Missionaries are followers of a belief that are sent to inform others who do not share those beliefs ways of life, education, social justice, etc. The ideal missionary is Christian, but it is used to example the ideology. Christian missionaries believed that if they couldn’t convert those who weren’t Christian, it would be a life penalty. Because of this lust and commitment to convert, missionaries then became a tool for political and religious powers. In these cases, religion was used as a tool to spread and gain power. Christian missionaries were said to be spreaders of religion, but how could they maintain that title if they were completely backed up and supported by their governments?
Not too far away from the growing violent missionaries, Buddhist missionaries had a very different approach. Buddhist missionaries believed in more peaceful and easier journeys to inform the different believers. Buddhists believed that their mission was to enlighten the people, and not to “save” them from themselves for believing in something that was said to be wrong. Buddhist missionaries noted the Christian missionaries bad reputation in Africa and the “convert or die” method. As they learned from their opponents, they became agents for peace. In the end, it is a thick line drawn between the peaceful methods and the violent. As history moved on, the violent methods took religions farther then peaceful methods did on cultures. This could be because of fear of violence, having a more powerful side, or maybe a human lust for being assertive.
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