Well what is 'religion' and what is a 'better person'?
I think that adherence to some principle (call it a religion if you will) beyond one's self, particularly the emotional response of the moment, generally tends to make people better even when that principle is wildly flawed. I think the submission of one's will pulls people back from the sort of individualistic abyss characteristic of modern society. I also think that in order to fully appreciate a principle, it is usually necessary to suffer for it. And principles are not simply entities that live in some abstract ideal world but directives about how we make every decision and treat every interaction with every other person we encounter throughout the world. And it's more than simply changing actions; it's an interior conversion of will. These sorts of things help to build virtue and help us to better exemplify the nature of our personhood (i.e. become better people).
Spot on. That was really well written.
I think any person of any religion is made better by the experience.
However, the exception is business people who use religion.
The most crooked and evil people i have met in business claimed strong religious belief.
Ideology is one thing, but "direct funds transfer" bends the moral compass quite easily.
