Religion and Theology

Trappist monk Thomas Merton was one of the most remarkable spiritual guides in the 20th century because of the acceptability of the belief system that he developed based on his  ideas about the nature of the human self and the relationship between humans and God. Those ideas are influenced by his views of the realities of life. The main element of Mertons belief system is the idea that the key to a healthy and happy life is ones search for his own true self and for the ways to maintain and improve his own relationship with God.      

This essay discusses how the realities of life, as Thomas Merton saw them, affected his journey toward an understanding of God. The dramatic changes that Thomas Merton experienced in his life reformed his views of realities of life, and those views in turn played a big role in shaping his views of God. The first section of this essay provides a very brief description of Trappist monks beliefs and way of life, which is important to understand the arguments in the second section. The second section of the essay discusses the impact of the transformation of Mertons lifestyle on his ideas about the realities of life and, hence, his views of what makes a healthy spiritual life and helps one improve his own relationship with God. This section also discusses the effect of the Trappists beliefs and way of life on Mertons belief system.                

A Brief Description of the Trappist Monks Beliefs and Way of Life      
The term  Trappists  refers to a Roman Catholic religious order that was formed as an attempt to reform the Cistercian order and restore the Cistercian and hence the Benedictine way of life. The basics of the Trappist way of life are very similar to those of the Cistercian and Benedictine orders, but the difference is that the Trappist model of austerity is stricter than that of any of the other two orders. The Trappist monks are also commonly known as the Cistercians of the Stricter Observance ( Trappists,  2010, p. 1).      

Contemplation and strict seclusion from the world are the basic aspects of a Trappist monks way of life ( Monasticism,  2010, p. 1  Trappists,  2010, p. 1). Daily life activities include (a) worshiping (it can be either private or common), (b) studying and reading about religion, and (c) working which is usually manual to generate income for the monastery. Silence is one of the most important commitments in the Trappist lifestyle (there is on vow of silence) speaking is generally prohibited except under special circumstances ( Trappists,  2010, p. 1).
                   
How Did the Realities of Life, as Thomas Merton Saw Them,                            
Affect His Journey toward an Understanding of God      
Before discussing how Mertons views of realities of life affected his spiritual journey, its important to understand the changes that he experienced before becoming a Trappist monk and the nature of his life and belief system afterward.      

Merton did very well in high school (he studied at Oakham public school), and as a result he won a scholarship to the University of Cambridge in England. Although he was a sharp student, his performance there wasnt as good as it was in high school because he was so lured and distracted by women and alcohol. His continually worsening performance eventually cost him the scholarship and, as a result, he left the university ( Thomas Merton,  2010, p. 1).  
 
Soon after leaving Cambridge, he returned to the United States and enrolled to Colombia University and, fortunately for him, he became successful there. During this period, there was only one issue in life that he was interested in The existence of God. In 1938, he converted to Roman Catholicism and received his Bachelor of Arts degree, the following year he received a masters degree in English literature from the same university. During that period, his interest in religion grew considerably, which made him eventually became a Trappist Monk in 1941 ( Thomas Merton,  2010, p. 1).      

Today, Thomas Merton is widely accepted and respected by many people because they find in his writings hope for a better life. Many readers consider him their own spiritual companion, others see him as a teacher who guides them to the solutions for all hardships in life. His spiritual message can be summed up in one simple statement Happiness and peace can be found if everyone searches for his own  true self  and tries to improve his own relationship with God and other people without doing so, humans will suffer desolation and alienation in this world. Merton argues that ones alienation from his own true self, which is the image of God, is the cause of all forms of destructive behavior ( About,  2009, p. 1).      

The total transformation of Thomas Mertons lifestyle is what had the biggest impact on his spiritual journey because this transformation made him rebuild his views of the realities of life. From his own experiences, he found that misery and failure accompany the life of self-indulgence while happiness and success are found in the lifestyle that is based on religion and searching for the needs of the real self instead of those of the body. This view was what gave religion big importance in Mertons life and made him see God as a friend and savior. The effects of Mertons views of realities of life on his journey toward an understanding of God are evident in his messages key element that is, his belief that searching for the true self is the ground on which one must build his own lifestyle because the self is the image of God, and God is the center of being ( About,  2009, p. 1).      

The Trappist way of life also had notable effects on the belief system that Thomas Merton developed. Its apparent that his philosophy is a reflection of the strict contemplative nature of this lifestyle. For instance, he emphasizes the necessity of integrating contemplation with all activities in life ( About,  2010, p. 1). Moreover, the influence of this lifestyle is a very important reason why Mertons belief system is very religion-based.                                                                

Conclusion      
What makes many people respect Thomas Merton as a Roman Catholic writer and spiritual guide is that they find in his message the window through which they can have a  brighter view of themselves and their own lives. Mertons paradigm for living offers possibilities for changing the world and making it full of peace and happiness.      

The fact that Thomas Merton experienced living in two totally different worlds is what had the biggest impact on his spiritual journey. The dramatic changes in his life made him change his thoughts about the realities of life, which made him build his message upon one main principle Searching for the true self and its relationship with God is the essence of happiness. Becoming a Trappist monk also played an important role in shaping the belief system that Merton developed its apparent that his beliefs are a reflection of the strict Trappist life of contemplation and worshiping, which made his message very religion-centered.      

From all the discussions and arguments regarding Thomas Mertons life and belief system, its clear that his life experiences affected his beliefs, and vice versa. If his life had been regular without any dramatic changes he probably wouldnt have become interested in any kind of religious beliefs whatsoever.        

Of the four authors of the Gospels, Mathew has often been regarded as an evangelist to the Jews. When one studies this particular gospel it is evident that the author was mostly addressing the Jews. He depicts Jesus of Nazareth as the prophesied Messiah who had been prophesied in the Old Testament by several prophets. In fact Mathew shows Jesus as God sent savior who had Jewish heritage.

Felix Just outlines some texts from the bible to show how the author of Mathew depicted Jesus ministry as directed only to the Jews and not to the gentiles. He quotes the instance where Jesus was sending his disciples for a gospel mission. In Mathew 10 5-6 (NAB), Jesus specifically instructs his disciples to Go nowhere among the gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans. They were however to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Just shows that the author of Mathew only mentions the ministry of Jesus to the entire globe at the end of the book where in the so called great commission Jesus gives his disciples All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 2818-19, NAB).

Felix Just is also quick to point out that Mathew uses several Jewish titles to show that in deed Jesus was a Jew. In addition to the use of the titles such as Messiah, Son of Man and Son of God, Mathew also uses Son of David and Son of Abraham to refer to Jesus. The author wanted to show that Jesus had a Jewish (Abrahamic) and royal (Davidic) heritage. Though not mentioned directly in the gospel, Jesus has been equated with Moses. He has also been presented as the king of the Jews, a teacher and a prophet.

The book of Mathew (1 1-2 NAB) starts with the genealogy of Jesus whereby he is referred to as the the Messiah, the son of David and the son of Abraham. Mathew does not fail to show that Joseph the father of Jesus was from the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David all who were very important figures in the Jewish religion. He summarizes the genealogy of Jesus with the verse So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations (Matt 117, NAB).

The book of Mathew has severally presented Jesus as the king of the Jews. The Jews were expecting a king who would establish an earthly kingdom and rescue them from the oppression of the Romans. This is the reason why the author of Mathew is quick to show that Jesus is the king that the Jews have been waiting for. Mathew introduces the term in the second chapter when the wise men from the east came to Bethlehem searching for the king of the Jews (Just). He has for countless terms used the phrase the kingdom of heaven as well the term king in various parables. He quotes Jesus preaching that people should repent as the kingdom of God is near (Matt 417 NAB). This is due to the fact that the Jews were waiting for the kingdom of heaven to be established. Moreover, in order not to offend the Jews and not to portray Jesus as anti Jewish religion, the author of Mathew makes it clear that Jesus had not come to do away with the law and the prophets but instead to fulfill them. Till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or title shall pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (Matt 5 17-18 NAB).

Mathew also shows that the Jesus of Nazareth was the prophesied Messiah by the Old Testament prophets. Several scriptures in this book directly quote what the prophets had spoken regarding the Messiah. In Mathew 1  23 (NAB), Mathew quotes prophet Isaiah prophesy that Emanuel will be born by a virgin (Isaiah 714 NAB). He also quotes Micahs prophesy regarding the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judah (Micah 52 NAB). Other prophesies that Mathew indicates include the messiah would hail from Nazareth (Matt 223), the return of Jesus from Egypt (Matt 214-15), the massacre of the children by Herod (Jer 3115) among many other scriptures (New American Bible).

According to Kevin Knight, the author of Mathew did not have the intentions of writing Jesus biography but instead to show his deeds and words and that he was the expected Messiah, the founder as well as the head of Gods kingdom and one who had come to fulfill the laws and the prophets (Knight).

The family is the cornerstone of societal principles and ideals. The diminishing family values, or rather the changing and rapidly evolving family trends are posing a threat to the stability of the society that is. The integral role formally played by the family in promoting the societal ideals appears to be utterly changed. There appears to be a considerable paradigm shift from the cardinal compositions of the society, other than having the family as integral, it is the individuals that are being taken as the main component of society.

Genuinely, I feel strongly that the sudden change in the basic composition of society has put the clergy in a rather indefinite stalemate. Apparently, even the definition of the term family seems to be evolving relatively fast. Maybe redress has to be sought right from the definition of the term family. And perhaps the definition adopted should contain some universality, the controversies surrounding marriage not withstanding.

At the very onset, family was strictly restricted to the father, mother and the child or children if there were any. However, the composition of the family today appears expanded and protracted. Ultimately, one will argue that the changing trend is in line with the ever dynamic world. Presently, the family has become manifest in diverse and astounding forms. As if this state is not enough, the diversity is being fronted with shameless zeal.

The family is today termed single, heterosexual and or homosexual. The initial basis for classification was utterly based on the existence of the parents. Where both parents were present the family was termed as nuclear. Ironically, the proportionate of nuclear families versus the other conglomerations of families is balancing. This assortment of family classifications teen family, single family and homosexual families are taking toll too fast and surprisingly so, particularly for the reverent clergy.

The wonder ought to be the causal factors. Perhaps this is indicative of the equally changing role of the clergy in society today. Formally, the clergy were meant to provide divine guidance on matters of faith and general morality. However it appears that a good proportion of the clergy in society are entangled in controversy.

The dissection of the initial societal roles would offer a take off position for worthwhile discourse. The prelude above however has endeared to tickle the diverse perceptions that are inherent in the family dilemma.

Ardently, the family dilemma starts with the inception of this tidal societal institution. The biblical approach and school of thought sees the primary role of marriage as companionship. The secondary role thereof biblically is siring children. However the very primary role of the family has bee abdicated. Strongly, I feel this is the main root problem to the challenges bedeviling the family structure today. The companionship mentioned above was strictly meant to be between heterosexual partners.

The secondary purpose for the inception of the family only becomes feasible where the partners are heterosexual. The feasibility of this purpose is unattainable in cases of homosexuals and lesbians. Evidently the duo has the least interest in the siring of children. Ironically however, despite the clear understanding that the idea of child siring is not forthcoming still yearn for this course.

The idea of the changing roles of the gender may have well precipitated the sudden change in the approach to both family setup and responsibility. Initially the man was to remain the soul breadwinner of the family. However, the role has changed and some cases comically taken, man is bread eater, such perceptions provide probable insight into the likely cause of the sudden change in societal approach to the family.

Mankind today has today found the partner of the opposite sex strictly a tool for convenience and not a companion. This perception bring me to the second controversial issue sex. Biblically sex was taken as quite divine and restricted within age and status parameters. Today sex has the least preservation in society. The question today is how the whole act should be executed. Here, unlike the biblically approach where the when, who, where and why aspects were addressed, the approach is so haphazard.

Subsequently, the concept of who should be involved in sex raises brows today leaving the clergy utterly dumbfounded. The sex approach today has not only sidelined the ideal of when sex should be accepted but concentrates on how it should be done whether contraceptions should be allowed or refuted. This has perverted societal sex ideals. While the concept of sex was deemed private in biblical context, the issues concerning sex have been instilled in all sphere of life strongly I feel this ought to have remained the prerogative of parents.

Biblically, marriage institution was meant to make the partner as one. However, the upsurges of the contraceptions in families have further perverted the sanctity and responsibility initially placed upon families. The bible is clear on the rules of a marriage institution, postulating that the wife, at marriage becomes solely the mans and the man the womans. This preposition allows the least room for partner restraint in matters of sex. Today the use of contraception has dogged the marriage institution. While the very idea of contraception was well willed, the purpose has become protracted to the extreme. The distinctive family at the moment is substantively dissimilar and structurally different compared to that of the 1950s.
 
Love is supposedly the principle basis on which marriage is built. The definition of love not withstanding, there are varied signs that the original meaning has moved. Perhaps the very tenets of love ought to be redefined. Initially, love was meant to ascribe to a sentimental attachment beyond bounds and traversing limits of material and circumstance. Presently, love ceases to exist when variable such as money and other materials endowment of the partners appear to be in short fall. Paradoxically, there exist isolated cases of increased material and monetary endowment meting a blow on loved ones.
Gradually, Americans are coming up with new patterns in domestic partnerships that need to be acknowledged and understood failure to do so has impacted, and will negatively impact on the state of the American woman and child. The assertion by Lesley is the real position of the present society.

Blaming the present trend in the society in its entirety would be autocratic. There seems to be another host of factors that have directly or indirectly contributed to the current state of affairs in the family. The economic hardship could have well prompted the current controversial trends in the family. Evidently men are opting for the homosexuality on the pretext that they will have avoided responsibility attached to heterosexual marriages. Subsequently, the ladies are turning to lesbianism to evade the parenting role of a woman in marriage. Worse still the compatriots may be feeling inappropriate to meet whatever responsibility.
 
Ardently, as Stockard  Johnson asserts, the delineation of families from economic productivity had important ramifications for gender disparity because families served the economy much more than the economy served the families. This reversed role between societies has dealt a blow on the stability of the family institution.

Nonchalantly, it needs to be noted that the emerging strive and struggle for equality in society has also had a hand in the existing trend in the family patterns. While this struggle remains a genuine and significant course, the opportunists have used the struggle to attain anterior ends. The feminists have used the course to meet their short term objectives. Subsequently, this has translated into the domestic unrest and discontent among couples. Equality ought to be used in the pursuit for a better interaction between the spouses rather than subjecting the couple to intermittent fights.  

There are numerous divorces world over. The divorces are being entered with the least base for the course. This trend has also further distorted the family structure. Subsequent to this, the prospective couples are discouraged from entering a marriage contract. This has been the major cause of the increased single families. The partners enter the contracted with suppressed fears of the unknown particularly the fear for any eminent divorce or partner frustrations that have been exhibited in other marriages. Ultimately, the disintegration of this partnership translates into single families.

There is increased hostility amongst couple shamelessly meted upon the victims in the eyes of the children. The very children are brought up believing that animosity is part of family ideals. Children brought up within such setting will rarely yearn to get into the contract of marriage, hence reducing their certainty of taking marital and subsequent family responsibility.

Family has been further rendered indefinable by trends such cohabiting and serial monogamy. Evidently, due to the pronounced discontent in existing marriages, the marriage prospectives are opting for cohabitation which has no defined rules and responsibility restrictions. Besides, the upsurge in the number of divorces has meant the divorces remarries, translating to serial monogamy.

Ethically, the protracted relationships have posed a threat to the societal morals with confounding ramifications. The ultimate outcome could just be the extinction of the family institution with which is the foundation of marriage. The clergy have it upon them to seek course that need be beyond reproach in addressing issues of sexism

The modernization of the society may present both retracting and supportive lessons. However regardless of the role that the innovations may have on the noble course the clergy need not relent, or else the human race may be wiped out in total. Site the case of the world going the homosexual way how will the generation be replicated. Here lies the imminent and the inevitable need for interventions.

Conclusion
The challenges to the marriage institutions appear so abound and immense. However, this does not present a life impasse. There still exists sufficient room for the clergy to address the simmering problem. If not checked, there is high likelihood that the family institution may just become extinct. The church would address the challenge through reviewing its very own ideals. Giving the reverence nature of the church, the interaction of the society with the church may embrace the principle.

It also needs to be noted that this can not be achieved through resenting the deviants rather it will be achieved through friendship. Besides, the course will gain sufficient ground if the very clergy live their word. This course may continue receiving resistance where the very house of the clergy appears divided on the matter.

The state has the least role in the transformation of the changing family and marriage trend. It further need be noted that the approach to the debacle need to be two-pronged. The implication in this context is that the two concepts are inseparable. Contemplating legislation would be loosing the war before it starts. Utterly, the issue to be addressed is morality in it real sense.    

What does Corporate Spirituality nowadays mean It becomes widely popular and is preached by most of the denominations and post-modern churches. It is the essence of the new experimental form of Christianity  the transformative movement which attempts to unify the world under the main altruistic principles of the Gospel. No longer is the strong emphasis made on the Word of God or personal re-birth through the Holy Spirit. The new point is basically is in the collective experience and unifying community service. This process over content basically assumes that anyone who considers himself to be a Christian can accomplish the ministry, because Jesus lives and acts through every believer. As the actual Gospel is mainly ignored here it is not important anymore if you were born again or have a deep knowledge of the Holy Bible.

Before we start speaking about Christian spirituality lets literally explain the meaning of this notion. So what is spirituality Christian spirituality refers to both a lived experience and an academic discipline. In the first instance, the term describes the whole of the Christians life as this is oriented to self-transcending knowledge, freedom, and love in light of the ultimate values and highest ideals perceived and pursued in the mystery of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in the church, the community of disciples. That is to say, spirituality is concerned with everything that constitutes Christian experience, specifically the perception and pursuit of the highest ideal or goal of Christian life, e.g., an ever more intense union with God disclosed in Christ through life in the Spirit. At a second level, Christian spirituality is an academic discipline, increasingly interdisciplinary in nature, which attempts to study religious experience and to promote its development and maturation. Now what is Christian spirituality To be highly a spiritual person within Christian philosophy means not only to be a good, kind person, who doesnt say lies and sometimes helps your mother about the house, but it means to lead a holy life that is described in a Bible on the example of Jesus Christ. The pursuit of holiness, which means becoming more like Christ is a daily task of every believer. While Jesus says Be holly, because I am holy (1 Peter 113-16). When people accept Jesus as their personal Saviour the Holy Spirit becomes to live in them and He guides them in their Christian life. It is considered that once the application is made the person allows Holy Spirit to take full control over hisher life. That means listen to the Spirit, listen to your consciousness and not to the wants of your sinful nature. The Christians also believe this way of living is not produced by self-effort, but the born-again believer receives the Holy Spirit as a Gift from Above. Now lead by the Spirit he will live his life in the accordance with the Word of God- the Bible. The book of Leviticus which is the part of the Old Testament contains the rules of holy living. Given once to the Israelites these laws of Christian morality continue to guide modern Christians in their life with God.

Spirituality comes from Hebrew ruach that has meanings like spirit, breath. So Spirituality is what moves a persons life of faith to the perfection. There exists a certain set of beliefs in Christianity that can be found in Church doctrines originally based on the Holy Bible a certain set of values, which basically are faith, hope, love- that is hope and promise of redemption, love for others, denial of self and a certain way of life, obviously based on all said above, that is the real everyday life that where the Christian beliefs and values are embodied and expressed. So Christian Spirituality is a part of a specific way of life which involves having strong values of Christianity and practicing them in day-to day life.
Bible is the very essence and source of holiness. Some of the basic aspects that demonstrate the holiness of God are He is morally pure (always speaks the truth), He is righteous (he always acts in a just manner), He is merciful (He forgives people their sins), He is loving (because His great love for humanity He gave His only Son to help the people to avid eternal punishment). When a person lives in a manner that is consistent with the will of God, this way of living is called a life of holiness. God requires the people to live a life of holiness All who truly have faith in God follow the way of Holiness (Hebrews 1214).You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, yes, even to the ends of the earth. (Acts 18)

Today, millions of Catholics in more than 115 countries are involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. What accounts for this dramatic growth Those involved in the Renewal say that God has touched them in some profound way, releasing the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The goal of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is to serve the mission of the Church by enabling people to live a renewed and Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian is called to be charismatic  that is, to be equipped with gifts of service for the good of the Church. (1Cor.12). In the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Catholics speak of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. This statement does not change the Catholic teaching about the Sacrament of Baptism. It simply means that the power of the Spirit received in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation often awaits a fuller release in the lives of many Christians.

Here Id like to present you some quotations which demonstrate the modern usage of and definition of such notions like the Life of Holiness, the Contemplative Life, the Life of Social Justice, the Charismatic Life, Evangelical Witness,  the Incarnational Life. As you follow them, keep in mind that all these principles of Christian Spirituality have their focus on community service, which is supposed to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ.

Reading Brian McLarens book, A Generous Orthodoxy, I thought for a moment Hank Kimball had become a theologian. The subtitle gives more than a slight hint as to why it reads like this Why I am a missional  evangelical  postprotestant  liberalconservative  mysticalpoetic  biblical  charismaticcontemplative  fundamentalistCalvinist  AnabaptistAnglican  Methodist  catholic  green  incarnational  depressed-yet-hopeful  emergent  unfinished Christian. If this confuses you, welcome to post-modern Christianity in the age of despair.

 HYPERLINK httpwww.globalaidsprayer.orgindex.phpoptioncontenttaskviewid88 3 Million Voices
3 Million Voices seeks to mobilize an army of faith-filled Christians, of all ages, to live a lifestyle of Prayer  Care  Share directing our efforts collectively toward an end of AIDS and as such serve as a discipleship model for incarnational living. Those who commit to join 3 Million Voices are encouraged to sign the Declaration of Commitment indicating your intention to a lifestyle of Prayer - Care -Share to end AIDS.

Traditionally the Corporate Spirituality is based upon six major dimensions of the spiritual life Contemplative The Prayer-Filled Life Holiness The Virtuous Life Charismatic The Spirit-Empowered Life Social Justice The Compassionate Life Evangelical The Word-Centered Life and Incarnational The Sacramental Life (Renovar). All these principles of Holiness and Spirituality were practiced by Jesus Christ. To analyze further let me explain first what Holiness is. Holiness  the state or quality of being holy.

Today we will look at the Incarnational Tradition, and what it means to live a sacramental or incarnational life. Richard Foster says, The Incarnational Stream of Christian life and faith focuses upon making present and visible the realm of the invisible spirit. This sacramental way of living addresses the crying need to experience God as truly manifest and notoriously active in daily life. I believe that the incarnational life can help us to avoid our modern temptations to over spiritualize Gods work, and to forget that Gods love is concrete and real and active in
real people who live real lives. God weeps with weeping people, and celebrates with us
when we are rejoicing. And God sent Jesus as the ultimate object-lesson, to show us that
the realm of human life could be lived by one who was also divine. In Jesus Christ, we
see Gods Word made flesh, and we understand that Gods love for us is real and
incarnate. The question it raises for us is how well we are living an incarnational life. Do
we tend to separate our spiritual and religious life from the life we live at work, the life
we live at home, the life we live with our families and the way we spend our money
How would any of that relate to my church life And how about the life we live at
college

Parents and teenagers need not always argue about issues that are manageable.  The key to managing these issues is in understanding each others position and in finding a middle-way solution.  If we can aim for a win-win solution, that would be best, but many times it may not be possible.  So, adjusting our wants with regards to the others position may be necessary to solve our problems.  Let us take the issues of friends, money and school for example.  If we try to understand the problems facing each side, from the teenager and from the parents, we can try to negotiate our way to a solution.

First, many teenagers today have friends that parents disagree with, but both sides can work on a solution.  Proverbs 1824 says, A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (New American Standard Bible).  The teenager has to understand that quality friends are more important than quantity.  Bad company may lead to drug abuse, alcoholism, pre-marital sex, unwanted pregnancies and other consequences that are life-and-death situations.  It is important then to choose our friends wisely and to refrain from others who are bad influences on us.  So how do we choose our friends  Or how do we know that they are truly our real friends  Proverbs 1717 asserts that A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need (New Living Translation).  If our so-called friends are only there when we have money or if we are in good health or if we have a nice car and a beautiful house, then they are not our friends.  A true friend will be there for you even in sickness, homelessness and poverty.  Of course, parents also have to understand that nothing is perfect and that these ideals may not be realized all the time because of actual, instead of theoretical circumstances.  So parents have to give their teenagers some room for error and imperfection.  By learning from their mistakes, they will become better adults later.

Second, many teenagers nowadays want more money, which their parents dont have, so we need to find creative solutions to solve it.  In 1 Timothy 610, it is mentioned that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (New International Version).  Money is needed to satisfy many physical desires, but too many desires will lead to suffering.  It is important to extinguish the flames of desire through moderation. If we dont really need something, we dont have to possess it.  We also need to be wise with our money through investments and diligent work.  By finding part-time work and learning how to invest our savings properly, a teenager will learn good financial skills that he will need later as an adult.  As Matthew 2518 mentions, we should not dig a hole in the ground and hide the masters money (New Living Translation) even if we have only a little of it.  We should invest it, and we can also find some work to earn more money that we can additionally invest.  We should also not have sudden cravings to splurge once we have a lot of money.  In Proverbs 7 20, a prodigal man took lots of money with him and wont be home for a couple of weeks (Gods Word Translation).   Instead, we should learn how to control our emotions.  Being wasteful in our expenditures will empty our bank account.  Lastly, we should also be generous. As Exodus 2225 says, If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender charge him no interest (New International Version).  By learning how to give, we will receive payment in kind later on in the form of respect, the return of favors and other non-quantifiable intangible forms that we will appreciate later.

Lastly, teenagers may need to confront their parents about their problems in school.  Grades are one of the major problems that teenagers face in school.  Low marks could be a consequential problem due to bad friends or the lack of money to buy learning resources.  If our problem with friends and money are resolved, then we can solve our issues in school also.  But sometimes, the cause may be something else.  If our ancestors were not so bright themselves, then we shouldnt expect too much on ourselves.  Or if we take some mental aptitude tests, and we score poorly, we may be faced with a biological problem that requires specialized training.  But more often than not, we can improve our brain power through proper nutrition, exercise and mental conditioning.  There are many books and courses in the market that will teach us on how to increase our mental aptitude.  So, it may be necessary to purchase a few for the benefit of our future.  But parents should also consider that school and grades are not everything.  Jesus himself was very learned, but he did not bother to prove his academic excellence by getting a respected degree from a well-known school.  In John 715 the Jews were surprised and said, How has this man got knowledge of books He has never been to school (Bible in Basic English).  Indeed, school is not the only place to learn and thus, school grades are not the only proof of learning.  While some people may be God-gifted, more often than not, many people learn from the School of Hard Knocks.  Truly, there are many successful people today, such as Bill Gates, who never finished college.

In the end, teenagers are not always wrong and parents are not always right.  When a proper middle-ground is reached between the two, there is peace.

Global warming is one of the most important environmental issues being faced globally. Along with this an importance of natural resources especially water is under consideration as most of the water resources are now contaminated.  Thereby an important of these issues is important especially water conservation and this paper will highlight teachings of Islam that highlight water conservation.

It is mentioned by Dien, and Izz al-Din, (2000) that Islam is a universal religion and no problem in the life of humankind is unaddressed by Islam. Importance of water conservation is embedded in Islam. Quran and Sunnah both highlight an importance of water conservation and show different ways of water conservation. It is realized that important roles are played by religions in societies. Water has been given an utmost importance in Islam, as water is an important part of Islam. Many water conservation awareness campaigns have been started that highlight importance of water. These campaigns have been based on Islamic principles and rules of water conservation thereby these campaigns have been very successful. These awareness campaigns started in different Muslim countries of the world, prove to be beneficial and successful. Islamic communication channels have been used by these campaigns to talk about water conservation to increase awareness in people.

It has been mentioned by Dyke, (2008) that Islam is a religion that originated from Arabian Peninsula, which is a desert area spreading to other important arid and semi arid areas. As a result of this, water has found its importance in Islam. Water scarcity has an importance for Muslims that has influenced their perceptions of water and its importance in addition to shaping their behaviors and customs that relate to water conservation. Since the last twenty years, Islam and Islamic rules and principles have been used to influence believes of water conservation in people and across different countries.
Llamas, (2009) argues that perceptions of water in Islam is not colossal thereby the beliefs held by Muslims in regards to water are very much influenced by different historical events. In addition, these beliefs are also strengthened by the studies and teachings of Islam that are present in Quran.

Water in Quran
Numerous verses in Quran teach and highlight the importance of water in Islam. Holy verses highlight that water is one of the major themes in Islamic cosmogony and iconography. Water is also an important topic in daily life of a Muslim and liturgy. Here it needs to be mentioned that the Arabic word M  means water and it has appeared more than sixty times in Quran.

Sura of the Prophets has quoted the importance of water stating
We made from water every living thing (2130)
In Quran, water has been defined as a gift of god from which the whole humanity can benefit. It is stated in Sura of the Ant
Or, who has created the heavens

And the earth, and who sends you down water from the sky Yea, with it we cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. Can there be another god besides Allah (27, 60).

Water in Sunnah
Importance of water has been highlighted in Sunnah. One of the famous hadith of Last Prophet (PBUH) states that

Men are co-owners in three things water, fire and pastures.
Faruqui, Biswas, Bino, and International Development Research Centre (Canada), (2001) argue that there are other hadith that discuss ownership of water as well an amount of water that  is allowed for use by an individual thereby saving it from wastage. Excessive use of water resources has been prohibited in Islam. Moreover, many hadith provide measures to save water from contamination and pollution by mentioning that urination and defecation is to be avoided in water resources as these cab be one of the most important precautionary measure that can avoid disease spread. Human activities are to be avoided on buffer zones around water thereby avoiding any corruption of water body.
Holy prophet (PBUH) has urged the mulish community to save water rather than pollute it  or contaminate it.

One hadith appears in Sunan Ibn Majah,Vol 1, p. 34,
It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar (May Allah be well pleased with both of them), that the Holy Prophet(PBUH)passed by a person performing wuzu. He(PBUH)said Do not waste (water), do not use more water than you need it.

Thereby from this hadith it can be realised that wasting water and using it beyond the needs is declared Makruh of undesirable. this has been highlighted by yet another HAdith that appears in Hashiya Al Tahtahawi, p. 80 Using more water than what is reasonable is Makruh.

Water and the Shariah
Shariah is a set of jurisdictions in Islam that are to be followed by all Muslims. The Shariah argues about water conservation and water management and it has defined a set of norms for water management. Every Muslim has been given the right to quench his or her thirst by drinking water and this right has been equally bestowed to animals. People have been given rights to irrigate their crops. However, Shariah highlights preference of water usage domestically as compared to irrigation or in industries. Thereby there are rules that define usage and management of water in a sensible manner avoiding its wastage as its use is every Muslims right.

Tadgell, (2008) mentions that based on these rules, water conservation programs have been started based on Islamic rules highlighting an importance of water conservation as Islam realizes the importance of water scarcity since Muslims have faced water scarcity in their past.

Islam says that water, if available in lesser amounts or in greater amounts is to be saved at all costs. Thereby not only Muslims are bound to follow the teachings and instructions of Islam but all people globally are to realize the fact that water is to be saved and conserved.

It is mentioned by Dyke, (2008) that additional orders have been given by Islam in order to save water. In extreme and exceptional circumstances like war, Islam says that water and other necessities of life are not to be harmed in any way. Islam has given water the same importance as has been bestowed to educational institutions, people, Children, women, elder citizens in a community and it has been said that as these are not to be targeted in any war, in the same way water and any water resources are not to be harmed.

Conclusion
Religions are the base of beliefs in people and these shape up the major decisions taken by people related to certain issues. Major health concern these days relates to water pollution thereby a need of addressing this issue in a religious perspective is needed. These days it is important that public awareness campaigns are started on a global scale that can address the health related issues in regards to water conservation and water pollution. These issues are important as these days water pollution is increasing and is highly sensitive issue.

Religious intolerance occurs when a section of people cannot put up with the religious beliefs and cultures of a certain group of people. This is usually manifested in many ways especially when this said group of people believes that their religious beliefs are superior to the other groups. The history of religious intolerance dates back in history to the time when missionaries started venturing into different places in the world in search of new believers and to spread the gospel. They ventured into areas that had a near uniform set of beliefs and thus had to introduce another aspect of religion that the natives had not been accustomed to. In one way or the other, some people got to be converted but others remained true to their religious beliefs that had been there before. The further incursion by other missionaries and other people with different beliefs led to people of different religions living in the same regions.

Nigerias population constitutes of many religions. A half of the population is Muslim and nearly 40 of the remaining is Christian. The remaining 10 percent is covered by the other religions including African traditional-based religious regimes. The division of this population is such that the Northern part of the country is mostly Islamic while the Southern part is covered by the Christians and the other religious groups. At the onset of democracy when Olusegun Obasanjo was elected democratically, there was tension amongst those who were defeated in the elections who thus decided to use religion to divide the population. The Northern states adopted the Sharia laws which are known to be less tolerant of secular lifestyles. Therefore, the first cause of religious intolerance in Nigeria was politically instigated. As at the year 2004, eleven of the states in the Northern region had adopted aspects of the Sharia laws that were used to punish wrong-doers.

Nigeria is known as one of the most endowed countries in Africa in terms of oil and natural gas. The petroleum resources are prospected by foreign countries such as Canada. The oil is mainly found in the Niger delta. The Niger Delta is located in the Southern part of the country. The resource is poorly distributed and has sparked a lot of inter-religion violence as most of the religious groups are led by their leaders to lay claim to the resource (ONeill 1) (Nigerian Oil Curse of the Black Gold). Due to the large numbers of Muslim and Christian faithful, the war has always pitted them against each other. This has usually resulted in the deaths of so many civilians and even police as the confrontations are usually very violent. The fight for resources has also been very evident in the Northern region. It is instigated by the now famous religious group going by the name Boko Haram (Isilow 1) (Religious Intolerance in Nigeria 1). The group claims to be operating for the good of Islam. Due to the largely Islamic Northern part of the country following Sharia laws, the group has appointed itself as the legitimate enforcers of this law. Its violent activities have resulted in the attacking of buildings, housing, armed forces like the police and other government installations.

There seemed to be a crisis in leadership in the country as there were too many coups mainly staged by the military. This led to the citizens having very little faith in the governments. As a result, many people were poor. To fight back, many went back to their tribal and religious enclaves as zones of comfort. The religious debacle was thus amplified by this. Every other person seemed to blame people of other faiths for the failed leadership. As a result, many violent confrontations have been witnessed (Adam and Keffi 1) (Towards Ethnic and Religious Tolerance within a United and Diverse Nigeria 1). Currently, the president who is Muslim by faith is ill, but the largely Northern region does not want him to be replaced by the vice president who is Christian. Goodluck Jonathan, the vice president, is keen on the leadership and would like to ascend to presidency.

The colonial powers that were present in Nigeria put up systems that divided the nation along religions. For instance, western education was first available to regions that were dominantly from one religion. This created a one-sided spectacle so that some Christians could not access this education. As such, the classes became breeding ground for tension and misinformation (Rosalind 1) (Conflict in the Classroom Educational Institutions as Sites of Religious ToleranceIntolerance in Nigeria 1). It is therefore prudent that we see ignorance and poverty as the main causes of the religious intolerance that has led to violence in Nigeria. Violence attributed to religion has been the cause of very many unwarranted deaths and if education was used to reduce the ignorance, the violence would not be as significant as it is now.  

To reduce the violence and create peace between the religions, peacemakers have been self-appointed. They tour the warring regions and issue teachings of peace. During the tour, they look out for the possible ways through which the people can be brought together. They then convene meetings where they admonish the crowds to use peace and unity to propagate togetherness. This has been an important method of cooling tempers and reducing retaliations especially in the Northern regions (Kuchinsky 1) (Peace from Below Recent Steps Taken along the Track-Two Diplomacy Path 45).  A means of solving the violent confrontations as put forward by the president of Libya Muammar Gaddafi was to divide the nation into a Muslim and a Christian one so that they become two separate states. He later said that it should be divided like Yugoslavia. This is not a very feasible method though as resources will still be a point that can spark violence. In as much as they will be divided into regions or countries, they might not live in peace.

Inter-religious forums have been initiated by some of those affected by the violence so that they can create awareness about the importance of peace. A case in point is that of two men from each side of the warring factions who put aside their differences to bring about peace after losing close family members in the violence (Fischer-Thompson 1) (Muslim-Christian Dialogue Forum Works for Change in Nigeria. 3). Wuye and Ashafa address forums where they urge the people from both camps to dump violent methods of confrontations that result in deaths. They urge for dialogue amongst everyone so that amicable solutions can be achieved for lasting peace. The media has also been used as a means of addressing the violence. The country recognizes the power of the media and has required that as a means to end the violence, the media houses become more responsible in disseminating important reconciliatory messages to the masses. This has proved to be effective as more and more people are starting to realize the issue at hand.

In conclusion, religious tolerance is a thing that has been experienced in many countries in the world. A keen look at the causes points towards ignorance as the main cause of inability to view other peoples religious beliefs as equal or similar. It is backed up by the use of religion by politicians to incite the people when they need to. Poverty has been the influencing factor as most of those recruited to fight these wars are poor people who can be easily manipulated to believe in what they are told. The violence caused by the intolerance has been addressed through various means but top on the list is creation of awareness that has been effective in passing the message that religious beliefs held by whichever groupings are neither superior nor inferior. The end-result is that more and more people are slowly becoming tolerant to other peoples beliefs. The use of media to inform the masses has so far been very vital as it reaches more people at a go than any other means. Religious intolerance should not be encouraged as it only infringes the rights of people to worship.