If I don't believe in God can I still be a good man?

Question

"Good man" should be interpreted as you wish but explain what do you think a good man is.

Answer 1

Certainly - what is to stop you being moral and kind and honest etc etc just because you don't believe in God? Moral behaviour is linked to society and what our parents teach us and our innate sense, not God. My parents are not religious and they have taught me how to be a 'good' person.

Disbelieving in God is not turning your back on love, truth and joy - those things do not come from God they come from the minds and hearts of human beings. Human beings who have never had the misfortune of being indoctrinated by some-one touting the Christian God are fully capable of feeling love, experiencing joy and being truthful and so are you if you choose not to believe in the old-fashioned fairy tale for adults that it God.

Ignore the concept of 'sin' - it is not helpful. You were not born bad and sinful you were born good and pure - you can remain that way and your mistakes are just that, mistakes - they are not sins that will stain your soul or whatever. Learn from them and you will be a better person than someone who just cries to God and learns nothing.

Believing in God does not make you a good person - I think we can easily prove this by citing the KKK - and the reverse is true - not believing in God does not make you a bad person. What it does do is make you a thinking, enquiring person who has a mind that is not happy to settle on centuries old dogma instead of seeking it's own conclusions.

Answer 2

A good man is one who loves others and takes care of the sick, weak and poor. A good man visits the orphans and widows. A good man gives to those less fortunate and advocates for social and economic justice, regardless of what groups those being advocated belong to.

Yes, an atheist can be a good man. My lover of nearly 15 years is a Wiccan now, but he was an atheist for the first 8 years we were together, not a fundamentalist atheist like some, but an atheist. He always was a good man.

Regards,

Reynolds Jones
Schenectady, NY
http://www.rebuff.org

PS The idea that someone has to read any holy book in order to "learn" how to be good is pretty scary, but I'm from a liberal mainstream church, we know the Bible is myth.

Answer 3

Yes. Relatively speaking you can be 'good' meaning you can be a nice neighbor, a considerate friend, a conscientious person, a diligent worker.

But since you don't believe in God what you determine to be good and fair will be based on your opinion which could change at any moment.

And if there is no God to believe in everyone else would be governed by the same thinking... what's right for you might conflict with what is right and good for me.

The book of Judges in the Bible repeatedly says that "They did what was right in their own eyes." That is a recipe for disaster.

Answer 4

You can be a moral man. No one is good but God. Isaiah 64:6 states that our righteous deeds are like filthy rags before the Lord. Even if you do not believe in God... it does not deny His existence.

Recommend any of former atheist professor Josh McDowell's books. New Evidences that Demands a Verdict is good. Lee Strobel of the Chicago Tribune has written a couple good books on this subject. The Case for the Creator is good. NASA's Fred Heeren... "Show me God" is another good one. Check them out.

Answer 5

Yes you can still be a good man here on earth but if you don't accept Jesus as Lord and Savior then I'm afraid being good here on earth has not done you much good because you're going to end up with the bad people in hell. What a waste don't you think? God bless!

Answer 6

Of course you can. Your actions are what make you good or bad, not your beliefs. There are those who do believe in God that certainly do not act in a good or righteous way, you can still have a love and fundamental respect for your fellow man without being required to believe in a certain fashion.

Answer 7

How good is "good enough"?

Do you ever lie? Have you ever taken something that doesn't rightfully belong to you? Have you ever looked at a woman with lust in your heart? (Jesus said that doing so makes you an adulterer in your heart already) Have you ever used God's name in a derogatory manner, or as a swear word? (That's called blasphemy).

If these things are true, then that makes you a lying, thieving, adulterous blasphemer.

Whether you believe in God, or you do NOT believe in God, you are still not a good person. "There are NONE good. There are NONE that seek God" and "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God".

The reason I AM a Christian is because I KNOW I'm not a good person, and I admit that I NEED God. I don't go to God because I AM good. I am slowly becoming good because I DO depend on God. And no, I haven't made it yet, either.

By the way, if you THINK you're good without God, that makes you one of them "holier-than-thou's". I KNOW I'm far from "holy". I KNOW I'm no better than you (of course, I also know that you're no better than me, either, because we're all in the same boat). But turning to Jesus, admitting our sinful condition, asking Him to forgive us, and repenting of our sins (ie crimes against God) - that MAKES us good in God's eyes. When He forgives us, He counts us as though we were good.

By the way, I DO hope you don't think I'm "preaching" at you. If I AM, then I'm also preaching at myself. Don't take this the wrong way. God gives us hope that we CAN be good people. (Jesus said, "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him")

Answer 8

Yes. You are having doubts--you probably are doubting God because of the dogma that people place on God. God, or the Divine Presence, or your Higher Power--whatever you call God (I still like the word "God")- is there whether or not you can acknowledge it.

I think, in time, you will. But yes, you are still a good person. (And as for the "can't go to Heaven" folks----rubbish!)

Answer 9

Depends on if you are doing bad things. I think you probably have had bad things happen to you so you don't think their is a God but there is and you wouldn't be here if there wasn't. But just do good for others and do good things and yes you could be a good man.

Answer 10

A good man (or woman) is one who lives in such a way that his mother would be proud of him. He does not lie, steal, cheat, treat people in a callous, indifferent, self-serving, demeaning or hostile manner. He helps those he can help. He does not gratuitously use foul and offensive language. He is mindful of the impact his actions and words have on those around him and he is careful to make that impact positive.

He doesn't need God for that.