Does religion make you good?

[Anonymous]

When I was religious, I was just as good a person as I am now. No better, no worse. What about you? I used to be worried about breaking the rules of my religion, but only because I was worried about going to hell. I don’t worry about that any more. It always seemed unlikely.

I ask because I’ve heard people mention their religious teachings when they do something good or avoid something bad, as in “My religion teaches kindness….” or “My religion doesn’t allow that.”

[Anonymous]

No my religion doesn't make me good.

The Holy Spirit hopefully is sanctifying me and making me good, though. But it's a long, slow, often painful process. And it won't be complete on earth.

[Anonymous]

No, it’s not religion that makes anyone good. Religion installs fear.

You didn’t break the rules of your religion because you were a good person. You didn’t break the rules because you FEARED going to hell. Big difference.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No my religion doesn't make me good.

The Holy Spirit hopefully is sanctifying me and making me good, though. But it's a long, slow, often painful process. And it won't be complete on earth.

The holy spirit is part of your religion, right? So you are good because of your religion, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No my religion doesn't make me good.

The Holy Spirit hopefully is sanctifying me and making me good, though. But it's a long, slow, often painful process. And it won't be complete on earth.

The holy spirit is part of your religion, right? So you are good because of your religion, right?

The Holy Spirit is a person. My religion is not a person.

And I didn't claim good yet. I try. I sometimes succeed. I sometimes partially succeed. I sometimes completely fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No my religion doesn't make me good.

The Holy Spirit hopefully is sanctifying me and making me good, though. But it's a long, slow, often painful process. And it won't be complete on earth.

The holy spirit is part of your religion, right? So you are good because of your religion, right?

NP I understood op's question to mean does the concept of religion make you good, not necessarily any particular religion.

[Anonymous]

A better person perhaps.

Evelyn Waugh, a British mid-century writer, converted to Catholicism. A woman once said to him she couldn't believe he was a Catholic because he was such a terrible person. He replied that she had no idea how insufferable he would be if he weren't a Catholic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A better person perhaps.

Evelyn Waugh, a British mid-century writer, converted to Catholicism. A woman once said to him she couldn't believe he was a Catholic because he was such a terrible person. He replied that she had no idea how insufferable he would be if he weren't a Catholic.

I love this so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No my religion doesn't make me good.

The Holy Spirit hopefully is sanctifying me and making me good, though. But it's a long, slow, often painful process. And it won't be complete on earth.

The holy spirit is part of your religion, right? So you are good because of your religion, right?

NP I understood op's question to mean does the concept of religion make you good, not necessarily any particular religion.

OP here. I meant does your particular religion (i.e., the rules, strictures, teachings) make you good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No my religion doesn't make me good.

The Holy Spirit hopefully is sanctifying me and making me good, though. But it's a long, slow, often painful process. And it won't be complete on earth.

The holy spirit is part of your religion, right? So you are good because of your religion, right?

NP I understood op's question to mean does the concept of religion make you good, not necessarily any particular religion.

OP here. I meant does your particular religion (i.e., the rules, strictures, teachings) make you good.

Christianity would adamantly say that its rules can't make you good. That requires the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (though Christians argue about how exactly that part works).

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his [God's] sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

(Romans 3:19-20 ESV, emphasis mine)

[Anonymous]

If it did, the world would be a much much better place.

Unfortunately religion is more often used for hate and evil than good.

[Anonymous]

What societies deem as “good” is strongly influenced by religion.

Is someone good if they decide to martyr themselves and 20 civilians in order to submit to god and achieve eternal paradise?

It depends on your belief system.

[Anonymous]

"With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil - that takes religion."

Steven Weinberg

[Anonymous]

I think many people are good *in spite* of what their religion teaches. Many people listen to the good parts/teachings of their religion and let it inspire them, and ignore the parts that aren't moral/good.

I also think there's many people who listen to the immoral parts of their religion, and use that as an excuse to permit bad behavior/beliefs/actions.

This cherrypicking is why you get so many people saying "that's not what a REAL Christian would do". Religions often are self-contradictory or hypocritical, so people may say that their religion is inspiring them, and to some extent it may be, but there's definitely more independent moral judgement going on than is often given credit.