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A missionary religion can be described as a religious group sent to an area of different spirituality, and sending the message of their belief. Two good examples of the success of missionary religions are Charlatanry In Europe and Buddhism In India, both using comparable conversion strategies. Charlatanry and Buddhism diffused into their collocation by targeting minorities and had scalar views on gender roles because they believed that women and men were equal, initially.
Also, they were tooth promoted by an imperial government, although being persecuted early on. During a time in which patriarchal societies dominated both India and Europe, Christianity and Buddhism believed that women were equal to men, initially. Buddhist women were allowed to become Nuns, women religious leaders, which were given similar rights as men. For example, in the Buddhist Hymn by Sunglasses, a Buddhist Nun, Sunglasses describes how Buddhism set her free from the harsh duties of being an Indian woman at the time, and was able to leave her unprincipled husband.
This hymn Is understandable because allowing women to be “free” would attract women to the religion and showing how happy Sunglasses was to become a Nun will make women unhesitant to also become Nuns. In a scalar way to Buddhism, Charlatanry also gave women equality, Initially. Christianity told women that as long as they had faith, they were welcome to become Christians. For example, the Galatians 3: 26-29 reads, “For through your faith you are all sons of God in union with Christ Jesus. There is no such thing as… Male and female; for you are all one person in Christ Jesus.
This is understandable because Christians wanted women to join the religion, and wanted them to know that you could become a Christian solely through faith and that men and women are equal. Even though Buddhism and Christianity gave gender equality, as soon as their numbers grew, they took It away. Both religions quickly followed patriarchy and women lost most rights. In Christianity, women always had the Eve story hanging over their heads, were not permitted to have any type of authority over a man, and must remain quiet.
For example, Christians believe that since men were created first Adam), they are therefore more intelligent, and that women’s ignorance will be forgiven through child birth. This is understandable because the scripture was written by a man and he wanted to restore male superiority. It also promotes childbirth, because it removes sins. In a similar way, Buddhism also took away gender equality. Buddhists made sure that women knew they were inferior to men. For example, even though monks are allowed to advise nuns, nuns CAN NOT advise monks. Also, no matter when a man became a monk, he was superior than any other nun.
This is understandable because men needed to think they were greater than women. Similarly, both Buddhists and Christians were persecuted early on In their missionary pursuits. Christians were first, and horribly, targeted for persecution as a group by the emperor Nero In 64 AD. A devastating fire broke out at Rome, and fatal fire. To blame the rumors on someone else, Nero ordered that Christians should be rounded up and viscously killed because they were simply convenient to place the blame on. They were also persecuted because of their denial to worship Roman gods.
In a similar way, Buddhists were also persecuted. On two specific occasions, mass killings of Buddhists occurred. First, in South India, a king killed many thousands of Buddhists, including 8,000 in the city of Madeira. This occurred around the year 635 ACE. Second, in 51 5 ACE, a Hindu ruler violently killed what he boasted to be 30 million Buddhists. Christianity and Buddhism were helped greatly in diffusing into their specific civilizations by being promoted by an imperial government. Christianity was very successful in the Roman Empire and spread through much of it. Most of this is due to
Constantine conversion to Christianity in, or about, 312 ACE, which has left many historians standing in awe. Later, Romeos majority became Christian, and the empire’s religion became Christianity. Following Romeos conversion, Romans thought of Jesus being as or more important than the Roman Emperor, and his disciples were as important as Roman senators. By 500 ACE, Christianity had already grown to be more important than Roman politics. In a similar way to Christianity, Buddhism had spread and could be found in all of the Mammary Dynasty and much of southeastern and eastern Asia.
Buddhism had gained great influence in the Mammary Dynasty. For example, at the feet of the lion in the seal of Osaka’s Mammary Dynasty, Osaka put the Wheel which represents the Buddha Dharma. This is understandable because Buddhism had grown to be a great influence in almost all of mid and southern Asia. Even though Buddhism and Christianity seem to be completely different because of their beliefs, they diffused into their specific regions similarly. Some of their similarities are initial gender equality, and they were promoted by an imperial government, although being persecuted early on.