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I think it varies from person to person, and perhaps from group to group, as well.

Personally, I'm accountable for my actions. While there may be things here and there affecting my judgement at times, it basically boils down to me. I ******** up. I did well. I didn't represent a deity thoroughally enough, and I gave a false impression to someone else. Etc.



I don't think so.

I'm not going to look at an invidual who screws up and think, "THOR MUST LOVE HAVING INEPT FOLLOWERS!" It's the same wonky train of thought that some have about extreme Christians fundamentalists (if that's even the right word) like Phelps--"Look at this a*****e; these are the people YHVH has? Screw that religion!"

Likewise, a person's good actions won't really change my opinion of the deity in question. My opinions of deities are based on what I've read from mythos and my UPG (which isn't what would be called "extensive").



Sometimes. For example, say a tradition is very strict about hospitality rules and the adherant does well by them--that reflects positively on the tradition, and the follower. But, I'm not going to hold a ******** to somebody unless they do it constantly, and in that case it's the follower, and not the tradition that is in poor light.

In the cases of followers of certain traditions being required to call out and ask for proof from people who also claim membership to that tradition, if they were to not do that, it's the follower who's at fault, not the tradition.

I only see people's actions reflecting poorly on one's traditions and community if they insist that they are model examples of the tradition/community, and everything they do is how it's done, etc. Then that creates a false representation, which people might pick up on and think "Oh, hospitality's not important to X tradition!"