Wow, this is an amazing thread. I am responding to the first post because I am really not that well versed in Tolstoy or some of the others you are discussing. However, you have really piqued my curiosity and I expect to be adding some interesting books and authors to my reading list.
I grew up in a religious "mutt" family. My uncle took us to Catholic church - Roman Catholic, in latin and he told us when to stand, when to sit and when to kneel. I always like the ritual of the Catholic church. My aunt was a Southern Baptist and she took us to church with her. It was very intense - I usually left in tears. The other parts of my Mom's family were Presbyterian and my Dad's side of the family were Methodist. We had/have Jewish friends so I have also attended temple occasionally. As an adult, I have done some reading about Buddhism, Daoism and Islam - and I find them to be filled with beautiful thoughts on the world around us, before us and after us. I have had a very interesting religious education.
I guess because I was exposed to so many different thoughts over the years, it has led me to be extremely tolerant of other people's religious beliefs and methods of worship. So, while I can't say it was one group in particular that influenced me, I can say I was definitely influenced by some great religious thinkers. But it has given me a very diverse perspective to draw from.
From where I sit, it seems that religion has always been used to soothe our fears - from where do we come from (not literally, ha) to where do we go after we leave this earth - to explain the unexplainable. I think sometimes we need that kind of reassurance. For me personally, I find immense satisfaction in the simple things around me - my family, my friends, my health - in this life. I am not too worried about later! My faith is in the sunrise every day, the sunset at night, the pine trees that smell so great outside my home, the sounds of my children laughing...you get where I'm going with this.
Perhaps it is those very simple things that lead me to be so emotionally and physically disturbed when I look at the world outside of where I am. I think it is one of the reasons that I choose to be involved and why I am so determined to make a difference - so that others may be able, not to live my life, but to live life a little easier - not being hungry or sick.
I remember thinking that the rituals and traditions of Judaism and Catholicism were very neat. Then, after I married a Catholic, I realized that he didn't really feel the rituals...they were memorized. That kind of disturbed me and I realized that many of my Catholic friends were Catholic because that's how they were brought up, not because they had "chosen" to be Catholic. That kind of concerned me, but then I realized that that was the "structure" of my husband's faith. It was they way he believed. Please, know that I am not bashing anyone...not my nature, just an observation on my part.
It was in church that I became heavily involved with music. Before, I had played cello and piano but with the advent of youth religious musicals I found my voice and a guitar. I still remember the first time I played in front of a group - how completely mortified I was. Music has always played such a large role in my life and now here I am again, being influenced tremendously by music.
I am a new U2 fan - bought Joshua Tree in vinyl and then got too buy to even know what U2 was doing. The next thing I know, I'm taking my daughter to a U2 concert (2002) because I had heard that they were a good show and I was worried that I would miss seeing them since they were almost as old as I am and might stop touring soon, or worse, continue touring and suck! I walked away from the Elevation concert in Atlanta with my mind reeling. I had never heard or seen such a show - musically or politically. In a way, honestly, I was irritated. I mean, I tend to like my rock and roll rather mindless. But, U2 got me thinking - reopened my mind to a lot of things in the world I had avoided. I ended up returning to college to study international affairs and developing countries. Bono's lyrics, his activism and U2's music have caused me to think a lot. My life has been shaken up and I have been rocked out of my complacency. It used to be fairly easy to ignore the rest of the world - I had become so wound up in my own little territory of children, carpools, etc that I was convinced that I didn't have time for or need to be attendant to anything else. Yet, now I am looking around me trying to decide where I can make my contribution and where I may be able to have the most impact on those who aren't so lucky.
I agree - avoidance is necessary but all things must be dealt with at some level. It just seems like very few people are willing to take the time to think through things anymore. We are all looking for a quick fix to our issues - and we are all "bandaided" up. Personal responsibility is gone for many. We live in a society where keeping up with the Joneses is what its all about not evaluating your own standards and morals. Where I live, when kids turn 16 they expect a new car. My husband and I both get a huge kick out of that one - my hubby says he had never driven a car in the decade it was built until we got married and bought our first car together!
I grew up in the south - children were seen and not heard, girls were sweet and pretty, but boys were allowed to be boys, you never discussed religion or politics and you never wrote anything you didn't want someone else to have access to.
I laugh because I have children who frequently and openly discuss religion and politics, my daughter has always been a very outspoken young woman, my boys were held to the same standards of behavior that did not allow that mindless "boys will be boys" type of mentality. They were encouraged to be respectful of all people, to not fight with their fists but to learn to use words to express frustration and anger. When they did something inappropriate, you could see it in their faces - they never really needed to tell me. My children are more creative with words and music than I have ever been or could be - they all keep these wonderful journals and the insights I have gained from their allowing my access to them is unbelievable.
My responses to some posts on U2.com regarding who has influences in your life.
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