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I welcome the general trend behind this, but I think that we are also losing something valuable with the general de-religioning of the US. I often volunteer wi

I welcome the general trend behind this, but I think that we are also losing something valuable with the general de-religioning of the US. I often volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and I find that the (majority religious) people there are kind, generous, and overall awesome people. I ascribe a lot of this to their religious convictions. It's also possible though that I'm getting a selection bias of the kindest Christians who are the type that not only go to church but go volunteer with Habitat because the church is doing it- but I do think that the church is a positive influence on them and the community. I also think that there are relatively few institutions that promote virtuous, pro-social behavior with the effective and long-term viewpoint that a church can. I wish that there were more community organizations starting up that acted in a similar capacity to churches, to come fill in their shoes. Less focus on shaming outgroups and more focus on personal development and community.

jcranberry 9y ago
I think the "de-religioning" is a symptom, not a cause, and that the disease itself is a widespread decay of a sort old-America style of empathy. I also think that religious people are not immune to this kind of thing, unfortunately.
zzalpha 9y ago
It's also possible though that I'm getting a selection bias of the kindest Christians who are the type that not only go to church but go volunteer with Habitat because the church is doing it Yes. You are. I also think that there are relatively few institutions that promote virtuous, pro-social behavior with the effective and long-term viewpoint that a church can. You mean, aside from, you know, the family unit, schools, the boy and girl scouts (yes, I realize there's a light religious component to those organizations but they are not, themselves, religious institutions), secular charity organizations... Frankly, being blunt, your entire comment reeks of bias against atheists... which shouldn't be too surprising. In the US, atheists and rapists are seen as equally trustworthy. The idea that a secular society can't "promote virtuous, pro-social behavior with the effective and long-term viewpoint" is patently absurd. And that religion unquestionably does so is equally absurd. It's ironic, as Canada and Europe are far less religious than the US, yet far more "virtuous", providing far more in terms of support for the poor, the elderly, and the family unit, among other things. But yes... religion, clearly that's the way to build a virtuous society...

jcranberry 9y ago

I think the "de-religioning" is a symptom, not a cause, and that the disease itself is a widespread decay of a sort old-America style of empathy. I also think that religious people are not immune to this kind of thing, unfortunately.

zzalpha 9y ago

It's also possible though that I'm getting a selection bias of the kindest Christians who are the type that not only go to church but go volunteer with Habitat because the church is doing it Yes. You are. I also think that there are relatively few institutions that promote virtuous, pro-social behavior with the effective and long-term viewpoint that a church can. You mean, aside from, you know, the family unit, schools, the boy and girl scouts (yes, I realize there's a light religious component to those organizations but they are not, themselves, religious institutions), secular charity organizations... Frankly, being blunt, your entire comment reeks of bias against atheists... which shouldn't be too surprising. In the US, atheists and rapists are seen as equally trustworthy. The idea that a secular society can't "promote virtuous, pro-social behavior with the effective and long-term viewpoint" is patently absurd. And that religion unquestionably does so is equally absurd. It's ironic, as Canada and Europe are far less religious than the US, yet far more "virtuous", providing far more in terms of support for the poor, the elderly, and the family unit, among other things. But yes... religion, clearly that's the way to build a virtuous society...