Religious people aren't the same as their religions, and belief without moral action is empty. The speaker argues that if religious people don't strive to be better than the irreligious, what's the point of faith at all.
Don't confuse Catholics with Catholicism. Don't confuse Christians with Christianity, because there are a lot of unimpressive people who seem to be religious, but they're failures in more significant moral sphere. Faith without works is dead. Exactly. It's meaningless. You have the faith, but you don't have the works. And by the way, it doesn't mean you're only perfect. There are a lot of so-called religious people, or seemingly religious people, who are not good folks. But a lot of people judge religious people unfairly so that if they find one moral failing in the religious person, completely dismissed. Hypocrite, phony, uh, the religion's useless. That's not fair either. Religious people struggle with their natures just as much as irreligious people. Struggling with your nature is the only way to become a good person. I don't expect religious people to be perfect. I expect them to be a little better than the irreligious, or what the hell is the point of being religious?
Life, Legacy, and a Dangerous Mission in the Soviet Union | Sunday Fireside Chat
