The nature of the sin of "pride" is certainly not referring to a good feeling about onself but a gloating over other people's weakness or misfortune, with the attitude of reducing others status making them as lesser persons.

It is the backbiting that pervades the office coffee machine about stupid, arrogant work colleagues. The opposite of pride is humility and that means caring for a weaker person, of esteeming others achievements and serving others in an endeavour to lift their status. Take a personal interest in the stupid and assist them to develop better social skills, that also includes the gossip at the coffee machine, and the negative poster "on line self opinionated".

I am a Christian and am proud of the teachings my Church has given over the years. That means I am self assured when I see others achievements, I know I am accepted and forgiven by others for my weaknesses. They encourage me to be a better person and remind me failure is not final. "You have what it takes"!

Yet Another debate on religion albeit the seven deadly sins.

I thought "Where are you Fractelle?" but towards the end I wasn't disappointed. As I have said before on OLO, you always get to the heart of the matter with a very balanced and articulated prose and I really enjoy the logic behind your arguments.

It has been said here and in previous posts that we atheists try to persuade the devout believers in our midst to adopt or just see our point of view. This may be true, but we generally try and do it through logic and example, whereas the theists spend more time I feel, from pulpit to door knocking quoting their written books. Perhaps they forget that we regard all this written word (apart from some of the philosophy behind it} as absurd and not the word of of some deity. This gap will never be bridged I fear.

Pelican writes

'This is not to take away from those religious folk who do live good lives (do no harm) just as those who achieve the same through other means and spiritual values.'

Sure does make us feel comfortable in our self righteousness when we feel that our good outweighs our greed. Your observations on greed are spot on. Your answer could not be further from the truth.

runner
I have never assumed you were anything but comfortable in your self righteousness. You are continually telling us how much better you are than anyonelse who does not share your philosophy.

As for greed, are you uncomfortable with the fact that there are people who are not greedy who do not believe in God. I am not sure of your meaning.

Ah yes, it's the many Christians who
like to 'talk the talk, but fail to
walk-the-walk.'

The rest of the human race simply has
faults!

Foxy, I would expand that comment to read -it's the many Christians and proponents of many other religions, who like to 'talk the talk, but fail to walk-the-walk'!

As usual, these sort of religious discussions end up with some contributors (come in runner!) angrily swatting all the other apparently annoying contributors who fail to believe in the fairytales told by the bible.

Surely everyone has met some very good, caring people with a strong moral countenance who are very religious, as well as others who are not religious? Goodness does not always follow a religion.