I agree. Kindness is a choice. Not something from "GOD". We all have positive and negative feelings, actions, etc. nothing is good or evil it is just human. We choose. We do not have to be guided but it is a good thing for parents to teach their children civility and ethics without teaching them it is from any other source than themselves.

I usually throw their own 'logic' against them. What do you think inspires people to do mean things?

Most times they'll blame it on another imaginary character, the devil.

Then I ask, what about people who are neither good nor evil, but neutral?

Most times I get "something something divine plan."

Then I circle back, "Wouldn't it be then that gods divine plan is ultimately what causes people to do mean things?" "God did make the devil, and must've created hell for a purpose; for punishing non-believers mostly, but it did create it." "Therefore since evil and its realm was created by god, it must've been in gods divine plan to inspire evil to some degree even if just for the vain reason of filtering out those who don't believe."

I watch them have a very brief moment of mental buffering/meltdown.

Ultimately it ends up with them running in 'logical' circles between divine plan and it's all the devil. I just laugh and keep 'em spinning round and round like a cat chasing a laser pointer.

It takes being a good person, religion rarely comes into it except for the shitty individuals who do good deeds out of fear of going to hell.