Which religious group would you trust the most?

[amish rob]

Unrelated, but totally weird, to me.

When I was younger, I remember Dianetics ads on teevee.

Now, that’s like a religion.

Ummm...

Peace,
Thetan

[TomF]

Amish. You trustworthy? Or is it just an Imperial Hoax.

[amish rob]

Amish. You trustworthy? Or is it just an Imperial Hoax.

Not at all. I am a complete scumbag.

Anytime I’m in Amish country, though, they talk to me, until they find out I’m English. Hahaha.

Religion? Yeah, there’s only one, and it’s one thing I’ve studied. I say there’s only one, because, in essence, there is. I like to chase the story backward.

Eventually, if you go back, you get to a time when we were all one clan.

And, none of us have a flipping clue. Even science can only see so far back, and must rely on so much conjecture.

One day, I’ll stop being me, and it won’t matter any more.

Peace,
One

[John Smith]

There is some underlying belief that religion makes one moral. I see no evidence to support that belief.

That belief implies those who have no religious beliefs have no morals, and I see no evidence to support that.

"GOOD" I'd be inclined to define as some sort of helping hand to one who needs it, and that person is a little bit better off than he was before.

Thread title addresses 'groups', and religion is another way in which humans divide themselves into groups, and anything that divides people into groups seems to provide justification for thinking other groups are inferior.

[David G]

While the original link doesn't work, I'd say that lumping 'Muslims' into one category is spactuarly silly. There are something like 1.8 billion people that are at least nominal Muslims, and the various divisions within the religion vary at least as much as do Christians. They have murderous fanatics, old-time fundamentalists, traditionalists who seem to have gotten stuck in the 11th century, reformers, mainline middling groups, very modern tolerant folks, and some who are as enlightened and reasonable as any Quaker.

Most, not all.

I, too, would find a finer mesh more useful and interesting.

[amish rob]

There is some underlying belief that religion makes one moral. I see no evidence to support that belief.

That belief implies those who have no religious beliefs have no morals, and I see no evidence to support that.

"GOOD" I'd be inclined to define as some sort of helping hand to one who needs it, and that person is a little bit better off than he was before.

Thread title addresses 'groups', and religion is another way in which humans divide themselves into groups, and anything that divides people into groups seems to provide justification for thinking other groups are inferior.

You should really meet some Sikhs.

Peace,
Robert

[Paul Pless]

pastafarians did not make the list?

[David G]

I would trust a Unitarian, but would not necessarily ask that person for directions...

Jeff C

A canard. <G>

My sweetie is a UU minister, so I've known more than a few, and been a member of a few congregations along the way.

As an aside - my sweetie says I'm probably more of a Druid than anything else... and I notice, as a Druid-sympathizer, that we are not included on the list. <G>

I'd trust the UU's. High on the scale. The only issue? They tend to be an upper-middle-class (and above) sort of mob. As such, they are sometimes clueless as to realities of life in the lower ranges. Well-intentioned... but clueless. And they occasionally have difficulty modulating their Political Correctness.

As far as Quakers... I worked with a number of them during my years organizing against the Vietnam War. The ones I knew had a superlative level of moral compass, alongside a very strong vein of practicality. And grit. And stamina. They were calm and centered. Also high on the scale, for me.

[stromborg]

pastafarians did not make the list?

Nor did wiccans

[Paul Pless]

would you trust an avowed satanist?

THERE ARE SEVEN FUNDAMENTAL TENETS.


One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.
Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.
People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

[leikec]

would you trust an avowed satanist?

The devil is in the details...

Jeff C

[leikec]

What's great for spiritual tolerance might not be as great for getting quickly to Toledo...

Got to get to the Mud Hens game on time...

Jeff C

[Paul Pless]

before or after tony packos?

[leikec]

before or after tony packos?

After. That way I can eat more junk food at the game...

Jeff C

[Paul Pless]

they actually sell tony packos at the game now
and there is a tony packos bar/pub the street from the entrance

[Paul Pless]

the outfield picnic tables are a cool feature

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Never trust anyone who doesn't drink coffee.

[CK 17]

Here's what New Zealanders think.

https://lep.net.nz/contact/

Just in case you don't feel like looking at the linked data, Evangelical Christians are right at the bottom, least trusted, Buddhists at the top, Catholics, Muslims, and Protestants in the middle.

John Welsford

Episcopalians: where there are 4 gathered, there’s always a 5th.

[John of Phoenix]

I've seen enough of man made religion to turn me away from it entirely.

Vietnam - Catholics killing Buddhists

Iran - Muslims killing Muslims

USA - Christians killing everyone

[John of Phoenix]

Was that your cop out alvin? A religious chicken-hawk?

[john welsford]

Never met a Sikh I didn't like, they seem to live by decent principles.

I work in factories repairing and maintaining woodworking machinery as a part time second job. My excuse is that it pays very well. But it also means that I get social contact, I live alone and thats important to me. Of all the people that I get to work with, the Sikh are the most consistently hospitable, I'll be working elbows deep in a machine, parts everywhere, and they'll come over, ask if an extra pair of hands would be helpful, and would I like a tea or coffee.
Its a pleasure working in their factories, not so in many other places. Consistently not in places where the owner or manager introduces themselves as being "born again Christian". When I meet those I feel that I need to count my fingers after the usual to them overly enthusiastic hand shake.
They're generally the ones who try and rip me off on the bill as well. They're not good adverts for their faith.

John Welsford

[John Smith]

I knew a lot of libs that got religion when they wanted out of the draft, when the VN war was over they became backsliders fast.

You mean they lied?

[Rich Jones]

Episcopalians: where there are 4 gathered, there’s always a 5th.

An old joke going back to the days when the typical Episcopalian was white, conservative and upper class. Not that we don't enjoy a drink now and then, but it is no longer the country club religion of yesteryear.

[birlinn]

I knew a lot of libs that got religion when they wanted out of the draft, when the VN war was over they became backsliders fast.

Religeon? I believe bone spurs works far better as an excuse.

[johnw]

The sophistry they engage in, to work around their own rules, is a bit amusing. Landline in the house, verboten. Landline to a little phone booth outside the house, OK. Cellphone anywhere? That's fine, as it has no "connection" to the outside world - or some bollocks like that.

Pete

None of this has anything to do with Quakers. My sister is a Quaker, and I've attended their meetings. I believe you are thinking of the Amish.

[johnw]

It's not about trust, but here's a Pew survey of how warmly people feel about different religions:

Ratings of religious groups vary more widely among older than younger Americans


Very different views depending on the generation. Personally, I'm more in accord with the New Zealanders.

[birlinn]

In the 2012 Democrat convention Democrats booed God, they only pushed it though because they needed Christian votes being the hypocrites they are, all that is dispensed with now as Democrats level believers , bigots, idiots, crazy. Now Democrats wonder why they are losing. The candidates don't even try to pull off a facade of going to church like Obama and Clinton.

Candidates, or Trump, bobbys.

[John Smith]

In the 2012 Democrat convention Democrats booed God, they only pushed it though because they needed Christian votes being the hypocrites they are, all that is dispensed with now as Democrats level believers , bigots, idiots, crazy. Now Democrats wonder why they are losing. The candidates don't even try to pull off a facade of going to church like Obama and Clinton.

I thought the dems did rather well in '18

[paulf]

I trust Agnostics.

[Andrew2]

My BIL is a quaker and my sister, bought up a Catholic, helped out with their activaties, until she found that several of them were not aimed at being 'nice' to others.
Personally, having been schooled on the RC faith and realising than non of the man promoted religions have any substance, I go back to being nice to my fellow man (OK women too) It is the least that you can do.

[TomF]

I trust Agnostics.

Hmm. Not sure ...

[David G]

Hmm. Not sure ...

Oh... DO be decisive, won't you? Is it maybe... or maybe not???

[Chip-skiff]

When a religion (people who are crazy enough to believe that god tells them what to do) and government are allied, bad things take place.

Look at the Buddhist majority in Myanmar, and their ongoing genocide of the Muslim Rohingya.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohingya_genocide

[paulf]

Hmm. Not sure ...

At least they don't burn question marks on peoples lawns!

[paulf]

Oh... DO be decisive, won't you? Is it maybe... or maybe not???

No, It's "I don't know."

I'm 99.9999% sure there is no all seeing God, however I have no scientific proof. That's where the 0.0001% comes from, but it's looking pretty sure. And I'd take that bet.

You should hear the arguments my religious associates put forth...yikes, then it turns to how I will be tortured by their loving God, forever no less.