Does spirituality breed humility? If so, in what ways does this appear? If not, does it breed pride? How so?

Answer 1

Spirituality breeds both, because both in themselves human qualities. There is a time for pride and a time for humility, so there is no contradiction with the presence of both.

Answer 2

I think it depends on the individual, if you're talking about religion. People who would have had humility without religion, will have humility with it. People who would have been full of self-pride without religion, will find in religion another source of self-pride.

I think if you're talking about true spirituality, people are more likely to develop humility and less likely to develop pride, but I would not swear that this is 100% true.

Answer 3

Much of that is dependent on the religion, and the individual should always be seen with fresh eyes. However, I've found that it breeds pride.

Your faith will naturally say that you have found the only right beliefs, that you are the True Believers, that you get all the good stuff. Everyone else is wrong, or confused, and must be stupid to not realize how great your faith is.

Many religions preach humility but it rarely works.

Answer 4

In honesty, I think it depends on the individual. Some people seem too proud to be so humble and feel so chosen of God and that other people just can't be as close to God as they are. On the other hand, some people are constantly feeling like they are inadequate and never quite worthy or that they have never quite done enough. If they pray 30 minutes a day, they feel guilty that they didn't pray an hour. If they fast one day in prayer and bible study, they feel they should have fasted three days.

Some extremely spiritual people are prone to anorexia due to their feelings of never being quite good enough. Others feel they can do whatever they want and God will forgive them. And then again, there are a few people who manage to keep all that in balance but those are the minority.

From my observation, most people are either arrogant in their relationship with God and think they can do anything and God will forgive them and everyone else is going to hell....or they are constantly beating themselves up and seem addicted to the phrase "I'm sorry" even when they didn't do anything. The people who are always calling to say they are sorry for offending me for do absolutely nothing to be offensive are the ones who are anorexic and obviously have severe eating and mental disorders.

Religion makes my head spin as most people seem to be in one of those two extremes. The balanced people, I have no problem with.

Answer 5

Spirituality breeds humility, religion does not. The humility of Gandhi, mother Tresa, St Frances etc. compare with the south Evangelists etc. Who is full of human spirit and who is full of pomposity.