Does being religious make you a good person?

People whose actions in life are determined by a religion are often considered to
be people with high moral standards and therefore ‘good’ people. However, the
question is whether it is the religion that steers them towards being ‘good’
people, or can you be a ‘good’ person without following a religion? I will argue
that although religion can be a force for ‘good’, it can also be a force for ‘evil’, and
therefore, it is not religion that determines whether a person is ‘good’, but their
own moral compass.

Throughout history, there have been many examples of people committing evil
acts in the name of their religion, and this continues to this day. Wars have been
waged as far back as anyone can recall in the name of religion. During the
Crusades for example, Christians were responsible for many Muslim deaths in an
attempt to take control of sites that both religions considered to be sacred to
them. Christians were committing acts of violence against Muslims because they
were following the pope’s instructions, and in doing so, they thought they were
being ‘good’ people and showing total devotion to their God. However, their
barbaric acts went against their own religious rules and what today would be
considered moral acceptable behaviour. Jihad is another example of people
committing monstrosities in the name of religion. Jihad is what some Muslims call
a holy war where they feel that their way of life and faith is being attacked by
other societies. As a result, some Muslim communities have committed
horrendous acts of violence such as the 9/11 attacks and other heinous terrorist
crimes (beheadings, bombings, kidnappings, torture, etc.), and have justified it by
quoting the ‘word of God’. Nevertheless, the majority of Muslims disagree with
this interpretation of the Qur’an, and feel that when it talks about Jihad it is
referring to personal struggles. They do not believe that committing these acts is
justified by their religion and that the Qur’an is being misinterpreted. So,
although the terrorists would consider themselves to be ‘good’ in the sense that
they believe they are following God and God’s teachings, their acts would not be
considered moral and therefore ‘good’ by most people’s standards.

Religion can also be responsible for views that may harm innocent people. For
example, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that their religion allows blood
transfusions. In specific cases, people have refused treatment for themselves or
their children resulting in avoidable deaths. Again, although these decisions are
taken in the name of religion with the intention of being ‘good’ faithful people, I
believe that it is misguided. Allowing anyone to die if it is avoidable is wrong. In
the same way, society has often discriminated against certain groups of people
because they consider that their behaviour goes against their religious beliefs and
therefore shouldn’t be permitted. As a result, these people can feel excluded from
society and, in more extreme cases, can be abused and harmed. An example of
this would be the treatment of homosexuals and single mothers in the past in
Western countries. Treating people like this is not an example of ‘good’ behaviour,
even if done in the name of religion.

Despite all of the examples of monstrosities that have been committed in the
name of religion, if you follow the rules given to you by your religion the way they
were intended, it can help you become a better person. These rules were
intended as guidance to help people make the correct moral choice and protect
society. For example, in Judaism, the eating of shell fish was originally banned
because it wasn’t safe to eat, and you could come to harm. The rules just made it
easier to follow and keep people safe. Another example is the first of the ten
commandments in Christianity: thou shall not kill. This commandment is in place
to protect people and society as a whole, so nobody comes to harm. It guides
Christians and gives them rules to follow to become ‘good’ people.

In conclusion, being religious isn’t the deciding factor in whether you are a ‘good’
person or not. What really matters is the moral stance you adopt and your
treatment of others. You can be a misguided religious person behaving in an
immoral way, and you can be a non-religious person who behaves towards others
in a kind and caring way with a high moral standard. Religion can lead to being a
‘good’ person depending on the interpretation of the teachings, but it is not a
given.