Key Reasons Religions Have Struggled to Achieve Global Peace

I searched for a justifiable answer to this question for years. I tried to comprehend the philosophical thought behind the variety of religious practices, and I found thousands of interpretations. 10,000 years ago, religious expressions began to shape society and our way of life then from our viewpoint many have seemed brutal, as people were exposed to many life-threatening dangers daily, and as these tribal hunter-gatherers were constantly at the mercy of animal attacks, natural disasters, and disease. Their deities were therefore directly related to these elements and ceremonies were created so the elements would be kind to them.

Later as civilization developed, the relationship with nature and the environment evolved. We changed from hunter-gatherers to farmers. The agricultural revolution caused changes in the way society dealt with nature and even caused society to turn its back on nature, changing its concept of deity to a more abstract sensorial divine being. As the relationship with nature changed, we became masters of nature dominating the elements and being less prone to animal attacks. Dogs, cattle, and horses were now domesticated. We became a polytheistic society, and the Sun was still recognized as their source of all life, so they, therefore, worshipped the Sun and other abstract deities in many ways to please them, nature, and their many worlds. People began to create symbols as a representation of their conceptual God as they were now masters of nature and messengers of God. Society was from that point on subjugated and forced to follow the rules created by these messengers and leaders. If not, they would suffer the wrath of vengeful deities. This converted leaders from mere mortals to half-gods and messengers sent from those in real power creating a permanent state of fear. Brutality was part of life now, and a kind of religious authority and subjugation was born.

After this fundamental change, the most powerful global civilisations with agricultural dominance expanded and gained territory and power in every sense of the word. Simultaneously their domination and subjugation gained supremacy. How did this need for domination affect the individual within society? We assume that during this period between about 3000 BC and the year zero, religions became more complex religious beliefs evolved and beliefs became even more deep-rooted within society. Therefore, inherently dominates people’s way of life.

It is worth remembering that at around 600 BC philosophical thought emerged both in ancient Greece and in Asia. Starting with:

Thales of Miletus (c. 624–546 BCE Greece)
Laozi (6th century BCE, China)
Mahavira (599–527 BCE, India)
Pythagoras (c. 570–495 BCE Greece)
Confucius (551–479 BCE, China)
Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 535–475 BCE Greece)
Parmenides (c. 515–450 BCE Greece)
Gautama Buddha (c. 5th to 4th century BCE, India)
Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE Greece)
Plato (c. 427–347 BCE Greece)
Aristotle (384–322 BCE Greece)
Zhuangzi (c. 369–286 BCE, China)
Mencius (c. 372–289 BCE, China)
Epicurus (341–270 BCE Greece)
Chandragupta Maurya (c. 340–297 BCE, India)
Zeno of Citium (c. 334–262 BCE China)
Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BCE, India)
Plotinus (c. 204–270 CE Greece)
Vasubandhu (4th to 5th century CE, India)
Shankara (Adi Shankaracharya) (c. 788–820 CE, India)
Rumi (1207–1273, Persia)
Dogen (1200–1253, Japan)
Zhu Xi (1130–1200, China)

Even after all these people spread their message, it is still there for anyone willing to read and learn. This era of philosophical enlightenment was thwarted due to years of war and greed for an ever-growing need for natural resources and land. What would the world have been like if Alexandria had not been destroyed and Hypatia’s ideas had not been destroyed along with their library? How much more advanced would society be as a whole? Would scientific thought have enjoyed an early and accepted birth into an enlightened world? Would we be more conscious of our inner selves? Would we be more respectful of the planet that gives us life? Had this age of enlightenment not been thwarted by years of power wars and greed then perhaps Hypatia of Alexandria would not have seen the end of Alexandria and perhaps Scientific thought would have enjoyed an earlier, more fruitful birth into a more peaceful world.

After the death of Christ 2000 years ago. Religious ideas and power exploded, and their idea ironically spread globally by the Roman Empire. Sects grew in number. Spirituality became a world of magic thinking and acting that only the elite could understand. Latin was not taught to the commoner, but this language was used to impart the message of God, and so education became the new way to subjugate society and remind the serfs that they could reach no higher status. Our place in society changed drastically in contrast to the philosophical era. Ours was not to question but to obey. For 2000 years, wars continued to shape the face of the planet over the centuries.

In summary, we are left today again with many, so we live not in a polytheistic society where it is normal to worship many gods but a pluralistic world where Gods, Jesus, Mohammed, money, and other Gods are represented all around us in these modern times but after all this time we can’t find God and the only true peace that can be found is within. Why has the Christian God or Mohammed not brought peace even today?
The answer is simple: Humanity was searching for God in all religions, but God is something very different from all these delusional and archaic religions. The source emanates from within.

Since this is still true, as the population grows and resources and land become scarce, it comes as no surprise that the world is still at war. We continue to squabble like petty children in the playground of life instead of contemplating life and the world in what we will experience but as a long now. What our children’s children will experience. Instead of looking back and learning from the lessons that history has taught us from those who have tried to teach and offer us the one simple truth:

“Find love within yourself and love one another as you love yourself. Seek knowledge and understanding to live a life of virtue and harmony. Embrace reason, compassion, and self-reflection as guides towards personal fulfilment and societal well-being. Recognize the interconnectedness of all beings and strive for balance and justice in your interactions with others and the world. Cultivate inner peace and resilience in the face of life’s challenges and pursue happiness and enlightenment through a balanced integration of the intellectual, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of life.”

Religion, governance, politics, economics, and education are big scams.
Destiny has fooled everyone for more than 10,000 years up to today.
In the second part, I will expose what genuine religion is about.

Dr. Eduard Schellhammer

What is most striking about meeting Dr. Schellhammer beyond his pleasant and polite manner; youthful disposition or passionate and sincere views on humanity and the planet, is his unshakable conviction that the world needs a new pioneering education. But exactly who is Dr. Schellhammer? Is he a Philosopher, an expert on Human Matters, a Psychologist, a prolific author of titles from psychology to politics and economics, an educator, or a visionary with a profound and beneficial insight into the human condition? The answer is that he is all that and more. In different age he would have been called a polymath, and probably kept close company with those giants of The Age of Enlightenment, like Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Payne, perhaps even Thomas Jefferson.