The question of whether nonbelievers act worse than believers is ambiguous, and the provided materials demonstrate that there are arguments both in favor of and against such a claim.

Dual Perspectives on Moral Behavior

The question of whether nonbelievers act worse than believers is ambiguous, and the provided materials demonstrate that there are arguments both in favor of and against such a claim.

On one hand, examples are presented where it is argued that the absence of faith may be accompanied by a lack of moral constraints or inner direction, leading to actions that are considered morally inferior.

For instance, one passage recounts a personal story in which the author asks, “Where can one find even one good nonbeliever?

” and concludes that “this is not her private peculiarity; it is the peculiarity of every nonbeliever” (source: link txt). Another text asserts that “living without God, a person usually becomes progressively worse, more gloomy, nastier, more envious, cultivating evil within themselves” (source: link txt). Here, the emphasis is on the idea that the absence of a spiritual core may lead to a gradual decline in moral standards.

On the other hand, there are also arguments supporting the notion that a person’s moral qualities do not necessarily depend on their religious beliefs. For example, in one account the author remarks, “My agnostic and atheist friends are indistinguishable from my openly religious friends in terms of honesty, generosity, decency, and loyalty—or their opposites” (source: link txt). This suggests that people who do not profess faith can possess high moral standards and act for the benefit of others.

Thus, it is impossible to unequivocally assert that nonbelievers act worse than believers. On one side, there are opinions linking the absence of faith to a deterioration of moral values and a propensity for selfish or immoral behavior, while on the other, there are counterexamples showing that personal traits such as honesty and decency are not dependent on religious affiliation.

Supporting citation(s):
"I remember a debate with an old acquaintance of mine that took place when I had just come to faith. ... And this is not her private peculiarity; it is the peculiarity of every nonbeliever." (source: link txt)

"My agnostic and atheist friends are indistinguishable from my openly religious friends in terms of honesty, generosity, decency, and loyalty—or their opposites." (source: link txt)

"Living without God, a person usually becomes progressively worse, more gloomy, nastier, more envious, cultivating evil within themselves..." (source: link txt)

These different approaches reflect the complexity of the issue, and the final conclusion depends on one’s specific understanding of what constitutes "worse" actions, as well as on personal experience and the manner in which the influence of spiritual beliefs on human behavior is evaluated.