Overview

 The ancient Roman Empire had wealth, power and was the most dominant empire up to this time in Western Culture. The imperial city of Rome had a Colosseum entertaining 50,000 people at a time, thermal baths for the public and architectural buildings that were second to none. It had an excellent road system across the Empire and a network of aqueducts to move millions of gallons of water across hundreds of miles. The Roman Empire stretched from England to Africa and as far as the Middle East. It was truly a force to be reckoned with and from all appearances you could assume that all of its citizens shared in this wealth and power. But what about the poor?

Instructions

Read the Essay A Christians Responsibility to the Poor. After you have read the essay, express your views on some of these issues. What do you feel is the responsibility of the State to provide for the poor? Should there be a wealth distribution requiring the wealthy to provide for the poor? What is the responsibility of Christians to help the poor?