果冻影院

Great question!

Bond of Union, 1974 by M.C Escher.听Image Credit:听

As a historian, I do not believe that there is evidence to support the claim that 鈥渇ollowing a religion鈥� makes one less reckless or more moral. 听But the very notion of 鈥渇ollowing a religion鈥� can exist along a very long, complicated spectrum. 听Some people, in any particular religion, may not even identify some of those among their own faith as being in the same religious community, or 鈥渇ollowing鈥� their religion.
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No doubt such an evaluation, of 鈥渞ecklessness鈥� and 鈥渕orality鈥� depends, in part, on the eye of the beholder. 听
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All sorts of horrible, inhumane acts have been perpetrated, by individuals and communities, who believed that they were driven, or behaving according to their 鈥榬eligion.鈥� 听On the other hand, individuals and communities have done remarkable things in the name of religion as well.
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Perhaps a better formulation would be: 听does respecting the religion of others, outside of oneself, make one less reckless, and more inclined to 鈥榤orality鈥�? 听In that case, I would say yes.

In the second volume of Mark Twain's (massive) three-volume authobiography (University of California Press), he has several long sections on institutional religion.听

Read this chapter 'About the Character of God, as represented in the Old and New Testaments', recommended by Michael:

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听mark.twain_.on_.god_.pdf