Henry David Thoreau's Influence On Religion

Henry David Thoreau is a man of many facets; a man who refuses to conform to what the masses believe is acceptable. He calls for the rejection of complexity and for a change in mankind's view of life. Thoreau, in his many writings, demands change in a stagnant society. He emphasizes respect for nature, even to the point of blatant disrespect for humanity.
Thoreau's connection to nature was a key ingredient in his lifestyle. He studied ants closely; hoping to understand them like one understands the human race. He came to the conclusion that either ants are as dignified as men, or that men have lowered themselves to the ant's position. He stressed the futility of war, showing in vivid detail that war does irreparable damage to both armies. He argued that we do not fight for what is right, but for our own selfish ways. This, Thoreau believed, was one of man's deepest flaws.
He claimed that humanity dwelled too much on the ideals and thoughts of men who had died long ago. "The foregoing generations beheld God face to face," he said, "Why should not we have a poetry and philosophy of insight and not of tradition?" Thoreau obsessed with stirring the conscience of his peers, which eventually drove him to jail in protest of an ‘oppressive government.' He accentuated the importance of thinking for ourselves and acting on those thoughts. He understood that a blindness had fallen over his culture, and he struggled to rouse those who couldn't rouse