sweeping, uninformed opinion, and I called you on it.
Many of the impovershed countries are impovershed because of corrupt governments, not because of an adoption of religion. The two are mutually exclusive in the fact that they did not breed from each other. In fact, Christianity (specifically the Catholic faith) is based on the spread of religions to those countries from richer first world societies.
I don't think secular or religious societies are bad, let people worship what they want if it's not hurting anyone else, but I do think religion and government are bad in bed together. I think having the two as one is more corrupting because it further consolidates power to fewer people.
Not only do you break the law where a leader is of both spheres of influence, what you have done is a sin (sucks for speeders). You can't debate or disagree with a political decision, because it's heresy.
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