Let me preface this post by first putting forth a few of my personal opinions and beliefs when it comes to any discussion of religion, philosophy and the world, I will try to make it as clear and understandable as I possibly can with my limited abilities. My mind is a jumbled mess and so this just might not make a whole lot of sense but I feel compelled to try and get this out of my head.
Anything that involves human beings, to be realistic must account for the fact that we are each unique and wonderfully made. Our uniqueness includes but is not limited to differing perceptions, intellectual, emotional, and physical capabilities. As unique as we are though we are also very much the same with personality, emotional, intellectual and gender types that have specific traits that are shared across a sub group of people; for example some people can be taught via text book only, others require hands on learning. We are also all products of the environments and circumstances in which we are born and raised, in conjunction with our uniqueness this generates who we are as individuals.
One of the traits of human existence which I believe has the most impact on religion, philosophy and the world is selfishness/selflessness, I consider this one trait because philosophically I believe they can be at times one and the same, as some people are driven to help others because it makes them feel good not because they actually care about those they help.
Nothing on this earth occurs within a vacuum.
Leaders make a difference whether good or bad.
I believe there are three states; good, evil, and in between. We can often be deceived by ourselves and others into what we perceive belongs in each state.
Even though tomorrow is not promised, what we do today can spread out and affect the circumstances and experiences of someone else generations from now, just as events put in motion before our life time impacts who we are today.
With all that being said our personal embracing of religions and philosophies is molded and shaped by the people we are at the time they are introduced into our lives, how they play a part in our lives and how that growth occurs. A person immersed in a particular system of belief at an early age that is nurtured in that system of belief may never stumble in their faith and understanding. The person who is not nurtured but is instead put through a breaking indoctrination may lose faith or be even more brutal and unforgiving in their indoctrination of others into the belief system. Then there are those who seek religion and philosophy on their own, not raised with anything particular they seek for themselves this can be a very rocky road indeed.
All belief systems will be tested by the world, through life experiences and circumstances. The strength of ones faith and the depth of ones understanding in what one believes does not necessarily mean a damn thing. I say this because I believe just as steel that is not properly tempered becomes brittle and breaks so can the human spirit. Sometimes we want to believe that is not possible but we only have to open our eyes to the world around us and see those who have been broken. If we open our eyes not only would we see those who have been broken but we would also see those who are breaking.
All of this to arrive at the idea that religious and philosophical beliefs can be perceived quite differently by everyone. It can be thrust upon us, nurtured into us or sought out by us as individuals. These beliefs can shape our lives and color how we perceive the world around us. We can live intentionally with our beliefs as a guide through the world or as a sword against the world. I see these as two very different paths. On the path of our beliefs as a guide we attempt to lead a life that is morally right based on our beliefs and to be a positive example of our beliefs within the world, our goal is to be right within ourselves and for the majority of the beliefs in the world this translates into working positively within the world and helping others, if we are successful then others will see our example and be drawn to our beliefs. On the path of our beliefs as a sword against the world, we perceive immorality in those we encounter and fight to strike it from the world, those who flock to us wish to fight the immorality of others as well, often times in this fight against the immorality of others we ignore the true state of our own selves, choosing instead to joust with windmills.
The truth I see in all of this, through the jumbledness of my thoughts is that when we can approach the world and our beliefs from a position of selflessness, we can make a positive difference.