Religion and Theology

Theology of mission has been described as the study which is concerned with basic thoughts and principles that are underlying which determines the methods, the motives, the goals and the strategies of the Christian world mission. This is usually from a Christian faith standpoint. This Christian world mission is usually Gods mission and Gods mission as seen in the bible is to reach out to the whole world with love so that the world may get to know and serve Him. There are many texts in the bible that are related to mission. These run from Genesis to Revelation. Theology of missions is the central theme of the bible and shows the nature of God which all Christians are supposed to emulate.

There are many bible verses and passages that are related to missions. These can be found in both the New Testament and in the old testaments. However, many Christians do not relate them to mission and only know of the ones that directly talk of missions. Understanding the various bible verses and passages in the bible that directly or indirectly are related to missions would give a clear understanding of the high priority God places on missions. In fact it would be correct to say that the whole bible has a central theme of missions.

There are several texts in the Old Testament and new testaments that are related to mission. In fact, the theme of mission begins in the first verse of the Old Testament section of the bible i.e. in Genesis 11. Here, Yahweh is referred to as the God of the universe as a whole.  From this point in the bible the rest of the whole bible is centered on sin of human kind with God promising to send a savior. In Genesis 123, God told Abraham that the people of the whole world would be blessed through him. This was Gods mission and he repeated this to both Isaac and Jacob. This is shown in Genesis 1818, Genesis 2217-18, Genesis 2624 and Genesis 2812-14. God told Moses at Mt. Sinai to tell people that even if the whole world was Gods, the Israelites would become a kingdom of priests for God. This is shown in Exodus chapter 19 verses 5-6. This means that Israel as a nation was chosen by God to be his agents in his efforts of reconciling the sinful humanity with Him. In Isaiah chapter 49 and verses 6 shows that God wanted the people He had chosen to be a light to the world. Joshua chapter 4 verses 24 says that God allowed the Israelites to cross the river of Jordan so that people in the whole world would know of his great works. Solomon while dedicating the temple that he had built in Jerusalem said that the temple had been built so that all the people of the world would know of Gods name. This is seen in 1 Kings Chapter 8 verse 43. In the prophetic books of the bible, the prophets confirms that God was focused on the whole world. A good example is seen in the book of Isaiah chapter 45 verses 44 where God says that all the ends of the earth should turn to him for salvation. Another text in the Old Testament is the whole book of Jonah which shows Gods desire and call for people to join him in his love for the nations.

In the New Testament, the most commonly known scripture that relates to mission is Matthew 2819-20 which is also commonly referred to as the great commission.  The Lords Prayer is another well known text which shows mission. The prayer talks of Gods kingdom coming down to the earth and his will being done on earth same way as in heaven. Mathew chapter 24 verses 14 says that before the end comes, the gospel of Gods kingdom will have been preached in the whole world. In Luke chapter 10 verse 2 Jesus talks of the harvest being plentiful compared to the laborers. In the book of John chapter 17 verses 23 Jesus talks of his desire to have the world know that it was God who had sent him and that the reason for his sending him was the great love He felt for mankind. In the book of revelations chapter 21 verses 23 and 24 John says that all the nations will go before the Lord and worship Him. In the book of Mark chapter 13 verse 10 talks of Gods gospel being preached to all the nations. In the book of John chapter 12 and verse 32 Jesus says that when He will be lifted from the world He will draw people to Himself.

Christian mission comes from Gods initiative which was in line with Gods purposes of healing and restoring the creation. The word mission means sending. It forms the central theme of the whole bible and serves to describe what the purpose of God was in the history of humankind. God has a reconciliatory nature. To reconcile with the sinful humankind, God sent prophets and finally his only son Jesus Christ. Throughout the bible God is shown as a sender. He sends His laws to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, He sends prophets to people, and Jesus sends his disciples into the world. All this sending Shows Gods attempt to reconcile with humankind due to the great love He felt for them. Gods desire is that we may share in his passion for reaching out to the world and converting all the people into his servants. Christians who have accepted Gods call have a role to play in Gods mission. Another nature of God that is related to mission is his great love for the mankind. God had every reason to abandon mankind after they sinned in the garden of Eden but he did not. Instead, throughout the bible he is seen making efforts to reconcile with the mankind. This is also seen by His sending of His only son Jesus Christ to come and reconcile Him with his people. This Gods nature of love can also be linked with His selfless nature. That is why God in the bible is depicted as going to any length to reconcile with the mankind.

Theology as an aspect of Christianity has been described as a systematic study of Gods nature and His relationship with the world and humanity. It is concerned with the study of Gods nature and truth about Christian religion. Mission theology is related to other aspects of theology in that mission theology is concerned with the study of how God relates with humankind. It shows how God loves the world so much that He is willing to give mankind the privilege of participating in his mission of saving the world. Mission theology is all about the study of Gods nature and trying to relate it to his purpose for creating mankind. It is a form of applied theology which is involved with reflections about God. Theology of mission is also concerned with all the other traditional aspects of systemic theology but the way it deals with it differs. It is committed to remain faithful to the intentions of God. It is also committed to the purposes and perspectives of God. The mission of theology is fundamentally concerned with how the bible is related to the bibles mission. It tries to the bible to give the foundational motivations for Gods mission in addition to allowing it to shape, evaluate, guide, question, and question the enterprise of mission.  

Motif is usually described as an element or pattern that is recurring and which acts to reinforce the central guiding concern of an issue. It is synonymous to theme. The key themes of the theology of mission includes understanding Gods mission, understanding Gods use of humans as his instruments in mission, understanding Gods purposes and intentions as well as understanding how God works through His people in His world. These themes are seen running throughout the whole bible from Genesis to Revelations. These themes are central to the theology of missions and they intertwine with each other. God uses human beings to carry out his missions. This is seen by his act of sending people to deliver his messages throughout the bible.

The theology of mission is related to church leaders, missionaries and lay persons who are not engaged in ministry as full-timers. Mission is reacted to and perceived differently by lay people, church leaders and missionaries. The differences are seen in their reactions to suffering, worship and prayer. Mission theology cannot be separated from theology and God cannot be separated from mission theology. Similarly, how these groups of Christians react to prayer, worship and suffering is part of mission theology. Piper says that worship is better compared to mission and that mission only exists due to lack of worship. If all the nations were worshiping God, there would be no need for God to send people to humankind and thus there would be no need for missionaries. Mission has been said to be how the church relates to the world. And mission does not belong to the missionaries, lay people or church leaders as majority of Christians believe it belongs to God. These participants in Gods mission have been accorded the privilege of participating. An important point to note is that the participation of these people in mission is not optional. Failure to participate in missions makes them to cease being part of Christs church. Whatever activities these people engage in should all be focused on mission.

From the above discussion it is clear that mission is inseparable from theology. It forms the practical part of theology since it deals with the study of how the nature of God is related to mankind. It also deals with the mission of God which ultimately becomes the mission of mankind when they get saved. All the people who are in any way involves in church activities are participating in Gods mission.

Comparing Catholicism and the Mormon Religion

Contrasts in Christianity
The Catholic and Mormon (LDS) Churches draw from similar sources to construct the frameworks of their beliefs. Both share in the Holiness of Jesus Christ and the tradition of the Christian Bible. At the same time there are fundamental differences that separate the two religions.

In addition to the Bible, Mormonism draws from more modern sources. These sources make it unique as a religion. The LDS sees itself as a Christian Church. The Roman Catholic Church sees the LDS as a heretical entity.  Both Churches stirred controversy from their earliest days. Both Churches emerged from early struggles into tremendous growth. They are far from being the same Church however. Brief introductions of each faith will precede a more in-depth comparison of the two religions.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS)
The LDS church, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church, has uniquely American roots but draws upon theology constructed many centuries before. The mid-19th century in America featured two eras of religious revivals called Great Awakenings.  Protestant preachers criss-crossed the country holding fervent revival services designed excite and motivate crowds.

Simultaneously, millions of immigrants were coming to the United States. A large percentage of them were Catholic. America was becoming more religious. It was also a time when a new religion could be launched. Over the history of man, many people have claimed to be prophets. In America of the 19th century prophetic declarations were usually scorned, particularly by the preeminent religious leaders of the day. Into this dichotomy of religious freedom and intolerance of radical dissent, one man claimed himself as a prophet and was able to build a major religion from scratch.

Joseph Smith, Jr. formed the Mormon faith in the early 1800s after claiming to have received a series of visions from God. Smith wrote nearly all of the early Church doctrine prior to his death in the 1840s. His ministry began in his hometown of Palmyra, New York with a small but dedicated group of followers.

Catholic and Protestant leaders saw Smith as a heretic, not a prophet. Resistance against his group was often violent. The group began moving west to escape persecution. At various stages the group was attacked, jailed or forced to move on. Smith himself was jailed and subsequently killed. Brigham Young would guide the group through the rest of the journey, eventually ending in what is now Utah. The LDS quickly became a dominant force in the unsettled territory. In the late 1800s it petitioned the Federal government for Utah statehood.

Mormonism is proposed as the true progression of Christianity into the modern age. Critics argue that Mormonism is a heresy piggybacking on Christianity to give it an air of legitimacy. Whatever the case millions of followers have joined the still growing LDS Church. For all the elements the LDS has in common with the Roman Catholic Church it is the differences that define the two religions. Some differences are plainly obvious while others are more subtle in nature. A brief discussion of Roman Catholic history will set the stage for a comparison between specific beliefs and practices.

Roots of Roman Catholicism
Roman Catholicism began to form within a few decades of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Jesus is seen as the fulfillment of the Jewish scriptures that comprise the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. Much of the Old Testament was written by prophets.

Before his death Jesus charged his disciples with the task of establishing a Church and spreading the word of God throughout the world. The New Testament is comprised of first-hand accounts of Jesus life, death and re-emergence and instructions and perspectives of the early leaders of the church, like John, Paul and Peter.

When the declining Roman Empire established Christianity as its official state religion, the Catholic Church was born as a major religious entity. The Church has split and gone through periods of reformation but the tenets put forth by the Nicene and Apostolic creeds still remain central to the faith.

Creeds and Tenets of Faith
The written creeds of a faith provide a good basis for comparison with other religions. In the early formation of the Mormon Church, leaders put together statements of faith that reaffirmed many basic Christian principles. This was done, in part, because the Church was criticized heavily in the mid-1800s for its perceived departures from traditional Christian doctrine.

Early Mormon statements of faith resemble the Nicene Creed of Catholicism. The areas of difference in the Mormon statements are subtly approached. For example, while actually appearing to affirm the traditional Christian doctrine of the Trinity...Latter Day Saints statements actually affirm the three persons of the Godhead as three different deities, not one (Melton, 1988).

Church leaders were walking a thin line. The survival of the Church against its foes dictated a change of doctrine or at least the appearance of change. This process of compromise ensured the survival of the LDS as a major religion. At the same time, a number of alternative sects have been established, some still practicing polygamy and other discarded elements of Mormonism. .

The Mormon tenets are called statements of faith and not creeds for a reason. Joseph Smith claimed that the Lord told him that all creeds were an abomination (Morrow, 2010). This relieved Smith and the Mormons from having to adhere to the ancient creeds of Catholicism. Joseph Smith wanted to craft what were essentially a new set of creeds tailored to his Church and the visions he had received.

Catholicism, in contrast, draws deeply upon the past. The creeds were constructed through much effort by clergy in a legitimate line of succession at a time closer to when Christ walked the earth. It is just to adhere to them even in modern times. In the Catholic Church Tradition is revered and, together with scripture is considered to make a single sacred deposit of the word of God entrusted to the Church (Crim 1981).

In order to achieve the goal of statehood for Utah, the Church was forced to drop its most controversial practice - polygamy. Over the course of time the Catholic Church has also been forced to make concessions on some issues, but not to remove any central tenets of the faith. For the early Mormons polygamy was considered a central tenet.

The Mormon Church, early on, was an all-white church. The Book of Mormon also states that dark skin is actually a punishment from God for past and present sins. Decades later Mormon leaders repudiated this concept and it is no longer the policy of the Church. The Catholic Church formed differently in that it was a multi-cultural Church from the start. Many cultures were already present in the region it was founded.

Despite the renunciation of practices such as polygamy and race-based exclusion, Catholic leaders still see the LDS as heretical for a number of reasons. Early Mormon statements of faith indicate that salvation can be achieved by following the bylaws of the Church. Catholic and Protestant Christians agree that a person of true faith will be compelled to follow Church doctrine. They do not agree that salvation itself can be achieved this way. It is faith in Jesus Christ and Gods grace that provide salvation. In other words, Catholics do not believe that good deeds win salvation. This is clearly stated in the Bible.

For Catholics there is one Holy book - The Bible. It was created from divine guidance and stands as the one true representation as Gods word. Mormons agree that the Bible is the Holy word of God, but also that the canon is not closed. Mormon founder Joseph Smith, Jr. claimed to have told of a new source of truth called the Book of Mormon. From the Articles of Faith (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated
correctly we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
(Melton, 1988)

The Book of Mormon relates a prehistoric story of America. A lost tribe of Israel is said to have lived among the Native Americans. In addition to adding the mythic story of America to the Christian canon, the Book of Mormon contradicts the Catholic concept of apostolic succession. A new religious order and the new Promised Land would be confirmed. According to Crim The text tells of a post resurrection appearance of Christ to establish proper religious order and confirm religious truth (Crim 1981). Catholicism recognizes no such subsequent appearance of Christ on earth. Catholic doctrine states that Christ will not appear on earth again until he comes to remove his followers to heaven before the rapture.

While the origins of the Bible are well known, the origins of the Book of Mormon are more mysterious. Smith claimed to have found it The Book of Mormon its location being revealed by an angel named Moroni (Brandon, 1970).

Another critical tenet of the Catholic Church is of the permanence and omnipotence of God. He is powerful, all-knowing and forever the same. In contrast, Joseph Smith believed that God was once a man. In the Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions Crim writes Smith argued that God is a self-made, finite deity with a material body (Crim, 1981). Disagreement also extends to the concept of the Holy Trinity.

The Nicene Creed, an important Catholic statement of faith, presents a different conceptualization of God than the Mormon statements of faith. Instead of being three separate Gods as LDS doctrine states, the Trinity is a single God that manifests itself to us in three forms the heavenly father, his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In human conception they are three distinct elements. In reality they are all the same God.

Mormons take different interpretations on other parts of the New Testament or omit their mention all together. Mary, mother of Jesus, is a revered character in the Catholic tradition. Jesus was born of Mary not of mans doing but by Gods doing. The Immaculate Conception, for Catholics, is clear evidence of the omnipotence of God and the holiness of Jesus. Mormon tradition does not focus on this event.
While honoring Mary, Latter-day Saints have no equivalent of the doctrines
 of the Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity, and bodily assumption of
Mary, nor of the Orthodox veneration of icons.
(Benney and Keller, 2010)

These differences aside, both religions celebrate Christmas and Easter. The birth and particularly the death and resurrection of Christ are equally important in both Churches. Both Churches have also put an emphasis on scholarship and are important sources of history and knowledge recognized world wide.

Applications of Faith
Given the Mormon conception of the development of God, it can only follow that earthy deeds are extremely important. If God was a man who knew ultimate truth, then the people should also be able to earn a place in heaven. Mormonism changed the biblical doctrine of being saved by faith to being saved after all we can do (Morrow, 2010). We are still saved by Gods grace, but attaining that grace means we have to earn it. Catholics and Protestants believe that we all fall short of the glory of God, no matter what we do.

The Catholic Church sees rituals as important expressions of faith. The bread and wine of the Sacrament, for example, are to be considered the literal body of Christ. The Mormon Church does not share this belief but does put high importance on ritual, rites of passage and Church bylaws.

Baptism is another practice in which there are differing views. Though both Churches have an educational programs designed to prepare candidates for baptism, there can be differences in the actual methods of the ceremony. The Mormon Church believes that only full immersion is sufficient. The Catholic Church uses both immersion and sprinkling in their baptism rituals.

In the daily lives of its parishioners the Mormon Church disallows the use of such products as alcohol, tobacco and stimulants. This dates back to a law instituted in 1833 by Joseph Smith himself. There is no longer a civil penalty for using these products but social and institutional penalties can be severe. The Catholic Church discourages the use of these items to the extent that they affect the behavior of individuals or the destruction of families.

Generally speaking, the Mormon Church seeks tighter regulation of the lives of its members. In the Catholic Church, individuals are expected to strive for sin-free lives. At the same time there is a recognition that all, even the clergy, will ultimately fail at some point. Repentance and renewal are therefore paramount.

Analysis and Conclusion
The Roman Catholic Church is a massive worldwide institution. It has its own independent principality, the Vatican. The Pope is a religious leader that is deferred to by Christians and non-Christians alike. The Mormon Church has no equivalent to the Pope, but carries influence in the areas where membership is densest. The two religions were formed two thousand years apart on different continents.

The Roman Catholic Church today still dwarfs the LDS in terms of size and influence. The LDS Church however is growing at a faster rate. Taking into account the difficulty of its beginnings the growth of the LDS has been phenomenal. It shares that distinction with the early Catholic Church centuries before.

For Catholics the growth of the LDS is not due to the truism of its faith, but instead to the human tendency toward self-deception. The differences in the Churches boil down to whether one believes there are great modern-day prophets and whether the Bible is the solitary word of God. Both Churches are Christ-centered. Beyond this, there are doctrinal differences that make one Church very distinct from the other.

The book Romance of Redemption is written by renowned Bible scholar M.R. De Haan.  The book centers on the story of Ruth, one of the prinicipal personalities in the Old Testament.  The story of Ruth tells about filial piety exhibited by Ruth, a Maobite (Gentile) woman to her mother-in-law, Naomi.  Naomi told her widowed daughters-in-law, Oprah and Ruth to return to their families as she decided to return to her homeland.  Oprah complied but Ruth asked to stay by her side. This is captured in in the Book of Ruth  Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge, I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Wherever you die I will die, and there be buried. May the Lord do so and so to me, and more besides, if aught but death separates me from you (The New American Bible, Ruth 1.16-17)   Besides this extraordinary display of filial piety, Ruth also demonstrates her willingness to make big sacrifices of having to leave her homeland to return to the land of her mother-in-law.

Upon arriving in Bethlehem, it was the time of the barley harvest and Ruth went to the fields to glean in the fields owned by a prominent Jew named Boaz who is a kinsman of Naomi.  Upon seeing this foreign woman in his field, Boaz instructed his people to look after Ruth and attend to her needs.  After Ruth told Naomi of her encounter with Boaz, she helped Ruth to become more presentable to Boaz by familiarizing her with their customs.  Boaz was pleased even more that he eventually married her.  From their union they would sire Obed, who would become to father of Jesse, and he the father of David who would eventually become the great king of Israel (Ruth 4.17,22).

But the story of Ruth is not merely a biblical  love story,  there is much more to this than a foreign woman who demonstrated deep commitment and won the heart of a wealthy landowner.  This is also a story of redemption.  Metaphorically, Naomi represents Israel and Ruth would act as a catalyst towards its redemption.  Naomi initially left Caanan improverished to seek greener pastures elsewhere.  When her husband and sons left her, she decided to return to her estate still in debt.  Ruths entry into the picture has set the wheels in motion for redemption which came in the person of Boaz (De Haan, 16-17, 28, 43).  By marrying Ruth, Naomi was  redeemed.   Such was the case of Israel (De Haan, 52).  Her people had been exiled many times only to come back and rebuild themselves until the coming of a Redeemer who would bring about salvation.  From Boaz and Ruths house would spring forth the progeny that would help being about the coming of the Redeemer in Jesus Christ (De Haan, 36).  Besides, Ruth, another personality in the Bible faced a similar situation   Queen Esther whose courage redeemed her people from annihilation and ensure the preservation and continued existence of her people (De Haan, 21).

On a more personal level, as stated in De Haans book, it can also speak about personal redemption.  The challenge here is to be willing to leave behind everything they even hold dear and venture out into a world that is uncertain.  Ruth had disregarded whatever self-interests she may have had to go with Naomi back to her homeland.  She left behind her homeland which had been her  comfort zone  to glean in the barley fields. But her faith, that is her willingness to embrace Naomis God, ensured that she will be blessed when she caught the eye of Boaz (De Haan, 45, 55-56).  By trusting in God, everything fell right into place to set the stage for what is to come in the future which would be full of blessings.

Based on apocalyptic theory, vv.17-31 can be interpreted as Pauls call to the people that the end is near. He believes now is the time to reflect on ones life and if possible, remain within that current situation. Paul is giving instruction for the time and place in which he is writing. He mentions that the world they know is passing away and the people need to follow his words now. They need to prepare for the return of Christ and whatever that entails.

Throughout the text, Paul does not support change and instead encourages people to remain what God has made them. By doing so, he believes they are more likely to experience rapture. Paul is not in favor of enslaving free people however, if one is already a slave, this should be accepted. The slave should remember and take comfort that he is free in the eyes of the Lord. He does mention that if a slave is able to gain his freedom, he should do so.

Paul does not support marriage. A solitary man, he constantly reminds the reader that he is not married. He clearly states that while marriage is not a sin, he believes it leads to a problematic life, and he would like to steer his readers away from such troubles. He believes that widows and virgins should not enter into marriages and instead devote their lives to honoring God. However, despite his attitude towards marriage, Paul is not an advocate of divorce. He thinks, just as he does for slavery, that if a marriage already exists it should not be dissolved.

Today, many people still believe we are living in end times but the encouragement to reject change is not as prevalent. The majority of churches support and encourage marriage, even if they believe that Christ is returning shortly. Now people are also encouraged to make their lives, and the lives of others, better. They are expected to live a life worthy of the Lord, but not at such extremes.

Write an essay about a Biblical source Choose a biblical story or person, explore what the rabbis have to say about that story or person, and then connect it with a contemporary practice or debate.

THE BIBLICAL STORY - Sodom and Gomorrah were cities destroyed by God for the sins and immorality of the people who dwelled there. In Genesis 18 Abraham is told by God of his intentions to destroy the city of Sodom by three angels who have visited his home. Abraham implores God to save the city and God agrees if a number of righteous people can be found living amongst the sinners.  Two of the lords angels frequented the city of Sodom after leaving Abraham and they found only one such person, Lot the nephew of Abraham.
 
When the angels sent by God arrived in Sodom Lot insisted they stayed with Lot and his family and a meal was prepared for them to share, not knowing they were angels sent to rescue the righteous.  Before they were able to bed down for the night the men of the city arrived at Lots house the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, and all the people to the last man, surrounded the house and they called to Lot, Where are the men who came to you tonight Bring them out to us, that we may know them. Some interpretations of this are that the men of the city had homosexual intentions towards the guests however it has long been debated that the story actually has no directive to that of homosexuality.  Lot in order to protect his guests offered the men of the city his two virgin daughters but the men refused.

The angels in order to help Lot and his family escape blinded the men outside telling Lots family they have been sent by God to destroy the city.  The following morning Lot, with his wife and two unmarried daughters fled towards the town of Zoar.  The angels had urged that they not look back at the city as they escaped but Lots wife ignored this divine instruction and stopped to look back at the city as it was being destroyed by God with fire and brimstone and perished turning into a pillar of salt.

THE RABBINIC REFERENCES Upon reflection there appears to be two themes to this story the first being that of hospitality, initially the hospitality of Abraham and then of Lot to the angels, the second story is one of protectionism.  Generous hospitality for, Abraham was so important that it was greater than receiving the divine presence as shown in Genesis 1813 when Abraham asked God to wait whilst he tended to his guests.   There was a difference between Abraham and Lot as it was Lot who chose to go to Sodom when the two families had to split due to lack of available grazing land for their animals due to its prosperity and looked upon this land as the best option and with sexual desire showing his immortality but never the less Abraham wanted God to save him he asked if God could find a number of righteous people stopping at the number 10 would God save Sodom.  Rabbi Jochanan interpretation of this was that there were 10 people in Lots family and 10 is the number of people required for prayer which was in much need in the city  (Loader, 1990).

The second point that of protectionism is highlighted by Rabbi Judah who said of the Sodomites They were wicked - with their bodies and sinners - with their money.  He meant by this that they were greedy and heartless showing no regard for their fellow man. Sodom was a prosperous and thriving economic community.  One such rabbinic tradition concerning the Sodomites that highlights this is their individualistic attitude whats mine is mine and whats your is yours.   Rabbi Nathaniel said The men of Sodom had no consideration for the honor of their Owner by not distributing food to the wayfarer and stranger.  What he highlights here is that through their selfishness the people of Sodom led to an extreme behavior.  The mob that surrounded Lots home did so as a law of Sodom was the forbiddance of feeding strangers as they wished to keep the wealth for the Sodomites.  (Cohen, 2009)

What these Rabbis are indicating is that the individualistic nature of the Sodomites was all consuming of their society.  Protectionism was at the height of their individualistic society.  Abraham and Lot however were on the other hand men of morals and men of God, believing in a higher authority than that of the Judges of Sodom, the citizens themselves.

A CONTEMPORARY DEBATE IN COMPARISON TO THE BIBLICAL STORY - In comparison to the attitudes of the people of Sodom whats mine is mine is the Buy American agenda that is at present passing through American Congress.  America too wants to close some of its wealth through protectionism.  By retaining no tariff barriers it is exasperating some of its trade partners through the lack of wanting to share wealth (Steinbruger, 1989)   Whilst this quote is regarding a contemporary global matter it compares with the Sodomites in that their desire to isolate their wealth and the law forbidding the sharing of that wealth with strangers resulted in not only contaminated their moral being but also resulted in their city perishing.   The closing down of trade barriers and economic slow down would cause dire consequence and human tragedy as well as further economic crisis.  The citizens of Sodom also wanted to protect their wealth but did so at the detriment of outsiders, showing no compassion for a weary or hungry traveler and punishing those who showed a moral respect for human kind.  This resulted in the demise of a people at the wrath of God.

Some people say that religion in the United States is fading away. However, the fact is that religion can never fade away, because religion is not something that is dispensable and man created religion because it was a necessity, hence religion cannot fade away it can only change from one form to another. The evolution of thought and society is happening in such a way that we do not consider this effect a change of religion, but only a change of priorities, but if we observe carefully people are abandoning their old religions to adhere to a new religion, which is not recognized as such till date.

We know that religion is a system of beliefs that has a major impact upon the thoughts and actions of the people who follow it. It is a motivating factor for its followers, and a factor which can impact their decisions in almost all aspects of their life. This new phenomenon that we will identify has all these symptoms of being a religion, along with its own symbolism and traditions and rituals. It has temples like traditional religions and it
has sacred figures, it even has its own mythical enemies.

This new religion is consumerism, the worship of money, fame and material possessions. About a year ago, a news story was published in an Indian newspaper the story was about the death of some Hindu visitors to a temple, where crazed religious fanatics trampled upon them in their zeal to get into the temple. This year on Black Friday Sale, I read about a Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death by the frenzy of crazy pilgrims of the supermarket (Frucci). On any given day turn on the TV and you would see images of wealth and splendor, red carpets and beauty that can be bought, sportsmen doing dope for fame, politicians taking bribes to increase their wealth.

The fact is that money has become so much important in our society that it has become a religion, and a religion that surpasses all other religions. Take any Christian, Jew, Hindu, Muslim, the common factor in all of these people would be love for material wealth to such an extent that their religious rituals sometimes take a back seat. The belief that beauty can be bought with money (dozens of plastic surgery procedures available), and so can be talent and fame (as in Paris Hilton and Donald Trump) is increasingly becoming deeply rooted in the subconscious of the common man.

These beliefs are at the top of the minds of the public right now.  One might think that it is human nature to gather wealth, or the desire to gain it and what I am calling a religion today has been going on for centuries, but this is not so. The main difference between the societies of the past and modern society is that traditional religions were considered the revelations of an ultimate universal truth whereas worldly possessions were a means to provide ease while people lived their lives according to those truths. However, today, wealth is considered the ultimate truth.

When business executives in the Wall street and major banks are insensible to millions of people going out of jobs while they make millions, and politicians do what benefits them personally, ignoring the whole country, and media lies to the public so they can increase their viewership, and there are shows on TV that promote fake beauty, and your heroes are the cast of Entourage, and everything that is in your newspaper is somehow or the other connected to someones financial gain then you have a problem.

And the problem is that the love of money has become a religion. A lifestyle that we strive for is not rooted in morals or ethics or the pursuit of happiness even.

Our corporations have programmed our minds in such a way that we even associate happiness with ownership and wealth. Such is our mentality now that we cannot imagine that there can be any happiness in honest poverty. We continue to follow this religion and it continues to prosper. One day we will cease to become Christians, or Jews, or Hindus or Muslims without our realizing it. The scariest fact is, these religions were rooted in some sort of moral or ethical code, but this new religion has nothing to do with morality.

Soteriology is basically the study of the principle of salvation. It involves the examination of how the death of Christ assured the salvation of those who believe. Soteriology therefore discusses the doctrines of atonement, propitiation, sanctification, justification, and redemption. Soteriology is remarkably summarized in Titus 35-8 (NAB), which states that God saved humanity not because of the moral things people had done, but because of His compassion. God saved humanity by renewal and rebirth through the washing by the Holy Spirit, whom He bestowed on people benevolently through Jesus Christ the savior, so that, having been vindicated by His grace, humanity might become recipients of everlasting life.

Along with the study of the doctrine of salvation arose several common questions. Expectedly, however, the Holy Bible has all the answers to these questions primarily because of the accepted principle that God has a gracious plan to deliver an answer to every persons problem.

Soteriology  The Doctrine of Salvation
Soteriology or the doctrine of salvation is the theology that deals with salvation affected by Jesus Christ. In Christian theology, soteriology denotes the saving work of God, notably the atonement and compassion. It is the most imposing subject in the Scriptures and is the theme of both the Old and New Testaments. Soteriology is important in Christian theology because the purpose of the Church and the goal of Christianity is salvation. This salvation in soteriology covers the entire work of God by which He attempts to save humanity from doom, ruin, and power of sin and confers upon them the abundance of His blessing, including the provision of bountiful life, eternal glory, and eternal life. Soteriology embraces past, present, future and eternity all together. It is cosmic, national, and personal and thus relates, without exception, to all mankind as well as the angels (Keathley, 2009). However, soteriology, as illustrated in the Bible, primarily focuses on the supreme Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salvation
The word salvation comes from the Greek word soteria, which means soter or savior (Keathley, 2009). In laymans term, salvation basically conveys the thought of healing, restoration, soundness, preservation, safety, and deliverance from an undesirable condition or state. However, in theology, the word salvation is described as the works of God in favor of men. In the Bible, salvation is illustrated through the work of God in saving people from their confused state as well as from their current state by renewing their spirit. As believers, Christians regard salvation as a concept that includes initial, progressive, and final sense.
Therefore, men were initially saved when God gave to humanity Jesus Christ men are continually being saved as the Holy Spirit sanctifies them and men will finally be saved someday when they meet Christ in heaven in glory. To further illustrate

Romans 1013 tells that the initial salvation of men takes place upon their conversion. From the moment of mens repentance and acceptance that Christ is the Lord and Savior, their future in Christ is secured forever.
According to scriptures of Hebrews 1214, 1 John 19, and Hebrews 416, the progressive salvation symbolizes the pilgrimage of the believers from the moment of conversion to their death. Their journey involves striving for holiness and peace, a fight of faith, and a reoccurring approach of the throne of grace.
The final salvation refers to the ultimate judgment where God saves His people. Accordingly, God will save those people who lived by faith and in steadfastness in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Without a doubt, salvation is considered as the most important doctrine of the Bible because it includes glorification, preservation, sanctification, justification, forgiveness, regeneration, faith, repentance, conviction, propitiation, reconciliation, and redemption (Keathley, 2009). Because of the great interest captured by the doctrine of salvation, it has raised several common questions, including Is salvation perpetual Is salvation by faith and works, or by faith alone Is baptism indispensable for salvation Is repentance required for salvation What is the meaning of born again in the Bible

Salvation is Perpetual
When a person acknowledges Jesus Christ as his or her Savior, that person is given a holy connection with God that ensures his or her salvation as forever secured. This fact has been declared in several passages from the Bible, like in Romans 830 Romans 833-34 John 33 Titus 35 John 1417 Romans 89 1 Corinthians 1213 John 315 and Romans 838-39. These verses strongly tell that people who believe in God will have their salvation eternally secured. To mention a few  Romans 830 enlightens people that from the time God chose men, it is as if men are exalted in His presence in heaven And those God fated, God also called those God called, God also justified those God justified, God also glorified.

The verses John 33 and Titus 35 further explain that believers are regenerated or born again when they believe in God. Therefore, in order to forfeit salvation, men would have to be un-regenerated however, the Bible provides no verification that new birth can be forfeited.

Moreover, John 315 tells that whoever believes in Christ will receive eternal life. Therefore, if salvation can be taken away from a person, then the promise of eternal life would be nugatory.

Salvation is by Faith Alone
Many experts concur that the question Is salvation by faith and works, or by faith alone is the most noteworthy question in all of Christian theology (Got Questions Ministries, 2010). The answer to this question is very multifaceted because of few hard-to-reconcile passages in the Bible. Some of these contradicting passages include James 224 Galatians 324 Romans 328 Ephesians 28-9 James 217-18 James 220-26 James 214, 17, 20, 26 Galatians 522-23 Ephesians 28-9 Ephesians 210 and 2 Corinthians 517. Unfortunately, these conflicting teachings have in part caused the division of the Catholic Church and Protestant Churches.

The aforesaid verses generally speak about the differences in the teaching of James who tells that salvation is by faith plus works, and Paul who tells salvation is by faith alone. However, this problem can be reconciled by carefully examining what James is exactly talking about in some of his teachings. In James 220-26, James points that true passion in Christ will change the life of the believer, thus eventually encouraging him or her to do praiseworthy works. James is therefore not emphasizing that salvation is by faith plus works, but instead he explains that a person will expectedly do good works in his or her life if he or she genuinely believes in Christ. Accordingly, salvation is clearly by faith alone, and James only emphasizes that legitimate faith in Christ generates worthy works.

Baptism is not a Requirement for Salvation
Although baptism is a vital step of conformity for salvation, it cannot be strictly viewed as a condition for salvation. According to Ephesians 28-9 Acts 1631 and John 316, the death of Jesus paid the sins of humanity, and this payment is apportioned to men through faith alone. There are a number of verses that would suggest that baptism is an indispensable requisite for salvation, particularly Romans 63-4. However, because the Bible evidently states that salvation is obtained by faith alone, then there must be a particular explanation to the contradicting verses. In Bible times, baptism is a process of identifying conversion, and those people who changed from one religion to another were normally baptized in public to openly express their decision. So apparently, it has become the idea of early disciples that baptism is an indispensable requirement for salvation. However, by reading carefully the Bible, one can see that the presentation of gospel does not mention baptism (Got Questions Ministries, 2010). Therefore, requiring anything other than faith in Christ for salvation is to say that His death on the cross was not enough to give salvation to humanity.

Repentance is Required for Salvation
The word repentance is generally understood as turning from sin however, the Bible gives a more profound explanation to the word, which is to change ones mind that results in change of action (Got Questions Ministries, 2010). To repentin order to have eternal lifeis to change ones mind regarding Jesus Christ. The repentance, whether from disinterest, ignorance, or rejection, must necessarily be a change of mind as the Bible states that salvation is acquired by faith. Acts 238 319 1118 1730 2021 and 2620 emphasize repentance in relation to salvation. These verses on the whole state how Peter called the nonbelievers to change their mind about Jesus Christ, and to acknowledge that He is indeed the Messiah and Savior. Peter called for repentance because repentance generates change in behavior and more importantly faith in Christ, which are necessary for salvation.

Born Again
Another subject that is frequently discussed in the study of the doctrine of salvation is the meaning of born again Christian. John 31-21 provides a marvelous explanation to the real meaning of the phrase. In this passage, the Lord Jesus Christ tells Nicodemus, a well-known Pharisee, that people must be born again to see the kingdom of God, and consequently discusses to the latter the meaning of the teaching. Basically, the phrase born again suggests that people must be born from above or to become children of God through faith (Got Questions Ministries, 2010). According to John 229 39 47 51-4, 28 1 Peter 13 Titus 35 and 2 Corinthians 517, born again, or accepting new birth, is an act of God by which eternal life is offered to the person who has faith.

So why is it indispensably important for people to be born again In Romans 323, Apostle Paul explains that all people have fallen short of Gods glory and sinned. Thus, people need to be born again in order to have a genuine relationship with God and have their sins forgiven. For that reason, if a person is in Christ, the person is basically a new creation, as he or she has new estate and his or her old estate is gone. Having done so, person will receive immeasurable blessings from the Father and ultimately see the kingdom of God.

Catholic Soteriology vs. Protestant Soteriology
As discussed in the preceding paragraphs, soteriology in Catholic emphasizes that salvation is appropriated to the people through the death of Jesus Christ. For the Classical Protestant, however, salvation is emphasized through the personal act of persons faith in return of Gods divine favor. In Catholic theology, sanctification and justification are considered distinct from each other, but in the process of salvation, they are closely bound together. In Classical Protestant theology, sanctification and justification are detached, where justification is a matter of interest with God, while sanctification is the succeeding internal act of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, Protestantism acknowledges the primacy of faith and emphasizes the need for good works done by grace in the working out of salvation. On the other hand, Catholicism stresses faith alone, and that praiseworthy works have directly nothing to do with salvation.

Conclusion
In theology, the term soteriology is the examination of doctrine of salvation. Therefore, soteriology covers the entire work of God by which He attempts to save humanity from doom, ruin, and power of sin and confers upon them the abundance of His compassion, including the provision of bountiful life, eternal glory, and eternal life. Soteriology is a very important concept in theology because it talks about salvation, which is the deliverance of people from condemnation and from the bondage of sin, and results in eternal life with God. Soteriology in many religions is a significant theme because they regard salvation as their primary goal and purpose. Without a doubt, soteriology is highly important important because it provides enlightenment to humanity of the fact that God gave men the gift of salvation through the blessing of faith, and that the salvation is so complete that those who believe is declared glorified with every spiritual blessing and is considered whole in Christ.