Toootally reasonably with a heavy dose of critical thinking, as one may expect
I imagine they do what any selfish person would do: find a way to get what they want. If they are bound by religious rules that prevent them from stealing or lying, they’ll figure out a way to manipulate others to get what they want. One popular way among manipulators is to trigger a sense of guilt or obligation, then present as a victim. The victim of the manipulator will do something to address their discomfort. Seeing the manipulator presenting as a victim, the manipulator would likely be the recipient of behaviors meant to relieve the true victim’s emotions.
Example
Manipulator: I have fallen on such horrible times and need things. I’m hoping someone in our religious community listens to the guidance in our religion that directs us to help each other in times of need. Lucky for you, you don’t have to worry about that, right? I’m so happy it’s just me and not someone else. I would be so distraught if you fell on hard times.
Victim: Oh yeah, I’m lucky. Since I’m in such a good position, I will give you things.
- When people give them money or things: “oh thanks to the god(s)”
- when nothing is given: “there is so much evil in the world”; or “the gods never give us a challenge we can’t overcome”
I think your question makes a lot of assumptions that prevent it from being answered in a meaningful way. Are you asking what a hypothetical person’s religion says that person should do if they’re not given the material help that they ask for?
Do you believe a sefish person’s religious affirmations truly alter what their nature inclines them to do?
Yes, but once again I can tell that you’re making some assumptions that are preventing any sort of meaningful conversation.
What do you mean by “selfish person”? Everyone I’ve met is selfish to some degree.
If a person claims to follow a religion, but doesn’t follow that religion’s teachings, are they actually following the religion?
I live in Muslim majority thats is impoverished. A large part of islam comes in the form of promises for the after life. when i was still question my faith, a line my mom would use to convince and herself out of doubt was that Western countries who are mainly non-Muslim are rich while Majority Muslim are poor therefore we are the victims and thus are in the right.
Leaving out the fact that alot of Muslims countries are rich then most of the world, it falls into the narrative of this all of being an ultimately test. Add that fact that prayer are really a coin. it means most don’t expect prayers to work im the first
but also depends on what you mean by selfish. i would say my cousin is selfish since he spends most of his parents money on himself with no regard for thier financial situation to point where they have to hid the money from him, yet is more regions than your average Muslim
