Religion is one of the most powerful forces known to man. It created wars, art, architecture, governments, literature, education, and so on. So, without a doubt, this powerful force shaped the characteristics and courses of ancient China and Spain. Confucianism's strong connection to education led China to establish numerous schools and thus allow its society to become more sophisticated. At the same time, Buddhism's strong connection to peace has prevented the country from waging wars. On the other hand, Catholicism's strong belief in “giving to the poor” has made the country's poor richer and the rich poorer. Furthermore, Catholicism's welcoming gesture towards 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 their religions have had; both countries had leaders who were driven to favor their own people in order to uphold the imperatives established by their religions. Thus, due to the powerful effect of religion, China became isolated but economically developed, Spain became liberal and imperialistic, and both of these empires had long-lasting leaders whose benevolent actions were prompted by the religions that governed them. Confucianism and Buddhism significantly developed in China's economy and turned 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... half of the document... print. John Caroll University. "Han Dynasty." The Silk Road. Version 1. John Caroll University, April 21, 2012. Web. May 20, 2014. Open the Bible. “59 Bible Verses About Spreading the Gospel.” Topical 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.” Topical Bible. Version 1. Open Bible, January 21, 2013. Web. May 21, 2014.ViewOnBuddism. “Buddhist Quotes and Sayings.” A vision of Buddhism. Version 1. Np, 6 February 2011. Web. 21 May 2014.