Donate SIGN UP

Assessing Character

Avatar Image
naomi24 | 21:29 Wed 16th Apr 2014 | Religion & Spirituality
49 Answers
Is a penchant for religion an indication of a trustworthy character?
Gravatar

Answers

21 to 40 of 49rss feed

First Previous 1 2 3 Next Last

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by naomi24. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
What would religion or lack of have anything to do with trustworthiness? What prompts such an odd question?
I once read about a study that attempted to find the answer to just such a question. If memory serves me correctly, two groups were examined: those with religious beliefs (mostly Christians, as the survey was done in the USA) and those without any religious belief. Each individual in each group were then given a lengthy questionnaire containing a number of 'moral dilemma' type questions which they were to answer privately without discussing their choices with any other member of either group. The questions posed were ones such as (off the top of my head), "You're in a shop buying some items. You hand over an amount of money and you receive too much change to the tune of $10. During the transaction the cashier was rude and dismissive of you. Do you admit to the overpayment?".

The results of the study showed that the two groups were barely indistinguishable from one another when it came to matters of honesty.

Even discounting the above study, my own experience of interacting with theists leads me to believe that they are no more honest than those who have no belief. Even on this website, when discussing matters of faith and reality with theists, some of them (naming no names) don't appear to have any qualms about concocting demonstrable lies about their own faith and what it has to 'teach' the world.
grasscarp - "What would religion or lack of have anything to do with trustworthiness? What prompts such an odd question?"

Surely you can't be so naive as to be unaware that there are a large number of theists who consider atheists to be morally inferior to themselves? For instance, in the USA, any politician who admits to being an atheist effectively kills their own career stone dead as atheists are considered untrustworthy and morally bankrupt by a huge number of god-fearing Christians. In other countries too, atheism is equated to immorality and sometimes much worse. I've recently read that in Saudi Arabia it is now a serious criminal offence - equivalent to terrorism - to promote atheism as a way of life.
I'm with Grasscarp on this. I don't see what religion has to do with trustworthiness, the same as I don't believe race, sex, sexuality or circumstances have a bearing on trustworthiness. What makes you ask the question Naomi?
-- answer removed --
-- answer removed --
Definitely not. Although religious people would probably say there was.
Question Author
Mojo-Jo-Jo , //What makes you ask the question Naomi?//

Something Beso said here:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Society-and-Culture/Religion-and-Spirituality/Question1329256-3.html

//However I have never found religion to be an indicator of a person's character.//
22:14 Wed 16th Apr 2014

It struck a chord because a highly respected Christian of my acquaintance, a veritable pillar of society, whose oft-repeated public expressions of her personal piety, humility, and self-depreciation know no bounds, is, in fact, probably the most craftily manipulative woman I’ve ever known. Mibs summed it up when he said, //Some it seems use religion as a means to cloak an even more sinister nature than those 'sins' they are all too eager to preach against, like a pack of back stabbing wolves in sheep's clothing ….//

Grasscarp, see Birdie’s response at 00:27 Thu 17th Apr 2014. I think it’s safe to say that priests, imams, etc, are generally considered to be trustworthy simply by virtue (not sure that’s the right word here!) of the position they hold.
grasscarp

it came up in one of GoodLife's threads.

Ny - the lady who wears her religion on her lapel -we would call 'pi'.
NOT a good sign to good moral character altho by her nature she would strongly dispute that. memo: give wide berth at all times
I had to work with one [ probably for being a murderer in a past life ] and and the disconnect between what he said and what he did ....
I have been scarred ! scarred !
I think the question has moved from:

"Is a penchant for religion an indication of a trustworthy character?"

To:

"Do those in a position of power seek to abuse that position?"

Which is a much fairer question and doesn't tar everyone "with faith" with the same brush.

Question Author
Peter, sadly life's circumstances make it impossible for me to give that one a wide berth at any time.
From personal experience, I have a handful of friends who are devout believers and attend church. They never broadcast it or discuss religion. Every one of them I would trust with my life.
I also know a few people who claim to be devout and broadcast it loud and often. Over time, every single one of them has been proved to be a hypocrite and I wouldn't trust them as far as I could spit.
Mrs O : Every one of them I would trust with my life.

No, I have met some pretty dim devout ROman Catholics I'm afraid.
It used to be that sexual behaviour was taken as an indication of character. However, the modern view seems to be that society has become mature enough to accept most variations of sexual behaviour without making any character assessment from them.

How long will it be until society is mature enough to accept most variations of religious belief or unbelief without making any character assessment from them?
Question Author
bert, Who knows? Perhaps when religion finally acknowledges that the vast majority of non-believers are no less morally aware than anyone else.
// What would religion or lack of have anything to do with trustworthiness? What prompts such an odd question? //

So your answer is 'no - the two things are unrelated' then. See, it's not that hard is it?

I agree with Grasscarp. I don't think they're related. IE, I don't think it's an indicator of trustworthiness or lack of it either.
I think, Bert, because the choices you make (such as religion) do give indications to your character. Not necessarily in a good or bad way, but judgements are made on the way people choose to think. Sexuality isn't a choice, so you can't judge somebody on that.
You have to admit that religion provides far more opportunities for hypocrisy than does atheism.
Judging by the reported behaviour of so many RC priests and that of some nuns and others who who supported them , the answer has got to be No!

I had a CofE vicar neighbour who at one time was responsible for the recruitment of new applicants to the priesthood. However he rejected so many as unsuitable ( over 50% ) that he was asked to explain why. He said because they were homosexual . The result was he was immediately sacked by his bishop. Or to use the bishop's words , " for health reasons he was reassigned to a less demanding role " . Something to do with allocating furniture in vicarages. I assume he was trustworthy enough to do that job.
Question Author
I think there’s a perception that those with religious leanings are usually of good character, but I don’t think it’s necessarily accurate. People are people.

21 to 40 of 49rss feed

First Previous 1 2 3 Next Last

Do you know the answer?

Assessing Character

Answer Question >>