Faith

When I meet someone who is an outstanding human but practices a
religion, I can't help but think they're too good a person to be a <enter religous affiliation here>
.

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9 responses
Does this mean you don't believe in religion or ...?
— Debonair
More that I don't believe in the need to believe in a religion -- if that makes sense. I think people would be happier and better people if they let the power of reason and empathy dictate their beliefs.
— Mark Rampton
The first sentence didn't register...well, I grew up in a pretentious religious setting, because Dad loved his beer...and Mum just wanted to be Mum...and was parenting by the book...so i always say i got an overdose of religion...and now, am slowly losing it...a pal once told me religion is for the poor...i think religion is mis-leading!
— Debonair
When I meet someone who is an outstanding human but does not have faith, I can't help but think they're too good a person to be an atheist. (I think I hear this version more often)
— S-A-N-N-Y
Yah, I was attempting to convey the opposite -- that I actually feel it's a GOOD sign when someone is an atheist or agnostic. Obviously this doesn't always hold true, but I'd say the kindest and most moral people I've known have more often than not been atheist; and I suspect I'll always feel like anyone who's theist has that as a mark against them (my own form of prejudice I suppose).
— Mark Rampton
It is true that religious people often have poor reasons for believing what they believe.

I would enjoy it very much if you would pre-judge me for my religion. I highly value reason and I think it is evidence of compromised principles on both sides if we all jump to these kinds of conclusions.

— Anthony Martin
I'm not saying anyone is a terrible person for not being an atheist -- just that it makes me a little sad to meet great/wonderful people who aren't. I honestly believe the vast majority of the population would feel better about life without religion. The irony is of course: my christian friends feel _exactly_ the opposite; this is what I hoped to convey.
— Mark Rampton
For the notion, "I feel better about life with/without religion," maybe correlation is not necessarily causation.

e.g.: Viet Nam War ended, then I was born.

— Anthony Martin
Good point -- I think it has to be up to the individual and only with context in mind.

Obviously if your statement was reversed, it changes everything: Viet Nam War started, then I died. 

If you died in Viet Nam (as opposed to somewhere else), chances for the war causing it are pretty good.  For me, with religion, I always felt a hypocrite.  I knew the gospel of the church, I had read the scriptures, prayed as I was told and desired to.  But I never felt honest doing so and this lack of honesty on part of my convictions made me feel over burdened and cumbersome. Stripping away religion from my life brought about self realization and a feeling of lithe completeness.  I went about living a moral and just life, just as before, but felt good and honest now whereas before I felt a fraud. 

This isn't the way for everyone, obviously.  I have friends who traversed the opposite route -- from non-religion to religion and they swear they're happier by it.  I guess I have to believe they are.
— Mark Rampton