Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian activist who became a leader for the Indian Independence Movement against British colonial rule. Gandhi was born into a Hindu family along the coast of India and trained in law at The Inner Temple in London. After he had finished his studies Gandhi spent the next 20 years defending the rights of immigrants in South Africa. I think he is an inspiration because he only participated in non-violent protests for independence from Britain, with acts of defiance even when they took him to prison several times.
He had shown loyalty to his country and people and resilience because he kept fighting for what he believed in when times proved tough.
Martin Luther was a Catholic priest in Germany during the Middle Ages who disagreed with many of the Catholic church’s practices. Later in his life, he went on to become a religious reformer He had decided to change the Catholic religion because he believed that many of the practices were immoral especially indulgence.
Throughout his life, he split the Catholic church into Protestantism and Catholicism. He could be thought of as an inspirational leader because of the action he non-violently took to change the way things were despite being strongly criticized. This was like how Gandhi took part in non-violent protests against the English when he boycotted certain English products in 1915. Gandhi and Luther have lots in common such as their non-violent way of protesting and humble lifestyles such as not living a luxurious life, similarly to Pope Francis who lives among the people.
I disagree with the statement Religious leaders do little to help. In these two cases, for example, both leaders had major impacts on the world. Gandhi led India to independence and Luther divided the Catholic church. This illustrates the importance and impact of religious leaders. It is important to have people that are not afraid to lead others and speak up for what they believe in because some may be afraid to do so themselves. Therefore, this suggests that religious leaders do help to change things and even help others. In Gandhi’s case, he set an example for the people whilst putting himself in danger to help his countries. In Luther’s case, he changed what was wrong in Catholicism, putting himself in danger as well.
On the other hand, someone may disagree. Many religious leaders in the past have been seen as lying to people to manipulate them into giving money to the church. For example, the church during the middle ages taught that the bible said there was a place called purgatory. They said if you gave money to the church you would have to spend less time there. It has been proven that the bible does not mention purgatory. This left many people deceived and does not show values of a leader such as honesty and loyalty.
In conclusion, I believe that religious leaders hold an important role in society. I hold this opinion because of the world-changing decisions they make and the influence they have on their supporters, as in the example of Mahatma and Martin.
BONUS TASK: Should religious leader give opinions on political matters?
I disagree with religious leader sharing their opinions on political views. This is because of their massive influence and ability to manipulate people. There is a differentiating factor between teaching and telling. If a religious leader teaches someone, they are left to make up their own minds with knowledge about what is considered good or bad in that specific religion. If a religious leader tells you what to believe then they are taking advantage of their power and manipulating, you into doing something you believe you want to do even though you don’t.