Religion can magnify your personality, and sence most cherry pick the religion to suit them, they use this to back up and conferm how they want to act. If your a loving nice person youll most likely find the good in religion and use it to magnify your own personality. (give to needy, lend a hand, whatever) On the other side of the coin it can be used to do harm. (kill, enslave, or just be a hatefull dick) there are verses to support both. But it takes religion to make a good person do bad/evil shit.....

@BP and CP I'm sorry that you were treated that way by your individual churches in my opinion they should have contacted you to find out why you made the decision you did. I do have a question though why did you want them to contact you, if it were me I would not have wanted them to but then that's me. What would you have done if they had contacted you, from the way you talk about them and other christians it seems to me that would have been a very confrontational conversation from both sides and maybe that was what they wanted to avoid. I have a hard time understanding why you would want people to contact you when you had rejected what they really believe, I certainly do not know why they did not contact you but maybe they were hurt by your decision. I would have been and I believe I would have contacted you to try and understand your decision.

lets see..
Usama bin laden.... Religious
George Bush(s)..... Religious
Hassan-i Sabbah(leader of hassassins).... Not sure but effectively used religion
Benedict XVI.... Religious
Muhammad...... Not sure but looks like one.
Benyamin Netanyahu..... Religious
Ayatollah Humeyni..... Religious

It seems like every asshole ever lived was religious... So the answer is NO.

(August 31, 2010 at 11:55 pm)annatar Wrote: lets see..
Usama bin laden.... Religious
George Bush(s)..... Religious
Hassan-i Sabbah(leader of hassassins).... Not sure but effectively used religion
Benedict XVI.... Religious
Muhammad...... Not sure but looks like one.
Benyamin Netanyahu..... Religious
Ayatollah Humeyni..... Religious

It seems like every asshole ever lived was religious... So the answer is NO.

Seems you forgot the big one

HITLER ... I know some morons say he was an Atheist but that is simply not true the book he published HE clearly is religious and says it himself.. in his book he even put in there he was doing the lords work...... Clearly this list of peeps used the text to back up thier own ajenda..

Anyone I hate more than an asshole is a racist asshole You are right how could I forgot him...
And that moron was almost fulfilling one of the prophecies of muslims.(and I guess christians too..)
I also forgot Saddam Husayin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad..
EDIT: And Recep Tayyip Erdogan (our dear primeminister)
This list goes on forever I guess...

GodChild, I got that idea from a preist when I was religious. Religious is suppose to make you nice, a decent person.. to live by a non-existant god's love, laws and his church...Just like I mentioned earlier in the catholic church you can't marry a none-catholic and a pastor told me that you can't marry a nonbeliever, it is a sin. Anyways, so religion doesn't make you nice, I just gives you a purpose to believe in something instead that didn't pre-exist. Though my impression of religious people that they were suppose to be nice, wich is mis construed

Bull Poopie

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I agree annatar and Xyster,better put than me. You forgot the catholic church. (More and more preist are coming out of the closet about abusing children but then that comes with character, as well ) I suppose it really depends on the character of the person and sadly so alot of religious people characters are poor, I am not saying all but some. Religion doesn't make you nice.


Bull Poopie.

"Science has therefore been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man's ethical behaviour should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." (Albert Einstein)

@Godschild if a shepherd lost a sheep would he just let it go without wondering what happened to it or at least try to recover it? I think that it was at least the pastors duty to try and find out why I had left the church and or at least try to convince me to come back. That should have been in my opinion his primary concern, also I don't think that our religious beliefs or lack thereof should stand in the way of friendships as long as there is mutual respect for each others beliefs or lack thereof when you are in each others presence.

4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.7I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Luke 15:4-7

This parable was the response that Jesus gave the Pharisees and the Scribes when they were bitching about him eating with sinners.

Does religion make a person 'nice'?

What do you mean "nice"?

Personable? No

Caring? Fuck no

Tolerant? Oh please.

Smarmy? Sometimes, it seems to, especially with some slimy clergy.

Sanctimonious (see Smarmy)

In principle a person may be any and all of those things ,or none AND be religious. Religion does not create personality or character. It's like alcohol,it allows what's inside to come out.


Same things apply to atheists.

(September 1, 2010 at 1:54 am)padraic Wrote: Same things apply to atheists.

I'm glad you added that bit