All of the world’s religions promote compassion towards the poor as a central spiritual value. However, it should be noted that the world’s major religions all were born in times of great scarcity of resources. It was impossible to prevent poverty because there simply was not enough resources to lift everyone up to a decent standard of living. However, in the modern world, scarcity is not the issue. Our problem is an economic system that allows for the hoarding of resources in the hands of a few super rich individuals whose wealth is the real source of poverty in our time. Capitalism which has fueled innovation and inspired people to be productive, if left without guard rails, will lead to a kind of social cannibalism that none of us would want to tolerate. We have to be willing to use capitalism to create wealth rather than allowing unrestrained greed to let capitalism create poverty.

“Why do the innocent suffer? And can we consider as well how many who are clearly victims are also unconsciously coconspirators in their abuse? Just as Bob Marley sang, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds,” we all must consider the ways in which we have failed to take responsibility to allowing or even empowering those who have caused us pain. We should have tons of compassion for all of those who suffer unjustly, but it is also important for us to become aware of the chains that have kept us in a toxic situation.