The Present Key

[scameter]

James Hutton, an 18th century Scottish physician and geologist, once said, "The present is the key to the past." I am curious of the possibility that this could not only be applied to geology, but to all things that study the past or use it as a reference/basis. I have been considering various religious recently, and I have come to see that most of them seem to have a specific, underlying teaching and nature (the religious texts themselves, not the groups of followers who use them) that can be understood, and that seem to represent a philosophical argument of the various cultures from which these religions derive, and also the progression those religions took over time in those cultures. But, all of these underlying arguments, while some feel better to me than others, seem to base their conclusions and views on historical events that they claim occurred, or on assertions regarding beings that they treat as entirely real, just as real as anything in nature, even today. But, these two things that religions often use as a foundation I find very difficult to adhere to, because for one, asserting the occurrance of a historical event that we have no evidence for gives me essentially no reason to believe it ever happened, and for two, because the things they claim can be experienced even now are usually either supernatural and things I have never experienced, or that require some specific alteration of oneself in order to experience them. I'm sorry if this sounds vague; I just don't want to make it too long. But, anyways, my point is: due to the extreme doubt and lack of reason to believe that are present in many religious assertions, usually regarding the supernatural or some supposed historical event, I speculate that it is best to consider spiritual/philosophical issues in the present, firsthand, rather than referencing to another source, except to merely use that other source for assistance, or if, after you feel you have completed your search for the truth, a specific religion bears the same conclusions you have reached. But, a religion should not be taken merely because of it's cultural origins, because you grew up with it, or because others say it's right/good, this including all religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, etc., with my usage of the term "religion" including any spiritual path or teaching.