Liberation Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Liberation Theology - Essay Example Many European priests heeded his call and went to work alongside their Latin American colleagues. "In time, the arrival of priests who were accustomed to the economic and political situation in developed countries contributed significantly to the development of liberation theology". (Tombs, 2002, p. 18) The influx of foreign priests encouraged a sense of renewal in the Latin American church and particularly strengthened those who believed that poverty could and should be prevented. In the many instances where progressive priests faced resistance and persecution, the foreign priests were sometimes at an advantage over local nationals. This is the reason as to why "the Theology of Liberation and other early works of liberation theology focused attention on the urgent need for social justice and suggested a more open attitude towards socialism and Marxist analysis". (Tombs, 2002, p. 137) "Many poor families had lost their land and were forced to move to urban areas or remain in desperate conditions in rural areas, facing social exclusion". (Ribeiro, 1999, p. 304) Despite Liberation Theology, the main reason for confronting to the poor people of the society is that we have kept the basic principles of liberation theology aside, and are unable to recognize the true face of capitalism. T he Gospel messages have been out of touch from our lives. We can again start developing those liberation rules in our lives, which we have put aside. Those rules will make us start once again act according to true theologians of liberation. For this purpose we must start reading the bible in order to make it clear the social injustice confronted by the poor. We must percept the real image of socio analytical capitalistic system, which always dominated the poor in the context of human rights. The perception of social reality must be seen and implemented in the light of Bible quotations. Before a plan for a social program is being floated, the question to consider is, "Will this, or will this not, improve the situation of the poor" If it will, it should be supported, since it will bring about a consequent broadening of the degree of social justice in society. If it will not, it should be opposed, as it will simply entrench the non-poor with greater power than ever. "The opposite of a preferential option for the poor would be a preferential option for the rich, assuming that if the rich get more and more money and goods, some of the gains will 'trickle down' to the poor. This is a convenient theory for the well-to-do, but it is a dubious bit of economics, since those with wealth are exceedingly loath to share it with others, and the result of a preferential option for the rich is almost always that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer". (Brown, 1993, p. 32) There must be an equal distribution of wealth according to the principles of Liberation Theology. To feel the societal injustice, one must not find it hard how a verse in the scripture rings a responsive cord in the lives and hearts of the two thirds of the human family who go to bed hungry every night, or the parents who fear that their child will be one of the fifteen thousand children who die every day from starvation or malnutrition. "If we were truly hungry, we would have greate r