Throughout time, religion has been an important aspect of all cultures. Religion has been the motivation for many great things, and many less great things. Religions spread and brought new believers and converts from one religion to another. For most religions, the spread of the word of God is undertaken by missionaries. This also applies to Christianity. The role of the Christian missionary was to spread the word of God to all. The motivation to spread the word of God was a very large part of Western exploration. In addition to spreading the word of God, the accumulation of wealth and therefore power were also great motivators for exploring the Western world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Portugal took the lead in western exploration after successfully expelling Muslims from the country of Portugal. The power created by such successful expulsion of foreigners and the religious fervor of the missionaries encouraged Portugal's rulers to seek conquests in Africa. Portuguese leaders were attracted by the possibility of harming the Muslim world and by a thirst for wealth (Stearns 34). In 1498, Vasco Da Gama, a Portuguese sailor, left Portugal and headed for Calicut, India. He was asked why he did that and he said Christians and spices. The mass conversion of people to the religion of Roman Catholicism and the accumulation of spices, fine textiles and other Asian products led him to Calicut, India. Vasco Da Gamas' desire for Christians and spices was typical of most explorers of the time. People either went to convert the masses, or find riches, or even both (Stearns 150). Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Not all countries were interested in spreading Roman Catholicism as other countries were. The Protestant English and Dutch had little interest in attracting converts to Christianity. However, the spread of Roman Catholicism was an essential element of the global action of the Portuguese and the Spanish..