What is required to be a genuine religious and--or spiritual individual?

 

Of my discernment of my life experience, all that is truly helpful should be known about (in good timing) whether it's from a person self-identifying as an atheist and giving a huge smiling grin about Comicon next year or the recovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

 

One of the most critically important things I've come to know in relating peacefully and productively with people of all worldviews is that we should remain amenable to questioning what may be a belief of ours if challenged by anyone with sincerity, even if angrily.

 

This would be meek for one and guaranteed to be somehow educational for two of my experience of this happening every time I was humble enough about my views to be willing to learn (even though I was rather sure I was overall more knowing than many people about important matters).

It is by this approach that I've picked up on clues and tidbits that might have otherwise passed me by.

 

Much of this site is due to my curiosity and inquisitiveness in this way.

 

"Maybe this person will listen to God well and really share something."

 

If we each adopt an attitude like this towards one another we could learn and grow far more expediently.

I've seen too much of the opposite, staunch, haughty, pretentious disbelief and arrogant "throwing out the baby with the bath water".

 

However, I've been unknowingly guilty of this too, foisting my beliefs as if understanding unto people at various times in my life.

 

From a friend named Alex on behalf of Catholicism, "humility is the mother of all virtues".