” “You don’t have to be frum to be a mentch, but you must be a mentch to be frum.” “
Wow!! we should have that quote on bumper stickers.
I once heard a noted mechanech saying; when teaching young adults you first teach them to be a mentch, then to be a jew, then to be an erlichah (honestfrum) jew, finaly you can start to teach them gemarah.