Do theists usually lack developed character?

[ComradeMeow]

In all my time in real life and online I have noticed something about those that are deeply religious. They lack character and I can only think of few exceptions to this.
In real life I notice a variance in developed character amongst people based on the level of their religiosity. Those that are religious tend to be ill tempered, more easy to agitated, very dishonest and of course very unreasonable.

I don't know how to correlate this to religion but I notice it every time. I am not judging any of these people by their religion but instead I am reflecting back on their behavior.

I am going on a hunch though that religious comfort rends to obscure moral behavior.

...Meow

[Minimalist]

I think it is their cerebral cortex that lacks development.

[Michael]

I'm smiling at the idea that people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, G.K.Chesterton, George Whitfield, William Booth, John Wycliffe, William Wilberforce, Arthur Eddington, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Wesley and Elizabeth Fry lacked character.

[ComradeMeow]

I'm smiling at the idea that people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, G.K.Chesterton, George Whitfield, William Booth, John Wycliffe, William Wilberforce, Arthur Eddington, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Wesley and Elizabeth Fry lacked character.

Never said religion meant one lacked character. None of these people lived in an atheistic age.

But must I provide a list of the religious nuts that don't have character?

[Eel_LahjicK]

I see your point, but I could agree with you and michael here. To be fair, I've seen people of all beliefs and non-beliefs act in such a way. I think I know what you mean. They don't necessarily lack their own character, but their own morals. They believe what is told to them, instead of using their own judgment. Some people, in religion, believe they have to kill non-believers, some believe they can't have premarital sex, some believe they shouldn't eat certain animals. They wouldn't believe these things under normal circumstances, but since their book tells them this, that's what they have to do. They don't question anything. They just accept ancient scribblings of unknown authors, or non-credible authors, as proof.

[Little lunch]

I think it is their cerebral cortex that lacks development.

What about the atheists who were formerly known as x-tians?
How did their cerebral cortex develop, I wonder.

Maybe brainwashing works on all intelligence levels.
Maybe atheists are getting brainwashed into thinking they're smarter than theists?
One or two studies is all it would take. :-)

[noctalla]

Could your observations be a result of confirmation bias? Where do you encounter these theists who lack character? I ask because there may be some sort of selection bias occurring. Also, when you encounter people, could your own actions contribute to their agitation, ill-temper, and unreasonableness? Finally, what do you mean by developed character? Just because someone behaves in a manner such as you describe (displaying dishonesty and anger) doesn't mean they necessarily lack this.

[dyresand]

Imagination they are using it for fucked up ideas.

[Polaris]

Those that are religious tend to be ill tempered, more easy to agitated, (omitted) and of course very unreasonable.

I have found the same of users on this forum much more than any atheists I have ever met in public.

[Pyrrho]

In all my time in real life and online I have noticed something about those that are deeply religious. They lack character and I can only think of few exceptions to this.
In real life I notice a variance in developed character amongst people based on the level of their religiosity. Those that are religious tend to be ill tempered, more easy to agitated, very dishonest and of course very unreasonable.

I don't know how to correlate this to religion but I notice it every time.  I am not judging any of these people by their religion but instead I am reflecting back on their behavior.

I am going on a hunch though that religious comfort rends to obscure moral behavior.

...Meow

Two things.

First, your sample is biassed.  See this for what that means:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_bias

The people who you meet and encounter online may not be representative of people generally, and one often does not know of the level of religiosity of everyone one encounters, which means that you may have met many counterexamples without realizing it.


The second thing is, you seem to be contradicting yourself when you state:

"...those that are deeply religious. They lack character and I can only think of few exceptions to this."

and:

"I don't know how to correlate this to religion but I notice it every time."


Is it every time, or is it just generally the case, that the people who you encounter who you have noticed are very religious are of bad character?


Not that I expect that anyone will be convinced by this, but in my experience, I have not noticed the correlation you mention.  Some devoutly religious people I have met and know very well are of very good character, and some atheists I have known are of bad character.  And, of course, I have known some who fit your characterization as well.


While I am at it, I have not noticed a strong correlation between religion and other mental qualities, such as mathematical ability or other intellectual abilities.  (I would guess, though I admit this is just a guess, that giving a math test to devoutly religious people who are otherwise randomly selected, and giving the same test to atheists who are otherwise randomly selected, will likely show that some religious people are good at math, and some not, and some atheists are good at math, and some not.)  

Granted, religionists have one set of stupid beliefs that atheists lack, but having that one set of stupid beliefs does not always mean that many other stupid beliefs will be accepted, and also lacking one type of stupid beliefs does not prevent one from having many other stupid beliefs.  I won't bother with any examples of atheists who have really stupid beliefs, because I do not want to get into an argument with any stupid atheists at the moment.  But if you think about it logically for a moment, the lack of a belief in a god does not prevent one from believing any and every stupid belief that has nothing to do with a god.