Being religious

Religious teachings are generally considered good, or support the concept of serving others.
However, I observed most religious people seem to place self-interests on-top, or behind those of others. When faced with the challenge of risking one's spiritual and/or physical life for the betterment of others, only the true religious people overcome at ease and naturally.

Consider the famous story of two monks helping a lady across a river. The younger monk might have worried that he risk his spiritual health by touching the lady.

Consider shutting communication channels between "believers" and those whom the believers' higher authority labeled as evil. The "believers" prefer not to risk their chance of getting into Heaven, by not willing to have contacts with those whom they consider are not getting into Heaven.

Yet we see in movies, and some times also in real life, some heroic acts of taking high risk to save others.
Yet Jesus were among those whom the authority had considered not holy.
Yet a famous buddhist quote says "Should I not go to hell [to help], who shall [I ask to] go?"