Religious Discourse
QUESTION ONE
The most captivating or inspirational thing from the reading was how it suggested that believers use Christianity to achieve two core objectives; unite humanity in Christian love, and encourage the dissemination of social systems that enhance incarnation of heaven here on earth. The first concept from all the reading material is captivating because it espouses the core function of Jesus teachings while on earth. Instead of all the relatively complex Judaism teachings in existence before this period, Christ instead encouraged people to adopt the notion of love for all beings and their environment because they are all God’s creation. Such a doctrine would be useful especially in the current existence which is marred by selfishness and loss of humanity. The second concept relates to the overall ambition of all Christian, and how their ambitions can be applied in a modern context to enhance life on earth.
QUESTION TWO
One interesting and troubling question the readings given raise is the conundrum surrounding global welfare as more converts are won over into Christianity. Herein, the main role of Christian scholars and theologians is to convert people into the faith while awaiting their salvation into heaven. Concurrently, God’s will is supposed to be done here on earth as it is heaven, meaning he is also concerned about the current and our history. Therefore, the question of whether by converting people into eternal life counters God’s will here on earth seems unaddressed. The scholar would be justified in asking themselves if they can leave people to find God for themselves of engage in salvation missions. It seems from the literature provided that engaging in missionary work could have the same effect as countering God’s will here on earth. Therefore, this issue needs clarification in order to ensure missionary work continues without interrupting with the missionaries’ consciences. More so, there is a need to ensure missionary work does not go against the Biblical context provided related about God’s will for human beings here on earth.
QUESTION THREE
One of the most controversial issues the literature provided presents is the previous attempt by misled and hypocritical American missionaries and settlers to create heaven right here on earth. Some American missionaries from the earliest contact with Native America before it was colonized and grabbed from its rightful owners stated a wish to create an untainted colony that would be similar to what Jesus spoke of heaven. Such hypocrites, perhaps best exemplified by revivalists such as John Winthrop and Charles Finnery, engaged in an almost blasphemous attempt to insubordinate God by replicating his will. Interestingly, these ambitions are shrouded by the fact that the same land they target for their lost causes was grabbed from Native American tribes.
The utopian ambitions of some settler revivalists are also repeated in the modern context by various false prophets and fraudulent religious leaders who claim to carry our miracles. Their actual objectives are to attract tithe-paying religious believers whose finances would bring their economic dreams and ambitions to fruition. Although not mentioned in the literature provided, these fraudulent practices are not different from the desires of Winthrop and other similar evangelists of the old Wild West. One of the core objectives of Christian missionary work is to enhance the beliefs of prospective converts enabling them to personally make the choice to be baptized and live righteous lives according to Jesus teachings.