Compare And Contrast Christianity And Confucianism

Religions and ideologies played major roles in the development of early political systems and continue to pervade politics to this day. Christianity influenced the development of European countries extensively, whereas Confucianism did the same for China. The founding of the Anglican church played a huge role in British government as well. These ideologies guided the systems of government from their origins and through time. In book two of his Analects Confucius describes the role and proper execution of government. In it he details the proper way for people to lead stating that leaders should promote the virtuous and leave the crooked behind. He says this when asked about how to make the people submissive to the government. 1 He suggests that good people deserve good lives and bad people do not. He goes on in the twelfth book of the analects to say “The master mentioned three essentials, sufficient food, sufficient armament, and sufficient confidence of the people.” Tzu kung said, “Forced to give up one of these, which would you abandon first?” Confucius said, “I
This unifying identity is what allowed the pope to urge the crusades into action. The catholic church had direct influence over citizens via priests, where even the official government didn’t have the same kind of direct contact with its own people. People are more inclined to follow God than to follow a human, thus if The Church says something people will believe it. The Church required loyalty to one’s state, in the Bible Jesus himself says “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” 1 This is said when a group of men attempts to trick Jesus into denying either God or Caesar what is rightfully theirs. Jesus answers in such a way as to command loyalty to one’s government and to God. It keeps all parties happy and prompts the proper