Is guilt a divine indicator of wrong-doing, or is it more likely a result of indoctrination? In the experiences of the people below, you will find that guilt comes from what they are taught to believe, rather than from any divine truth. Perhaps we can use empathy and rationality to determine what is right and wrong, rather than guilt.
Amish
The Amish aren’t allowed to drive cars:
“‘I felt guilty [having a car] until I had one for a couple of years, and then the guilt wore off,’ John said.” abcnews.go.com
Quote from another Christian on guilt in general:
“Guilt is the result of the inner spirit, created in God’s image, crying ‘foul.’ God’s laws have been violated; His honor diminished. Something deep within me shouts in protest. I feel the shout as guilt.” lifeway.com
Catholic
Each year, Catholics spend a 40-day time period giving up something they enjoy:
“Sure I love desserts and bread, but what does giving them up for 40 days really mean to me? I felt so guilty even thinking about breaking Lent again, and mostly I just didn’t want to be weak about it.” lovejustine.com
Quote from a Catholic on guilt in general:
“Guilt — It’s a good thing!”
“It’s the spiritual equivalent of physical pain: it tells us when something is wrong.” aleteia.org
Muslim
When eating beef, Muslims must eat halal beef:
“I ate dinner at my friends house last night and it wasn’t halal meat so I felt so guilty. If it was pork, I wouldn’t have eaten it but it was beef that wasn’t halal and I didn’t want to refuse to eat it so I ate it feeling guilty.” forum.whyislam.org
Muslim women must wear a hijab:
“There were other Muslim girls who didn’t wear the scarf so that fueled the insults and mockery that I received. So at some point, I took off the hijab. Interestingly, every time I took it off, I felt guilty, and I would just want to put it back on.” dispatch.com
“many times i wanted to take off my hijab and at times i did. although i felt really guilty later.” hijabtrentdz/com
Quote from a Muslim preacher on guilt in general:
“Guilt is a gift from Allah warning you that what you are doing is violating your soul.” islamdailypost.blogspot.com
Jewish
“The other day when I visited this same kid, he told me that the day after camp ended he was eating at a non-kosher restaurant and suddenly felt extremely guilty so he threw away his burger.” orayta.org
“My OH doesn’t eat pork, it’s part of his religion and until he came to the UK he had never tried it. He eventually tried it but felt really guilty and hasn’t tried it again. He has never stopped me eating it and is fine with it being in the fridge etc. But today he has told me that while ever I’m pregnant I am not to eat any kind of pork. He doesn’t want his baby being fed pig!” pregnancyforum.co.uk
Hindu
Some Hindus can’t eat beef:
“Question: My family is hindu but we’re not very religious. I’m an atheist and I don’t believe in god. A couple of days ago, I ate a hamburger at my friends house and afterwards I felt like I did something wrong, I just felt really guilty, it was almost like … a sadness in my heart I dont know why. I’m not a vegetarian.. I eat chicken, fish, etc and I don’t feel that way.” answers.yahoo.com
Some Hindus can’t eat meat at all:
“She said that she’s been vegetarian all her life for religious reasons. Her whole family is also religious so it just passed down like that. She mentioned one time that she ate meat once, which was shredded chicken in pasta. When Sachi realized it was meat, she felt extremely guilty and immediately prayed for forgiveness.” eastmeetswest2016.blogspot.com
Seventh-day Adventist
Seventh Day Adventists can’t go to theaters:
“I do remember going to the movies for the first time. I felt so guilty. I didn’t even sit down, but stood in the back and watched about fifteen minutes of ‘Ma and Pa Kettle Go To Hawaii.’” revivalsermons.org
Quote from a Seventh-day Adventist leader on guilt in general:
“Guilt is like that red light. It indicates a problem we need to confront as we speed along the highway to heaven.” ministrymagazine.org
Mormon
Mormons can’t drink certain kinds of tea:
“I was introduced to tea drinking on my mission. I served in a mission where fresh herbal teas were served to guests regularly. In the beginning I disliked the tea and even though my mission president had given guidelines about what teas we could drink and still be in keeping with the word of wisdom, I always felt guilty.” rationalfaiths.com
Quotes from Mormon leaders on guilt in general:
“Guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body—a warning of danger and a protection from additional damage.” lds.org
“That feeling of guilt is to the spirit what pain is to the physical body… Guilt is not erased without pain. There are laws to obey and ordinances to receive, and there are penalties to pay.
Physical pain requires treatment and a change in lifestyle. So it is with spiritual pain. There must be repentance and discipline, most of which is self-discipline. But to restore our innocence after serious transgressions, there must be confession to our bishop, who is the appointed judge.” lds.org
Jehovah’s Witness
JWs can’t celebrate holidays:
“Since my dad nor anyone from his side of the family were Witnesses, we were still allowed to celebrate holidays and birthdays. But as much as I really loved doing that, I knew in my heart of hearts that they were wrong, and I felt guilty for having truly enjoyed opening my Christmas presents with the other members of my family, eating Thanksgiving dinner and watching Fourth of July fireworks.” caic.org
Sexual Guilt
When it comes to sex, religious indoctrination can sometimes be coupled with post-coital tristesse to produce feelings of extreme guilt. Notice how the following people experience guilt after marital sex with their spouse. This feeling, which resembles intense guilt, is a natural feeling (post-coital tristesse).
“After 27 years of marriage and great sex, my husband still feels guilty after he orgasms. Why does he feel this way and is there anything I can do?” nbcnews.com
From three different people:
“I have been married a little over two months and have had a recurring problem. I am just curious of other couples have had the same problem. After sex I feel extremely guilty and ashamed… What sucks is that I while I know I have no reason for guilt, I feel it nonetheless.”
“I have a very close friend who experienced the same thing after getting married.”
“It was an issue in our marriage for awhile. What helped was talking about it with each other. I know that sounds like a cliche answer, but it’s not meant to be. And yes, it is a big shift from I’m not gonna have sex with this person, to have at it cause now you’re married. It’s an adjustment and that’s okay.” christianguitar.org
The Religion Equation 