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well we all know
that good and bad reside in everyone. of course
it's those that don't recognize that bad resides in them that are the worst off because they cannot see how to improve themselves.
I have known numerous Christians who have worse behavior than the non-Christians I know; in fact, it sometimes seems they use their religion as an excuse for lousy behavior.
the unbelievers i have had contact with, particularly my son, Kooka, have a much higher moral fiber than many (particularly vocal) believers I know.
we can see that on blogit -- where some believers are bigots and narrow-minded, many nonbelievers are not.
in fact, one who really demonstrates a total honesty is
Kiddo75 she's one of those that believers shun because of her lifestyle and speech.
Yeshua had a problem with the believers of his day because they were hypocritical and judgemental, just like those of today and several of those who write on Blogit. All you have to do is read them to see how really UN Christian they are.
no one wants to believe in a god that has such followers.
posted by
Xeno-x
on September 15, 2006 at 8:16 AM
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SuccessWarrior - no doubt, there is a good argument to suggest that
religious groups do as much to impede personal growth as they do to promote it.
....but a lot of this depends on how the individual is wired. Some people thrive on the conformity of belief as demanded by most religions while others cannot survive within such a restrictive environment.
posted by
gomedome
on September 14, 2006 at 2:21 PM
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But for many, it just holds them in place
posted by
SuccessWarrior
on September 14, 2006 at 2:07 PM
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SuccessWarrior and Julia. - that is how I feel about it as well
There are aspects of every individual's inner qualities that are inherent. In this regard the vehicle used to enhance or develop these already existing traits is immaterial, they will manifest themselves anyways. This however, does not suggest that growth through religious belief is not a valid means of attaining this personal growth, for some it is.
posted by
gomedome
on September 14, 2006 at 10:04 AM
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Artifact - thank you and a belated welcome to Blogit
posted by
gomedome
on September 14, 2006 at 9:56 AM
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Julia, that goes along with the thought that came to my mind as I read
Those few people that do become better people while in a religion probably would have become better people even without the religion. Religion may have been their vehicle but for these people, they would have found something in their life that gave them the boost they needed anyway.
posted by
SuccessWarrior
on September 14, 2006 at 9:49 AM
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I don't follow the religion category or discussions enough to categorize
the members the way you did. But I think inner quality has less to do with specific religious beliefs and more to do with "who they are are their core." (that's not to say that this isn't, of course, related!!). Thought provoking post.
posted by
Julia.
on September 14, 2006 at 9:43 AM
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Gome, great post
I think inner qualities and values are up to individuals to decide, not overarching belief structures.
posted by
Artifact
on September 14, 2006 at 9:38 AM
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