How do religions inspire people to be good?

[ApeNotKillApe]

You're correct. So religion can cause psychopaths to behave as if they cared about other people, even though they don't.

I suppose what I was thinking of in the OP is how can religion change someone so that they want to do good things just because they are good things, and not just because their religions tells them to? I feel some theists have implied in other threads that this happens. And I don't get how or why.

You want an instance of someone who acted on their beliefs without their beliefs factoring into their actions.

Religion provides context, that context provides faith - hope - that their efforts will be rewarded, that their struggles aren't in vain, that 'something' appreciates them, is looking out for them. The promise of reward factors in by the nature of it; it's up to the individual to act on that information. It can motivate people to do suicidally reckless things, whether it's walking into a warzone to give vaccines to children, flying a plane into a skyscraper, or tightrope-walking over the Grand Canyon. Yes, seriously.

Can it "change" people? I don't even know what that means. What does it matter if they look forward to a reward in the end? As far as I'm aware, the jury is still out on whether or not altruism even exists, even can exist. Your motives don't justify your actions, your actions speak for themselves. If some couple dedicates their lives to adopting and caring for disabled orphans, what the fuck do I care if they expect a post-mortem gift basket from the cosmic person? It's irrelevant to me.

I suppose they could see one of their religious characters as a good role model, and it could make them re-assess what kind of person they are. But then that's not really a religious thing, it's just being inspired by a good person.

I think you're splitting hairs. If that figure is a figure of the person's religious adherence, then they are a religious figure. If not, then not.