Wide context

Complete PICLE corpus of essays by Polish advanced EFL students (330,000)

/^t/Loss of religious faith usually brings a lack of firm context within which to operate. Such suspension leads many to concentrate on the present rather than on any future happiness. At this point people behave in different ways. The vast majority decide to fully use the charms of earthly life, often rejecting any moral obligations in their contacts with others. This translates into cynical, materialistic behavior of an egoist insensitive to other people. However, for some people the result may be quite the opposite. When one rejects religion not for convenience but on the basis of certain intellectual and phylosophical consideration the lack of need for spiritual beliefs does not have to equal enhanced egoism. On the other hand, in many cases, people realize that material bond of all the living world and consequently the need to live peacefully with others. They often open to other religions, thus gaining a broaden outlook upon the world. This gives rise to conscious altruism - behavior consistent with religious recommendations, however, not determines by church's orders and prohibitions but rather resulting from one's own free will. Thus the effects of rejecting one's beliefs may vary from extreme selfishness to magnified altruism.