Religious people often prefer to be right rather than compassionate. Often, they don't want to give up their egotism. They want their religion to endorse their ego, their identity.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Compassion is not a popular virtue. Very often when I talk to religious people, and mention how important it is that compassion is the key, that it's the sine-qua-non of religion, people look kind of balked, and stubborn sometimes, as much to say, what's the point of having religion if you can't disapprove of other people?
Religions have always stressed that compassion is not only central to religious life, it is the key to enlightenment and it the true test of spirituality. But there have always have been those who'd rather put easier goals, like doctrine conformity, in place.
From compassion springs humility. The ego is verily a gateway to hell. The person who is egoistic is far from being religious.
People are willing to do the most appalling things to another person for the sake of imposing a religious belief.
There are many reasons for kindness, and religion is just one of them.
Religion promotes the divine discontent within oneself, so that one tries to make oneself a better person and draw oneself closer to God.
A compassionate mind is very difficult to cultivate because compassion demands a sense of equality between all living beings.
To be compassionate is not a joke. It's not that simple. One has to discover a certain bigness in oneself. That bigness should be centered on oneself, not in terms of money, not in terms of power you wield, not in terms of any status that you can command in the society, but it should be centered on oneself.
Sympathy with nature is part of a good person's religion.
You don't need a religious background to strive for something good, for genuine compassion and love for others.