Can You Be Good Without God?

[Faithfreedom]

why would the word of god bow down to mans culture?

I don't know about man's culture but god does make allowances for the hardness of man's heart. When Jesus was asked why the mosaic law allowed divorce, Jesus explained that it was because of the hardness of man's heart that it was allowed. Jesus then guided them back to god's original ideal of a monogamous life-long marriage.

imo, in regards to the west, the god of the OT and the NT are not the same god
people worship today because society has changed...

I beg to differ, god doesn't change. And the reason society has changed is because the holy spirit was poured out in greater measure to people after Jesus' ascension.

our society has evolved and became more humanistic and less barbaric...
we now acknowledge human rights, a non starter for biblical times.

imo This good work is due primarily to the holy spirit. Jesus Christ is the champion for human rights. (let the one without sin cast the first stone, etc). C'mon, you gotta love his teachings.

exactly, we really don't need a book to show us what morality is then...

Yes, you are right. I use the bible as a guide only. Its the holy spirit that i choose to listen to. Without god, i think that it is easier to be influenced to do bad.

 

[Midnight Pete]

If you can't be good with God, how can you be good without God?

Many people "have" God and are decidedly less than good.

 

[Penumbra]

If you can't be good with God, how can you be good without God?

Many people "have" God and are decidedly less than good.

And those people tend to have not-so-good gods, it seems.

 

[Midnight Pete]

And those people tend to have not-so-good gods, it seems.

The OP was addressing monotheism, not pantheism. God not gods.

 

[Breathe]

The OP was addressing monotheism, not pantheism. God not gods.

You mean polytheism, not pantheism.

Additionally, Penumbra used the term gods probably because it seems like those people tend to have different opinions on God--making a god in their own image, if you will. Am I right, Penumbra?

 

[Penumbra]

The OP was addressing monotheism, not pantheism. God not gods.

And there are a significant number of variations of monotheism.

Even two people who identify as the same general religion, such as Christianity, may have radically different notions of what their god is like.

You mean polytheism, not pantheism.

Additionally, Penumbra used the term gods probably because it seems like those people tend to have different opinions on God--making a god in their own image, if you will. Am I right, Penumbra?

:yes:

 

[waitasec]

I don't know about man's culture but god does make allowances for the hardness of man's heart. When Jesus was asked why the mosaic law allowed divorce, Jesus explained that it was because of the hardness of man's heart that it was allowed. Jesus then guided them back to god's original ideal of a monogamous life-long marriage.

no because man will do what man will do.

do you believe if you marry a divorced woman today, she is committing adultery? is it not good to get a divorce? sure it would suck to be that position, but is it bad?


btw, where does jesus mention monogamy?

I beg to differ, god doesn't change. And the reason society has changed is because the holy spirit was poured out in greater measure to people after Jesus' ascension.

you mean the age of enlightenment from the 18th century

imo This good work is due primarily to the holy spirit. Jesus Christ is the champion for human rights. (let the one without sin cast the first stone, etc). C'mon, you gotta love his teachings.

jesus also mentions how the beating of a slave is justified...

no the champion of human rights or the father would be jean-jacques rousseau

Without god, i think that it is easier to be influenced to do bad.

i cordially disagree...

 

[St Giordano Bruno]

If you can't be good with God, how can you be good without God?

Many people "have" God and are decidedly less than good.

What about those people have "a" God which is decidedly less than good, such as a God which sanctions suicide bombing. Wouldn't they be better off without that God?

 

[Midnight Pete]

What about those people have "a" God which is decidedly less than good, such as a God which sanctions suicide bombing. Wouldn't they be better off without that God?

You are forgetting that not all Muslims aspire to blow themselves up in the name of Allah.

 

[St Giordano Bruno]

You are forgetting that not all Muslims aspire to blow themselves up in the name of Allah.

We already have laws in this country and we have police to enforce them. Muslims may not drink because of their religion, but we know we already have laws for drink driving, and being drunk and disorderly so I don't think we need a religion on issues of drinking alcohol. The secular authorities deal with that perfectly fine.

 

[lunamoth]

If you do good you are with God, regardless of belief about God (or lack of).

 

[Midnight Pete]

We already have laws in this country and we have police to enforce them. Muslims may not drink because of their religion, but we know we already have laws for drink driving, and being drunk and disorderly so I don't think we need a religion on issues of drinking alcohol. The secular authorities deal with that perfectly fine.

What does that have to with anything?

 

[Faithfreedom]

If you do good you are with God, regardless of belief about God (or lack of).

Amen.

 

[waitasec]

If you do good you are with God, regardless of belief about God (or lack of).

i disagree because that assumes that being good isn't a part of who you are...
each of us are capable of reaching both ends of the spectrum

 

[lunamoth]

i disagree because that assumes that being good isn't a part of who you are...

I'm not sure what you mean by 'being good is part of who you are;' I think that being good is part of who we are, each of us.

each of us are capable of reaching both ends of the spectrum

Sure. How is that in disagreement with what I said?

 

[waitasec]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'being good is part of who you are,' but I do not assume that we all have 'good' in us.


Sure. How is that in disagreement with what I said?

when you said we are with god when we are good
i take that as we become more like god.
what i'm saying is we each have the propensity to do either good things or bad things

why wouldn't you assume that we all have good in us?

 

[lunamoth]

why wouldn't you assume that we all have good in us?

I wrote that incorrectly. Sorry. I think that we all do 'have good in us.' We are created good. ;-)

 

[lunamoth]

when you said we are with god when we are good
i take that as we become more like god.

When we do good we are doing God's will, we are 'closer' to God, and I guess you can also say we are more like God.

what i'm saying is we each have the propensity to do either good things or bad things

I agree. **shrug**

why wouldn't you assume that we all have good in us?

I believe we do. I wrote that wrong.

 

[waitasec]

When we do good we are doing God's will, we are 'closer' to God, and I guess you can also say we are more like God.

i cordially disagree

I agree. **shrug**


I believe we do. I wrote that wrong.

i was hoping so...

 

[lunamoth]

i cordially disagree

OK!

Why?