(September 5, 2015 at 2:30 pm)Lemonvariable72 Wrote: ... So yes I think that most Christians are decent people because for 90% of their lives they really use the same moral systems we use and largely ignore their religion the 10% that they use the religion that is truly horrorifying as that is what leads to things like Catholics donating to support pedo priests and opposition to gay marriage. But they don't do it because they are evil, but misguided into thinking evil is actually good. ...
Doing evil crap 10% of the time is something that would automatically get me to not call someone "decent." If we call everyone "decent" who intends to do good, but is "misguided into thinking evil is actually good," we will end up saying that many white supremacists and members of the KKK are decent people, too. I do not think that is a good use of the term "decent."
Perhaps it is just a difference in terminology, as we agree that religion is a corrupting influence on morality.
As for the idea that anyone can be wrong and anyone can be misled, that is true, but one does not need any extra help being corrupted by religion. One can make more than enough mistakes without it.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
