Religion is one of the most powerful forces known to man. He created wars, art, architecture, governments, literature, education, etc. So, without doubt, this powerful force shaped the charastics and paths of ancient China and Spain. Confucianism's close connection with education pushed China to create numerous schools and thus allow its society to become more sophisticated. At the time, Buddhism's close connection to peace prevented the country from waging wars. On the other hand, Catholicism's firm belief in "giving to the poor" has made the country's poor richer and the rich poorer. Additionally, Catholicism's welcoming gesture toward converts encouraged the country to pursue its passion of invading as much of the New World as possible. However, China and Spain are not entirely different in terms of the impact of their religions; both countries had leaders who were pressured to benefit their people in order to respect the imperatives of their religions. Therefore, due to the powerful effect of religion, China became isolated but economically developed, Spain became liberal and imperialist, and both of these empires had long-standing rulers whose benevolent actions were driven by the religions that governed them. Confucianism and Buddhism developed considerably. Chinese economy and pitted the country against the concept of imperialism. First, Confucianism strongly emphasized the importance of education. “Confucius projected the ideal of a gentleman, best described by his benevolence and self-control, a man always courteous and eager to serve and eager to learn.” (Stearns, p. 41) Since most of China's population was once affiliated with Confucianism, this forced much of the country to...... middle of article...... to print. John Caroll University. “Han Dynasty.” The Silk Road. Version 1. John Caroll University, April 21, 2012. Web. May 20, 2014. Open Bible. “59 Bible Verses About Spreading the Gospel.” Thematic Bible. Version 1. Open Bible, January 21, 2013. Web. May 21, 2014. Stearns, Richard. The hole in our Gospel. New York, NY: Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), 2009. Print.Open Bible. “59 Bible Verses About Helping Those in Need.” Thematic Bible. Version 1. Open Bible, January 21, 2013. Web. May 21, 2014.ViewOnBuddhism. “Buddhist Quotes and Sayings”. A vision of Buddhism. Version 1. Np, February 6, 2011. Web. May 21 2014.