Ancient religions, even early Judaism, were inclusive to neighboring religions to the point that they shared gods. Why has modern western religions become so exclusive to competing philosophies, while many eastern religions maintain a “cafeteria approach” to philosophical questions? Do you disagree with my premise? I need answers or I will be unfulfilled in my life ambition.
But Wait! First I would need to know, in detail, what this "life ambition" is?
@Garban everybody should have a hobby.......
I might interject that Islam advocates marrying your enemy. Thusly there are many indigenous throughout the Spanish colonies that remain viable. The Spanish were heavily influenced by Islam via Morocco's access to Spain across the Straits of Gibraltar when Islam was dominant there. So where as the Brits removed people, their heavy influence on America resulted in the Indian Removal Act, & the development in the Boer War of the concentration camp, attributed to the Anglican. Is Islam a western or eastern religion? A meld of both perhaps but much more inclusive in some manner than others in this regards.
I think Western religions are a lot more money hungry and driven by greed than easter religions. I think that has had a great influence on the inclusion/exclusion approach.
A religion based on greed would want exclusive patronage.
No, I think that as a westerner, it is easy to be naive about eastern religion, because all we tend to see is the smiling face of the missionary advancing to greet us. There is a long and whole series of violent conflict between Hindu sects and castes, Hindu and Buddhism, Buddhism and Toa, Shinto and Buddhism, Tao an confucianism and widespread intolerance of many philosophies.
Religion certainly reflects the wider societies within which it finds itself, and so western and Arab religion may reflect western/Arab empires and their aggressive imperial traditions. While the monotheist religions may also reflect the patrician traditions of the nomadic desert tribes who started them. ( In the simple environment of the desert, there are no alternate lifestyles, only the absolute following of the flock and the, usually, man who owns it. ) So that the western monotheist religions may have a slightly deeper darkness than most, but it would be unwise to think they are alone in their evils.
Some cultures are more inclusive than others because of resource access, social stability, ethnic diversity. When resources become scarce s strife results. social stability degrades, & ethnic strife ensues.
So a balance of population to resource is imperative to social stability. Acquiring more is usually the choice instead of reducing the consumption load. Blame of difficult times tend toward those that are different from the majority. Human nature. Monotheism is the basis of" western" religion" ie Christain, Jehovah's witness, Mormonism, Islam.
What is your life's ambition. Starting your own cult?
Religion and philosophy are tools of religious leaders used to control the faithfools. There is nothing objective from philosophy, it's all subjective coming from the mind.
Control them in what way?