for an atheist to be a good person and live a good life ?
I don't want to know if we are going to hell or not only a simple answer to the question at hand. Simple yes or no backed up with a few sentences will do.
2006-06-26 11:49:06 · 13 answers · asked by Cindy 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Thank you slv. Personally I don't believe in hell. The reason I said this is because in past I received answers along the lines of "Yes they can be good but they are still going to hell" which is not really the issue I am asking about.
2006-06-26 12:00:19 · update #1
im an atheist but i can answer FOR the christians. in the bible it says that whoever says there i no gd is a fool they are corrupt and nothng ood comes from them. (god hates smart people).
ao, answering for the christians, no an atheist cannot be a good person or live a good life. .
i on the otherhand AM an atheist. i can tell you that i have lived (so far) a good life, a happy life and a semi successful life. i have never stolen, never killed or never done anything bad (no drinking or drugs either). by allmeans i have lived a good life. of course under the rules of your god i have not.
2006-06-26 11:52:03 · answer #1 · answered by johnny_zondo 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As a Catholic, we teach dogmatically (see Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ott) that an atheist can live a good life. All people are given enough true and enough grace to live a good life and to be saved. It is however, more difficult, because the father you are away from Truth, the harder it is for you to find it, reorganize it, and live life according to the good.
Now let me suggest that you go and buy a book such as
Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0813206332/102-3446212-2945718?v=glance
Which, though undoubtedly a surprising suggestion when we are talking about Atheists being good, the book will open your mind to the larger context of Atheism, since the book is filled with the philosophy of atheists and seeks to draw out what is good from their philosophy. 20 years of research went into the book so it is not a light read and is fully up the the philosophical dept than atheists expect to be engaged on. Besides modern atheism really is not about God but rather about the lack of immortality to the soul.
2006-06-26 20:19:42 · answer #2 · answered by Liet Kynes 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is possible for an atheist to be a good person and live a good life.
Your idea about "good" and "hell" has presuppositions that need to be clarified, though. "Good" to you may be different then "good" to me; or to God. Also, no one really seems to know what the Bible says about "hell," so that needs clarification too.
In short, the qualification for escaping hell has almost nothing to do with whether you think you are good or not. It has everything to do with the decisions you make during your life. God is not going to ask, "Have you been a good person?" He's going to ask, "What have you done with My Son according to My Word."
2006-06-26 19:12:11 · answer #3 · answered by mrjaober 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it is possible for atheists to be a good person and live a good life! as a matter of fact, being a business woman, I come in contact with some atheists on a daily basis and I've found some of them to be very respectful, and live a faily good life!.....They are nothing compared to the one's on this site!...........ps. you are on a religious/spiritual site and I would like to add something else to my answer!......I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but when judgment day comes those who think that they are going to heaven just because they feel that they are a good person is wrong, otherwise, there would'nt have been necessary for The Birth , Death, & Resurrection of Christ if we could save ourselves!.......Please Read: (Eph. 2: 8,9).......Thank You!
2006-06-26 19:08:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I do believe it is possible for an atheist (or anyone of any religion) to be a good person and live a good life, based on their standards. There's a difference between living a good life and living a christian life - living a Christian life means walking with God, reading the Bible, and ultimately trying to live a life that would please God. People of any religion are very much able to live a good life, being a good person :)
2006-06-26 18:54:35 · answer #5 · answered by Angelina 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes!
Many of my athiest friends live good lives, and are good people.
Too many Christians stereotype them out to be like 'grumpy, loveless,bitter, hateful beings that care about nobody'.
This is untrue and false.
2006-06-26 20:22:51 · answer #6 · answered by rxqueen♥ † 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What is happiness if not without the sole purpose of happiness? All that you have here is temporary. It all has an expiration date on it. Even the very earth that you stand on will expire. The very purpose you are here IS HAPPINESS, IS the very CREATOR of thought, sound and presence. Now for me, as a BELIEVER in and all the way around in OUR SAVIOR from this temporary earth, I TRUST MY FAITH IN GOD to bring me to complete happiness, not just happiness for the time being.
2006-06-26 19:31:00 · answer #7 · answered by GOD IS REAL. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. It would be impossible to live a good life without knowing your purpose in life.
2006-06-26 20:23:09 · answer #8 · answered by Margarita F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think so, but excuse me for asking, *why* would you not want to know if you were going to hell or not? Isn't that a big gamble you're taking?
www.needgod.com
2006-06-26 18:57:09 · answer #9 · answered by slc_225 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hell naw, it's not possible! People are deceived to think that they are going to Heaven and their taking their families with them!
2006-06-26 18:57:21 · answer #10 · answered by Pashur 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋