Those claimed to be founders of religion, weren't
founders.
Buddha wasn't a Buddhist, Jesus wasn't a Christian and Muhammad wasn't
a Muslim, to mention just three. Disciples who penned down lectures and
speeches, contributed to the institutionalizing of what became
religions.
On a smaller scale, religions branched, each branch supported by a set
of scriptures, which makes it easy to keep up punditry without the
practice
and experience of those, having inspired to pen down the texts.
Subsequent interpretation, rewriting and translation are likely to have
distorted
much as originally, the lectures and teachings were regarded as an aid
to realize
a type of happiness, unruffled by material conditions. In this regard
Buddhism
kept most of its clarity, with the claim to end suffering, whereas in
Europe,
Christianity was tinkered with to serve the ruling class (inquisition)
to mention
just one example of willful distortion: so called witches were experts
on natural
means for population control as well but the ruling class wanted more
slaves to
amass wealth...
Suffering is mostly due to craving / desires: wanting what isn't owned
yet, while
dissatisfied with only your needs fulfilled (the UN human rights act
mentions them).
A term related to that is footprint, the issue of taking what is needed
only, in
such numbers (population) that the ecosphere stays stable enough to
adapt to
the invariable changes in climate. The desire for liberation isn't a
desire but the
affirmation of your real nature (free from afflictions).
The present situation (rapidly deteriorating climate, overlooked
feedback
mechanisms, the lies of perpetual economical growth (wealth) and
infinite
resources etc.) could also be explained as having ignored religion or
having
failed to understand, the issue of all religions originally
regarded to put a firm
brake on greed and its derivative, rapaciousness.
Liberation is like a wishing
tree that instantly fulfills all wishes - as nothing could be added to
the inherent
happiness that is "default" then. Hence, the Buddha was "a happy one".
No need to mention covetousness for resources like oil, water and
arable soil,
the root of all "conflicts" (past, present, future) is it?