Does your belief system make you nicer

Satanus

Or, does your nature help determine the belief system that you choose?

If you lose your belief system, do you become worse, better, stay the same, happier, sadder?

Is it better to have a system imposed on you in order to control you, or is it better to be yourself?

What about kids, do they need an invisible policeman (god) to keep them scared of doing wrong?

Is it better for parents to explain things, and for kids to learn things for themselves?

S

FlyingHighNow

I'm nice because I am nice. What I believe does inspire me to be even kinder. I wish that all parents would choose a belief system that inspires kindness and tolerance.

WTWizard

I think ultimately it is your experiences. Regardless of one's belief system, if one runs into a Godblock every time they need something, it is going to make that person bitter. It is even worse if those Godblocks go counter to what their God teaches them to believe.

And a belief system that is forced on one is not going to produce good fruitages. At best, the person will see it as true and accept it. More likely, it will be seen as the scam that it actually is, and the person forced into it will have the bitterness of having been forced into it added on top of that from being scammed. A volitionally accepted belief system, however, can be modified or ditched if proven wrong and the person can move on.

But, nothing substitutes for having the ability to actually experience fulfillment. If that is granted without excess waiting, stalling, or attenuation, the person will come to expect good things, and associate any God with good things. On the other hand, if there is too much waiting and attenuation, or if God continually disrupts and fxxxs up the delivery, that person is going to get pxxxed at the existence of God and decide that God is a jerk regardless of initial belief.

hmike

Maybe we have to ask, "What's the purpose of a belief system?"

Satanus

Flyin

I knew that:)

WTW

Good points.

Hmike

The purpose id the explain the phenomenal world and to bring order.

S

Gopher

If a belief system makes people more kind, it's artificially induced due to hope of a reward or fear of a punishment.

Good people are good whether they are believers, agnostic or atheist.

Satanus

Gopher

W jws and christians, there is always the hope that those they help would come to be jw or christian. It's something they think they are supposed to do. 'Course, some people help just out of their nature.

S

Gopher

Satanus -- very true.

I prefer to help people without having ulterior motives (such as conversion). However, I do have a somewhat selfish motive in that by contributing to the overall goodness of my environment, I will benefit from living in a better environment (i.e. people may, if I'm fortunate, wish to treat me with the same kindness they received from me or from someone else). But I don't think that's a bad form of selfishness.

changeling

Interesting questions.

As I've posted before, I enjoy personality profiling based on the theories of Carl Jung and Myers/Briggs. I think they were right in saying that personality is set at birth.

That being said, outside influences, like a belief system, do have an impact on one's personality. But the core personality is set. The natural inclination to be nice or arrogant, to be quiet or outgoing, to play it safe or be a risk taker, to be detail oriented or a "big picture person", to conform to rules or break them...these things shine through regardless of beliefs imposed on us through life.

If as a JW you were kind and thoughtful, you will be so when you leave. On the other hand, an asshole is always an asshole.

If interested take the test at humanmetrics.com.

changeling

llbh

When I was in the wts i hate to admit i became a bit of an MCP and of that i am really really ashamed I now how finely tuned antennae to pick up prejudices of any kind.

So in answer to you question i am a better person for leaving the wts and returning to my former core beliefs yes. My values make me a better person and these are only mildly influenced by any beliefs i have

regards llbh

Does your belief system make you nicer

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