Do we need God in order to be good?

Question

It's a question in our Philosophy of Religion class.

Answer 1

We atheists are good for good's sake. We don't need the bribe of heaven or threat of hell to be good. Its a very invigorating feeling to be free of the binders of religion...

Answer 2

The purpose is to be good. People have different reasons for being good. I think that there are good and bad people everywhere: Atheists, Muslims, Christians etc. But the rules of religion were almost everywhere the first laws of the state. People who don't have the education or the option to do good (a person without money steals in order to live just as a little boy steals when he hasn't his lollipop). Parents always say that you must do good actions because god will punish you if you are bad boy. In the ideal society people would do good actions from an inner desire but it takes more than laws to convince people doing this.

Answer 3

This is a very interesting question! I got into this debate with my old roommate when I was in the military. He seemed to have a hard time believing that people (me, for instance) who don't believe in God (or anything supernatural for that matter) could restrain themselves from going on a rampaging killing spree. As if God was the only thing that prevented people from going insane and becoming hard core evil-doers.

I had to teach him that God should not be the only thing standing between you and a path of total destruction. It's good that some people can turn to God to keep them away from this kind of behavior, but really, if that is ALL that is keeping you from behaving that way, then you have other issues to work through apart from your religion.

God doesn't have a monopoly on "goodness," though I know MANY religious people that would disagree. My proof is that non-religious people lead good lives at about the same rate as religious people.

Answer 4

No, I don't think you need a God in order to be good.
To be good would come out of your understanding of what is good and what is bad. I think respect and compassion for other living beings is one of the keys for this knowledge.
I think the belief in a God might make it easier for some people to be good or bad as they are told by their religion what is acceptable and not. But if you can decide for yourself you wouldnt have to subscribe to a deity in order to be a good person.

Answer 5

If God is identified as being the transcendental reality of the good, then our experience of goodness is made possible by God-- in other words, we could not be good, without that which is the condition for the possibility of our goodness, which is God. Further, one might postulate that as God is the source of all that is, God is the condition for all that you are, and therefore not only your existence, but all your potentiality is predicated upon God. Another way to look at this question is on the level of ontology, as being is correlated to the good, and God is the source of being, he is also the source of your good (that is your being.) We often equate the good with moral action, but this question really goes deeper than that presumption, and begs both ontological and teleological insights about God, existence, and God's relationship with creation.

Answer 6

The bible shows that we need God to be Godly. Good and evil are just words with meanings that are filled in by us. In world war 2 nazi germany, it was good to cook jews in ovens as far as the nazi's were concerned, but bad as far as the jews were concerned. What I'm saying is that what is good and evil is relative to the person.
Biblically speaking, ultimate evil is absolute non-existence because ultimately speaking, If God, according to Jesus, is the only good then the opposite to God would be evil. Quintessentially speaking, God is a self-existent being (not to be confused with self-caused). That is to say that God is independent and or necessary. He is an existence which is necessary, he cannot just start or happen to stop existing because then he wouldn't be necessay. in any case absolute nonexistence cannot exist otherwise it would not be non existence. Therefore, evil as being absolute nonexistence does not exist. Evil does not exist in this sense. The other evil that the Bible speaks of are disobedience to the commandents or laws of God otherwise known as sin.. But being all knowing and all powerful all sin is ordained or determined by God. But God is not doing any evil because under the definition of evil above, God would have to go against himself, which he never does, and the laws are made for man.
But yes, if you read Ephesians chapter 2 you'll find that God enables us to be even capable carrying out his commands...read romans ch9

one of the other answers stated that he/she does not need God to do good, she's good because she feels good...I'm sure rapists feel good when they're raping, and child molesters, murderers,liars,adulters....they all feel good...as for reason to determine to good....that's bull....all reason can do is show that morality is relative...so for one raping is good, and for another it is not, and there are good reasons for and against this one act. ridiculus minded people are everywhere

Answer 7

Even with God's name and nearness utmost frequently proclaimed unto us from all church halls and from temples of a similar style, and admonishingly shouted out from housetops and minaret-tops, we are generally bad. Bad, bad, bad!

So it may be very best if we follow the holy biblical commandment and so never ever name God's name in vain, and not even think of God for most of our time in the course of our actions. Keeping absolute reverent silence about God!

We might try and learn how to mundanely become good by assiduously thinking and attending a school for good boys and good girls. After having sitted at such a school for more than one quarter of our lifetime there would be chances for us to have learned the habit of being sort of good and wanting to create a good human society. Maybe not all of us, but, hopefully, the majority of us.

Then, to try and keep the good habit alive and effective, and so also the good society operative, we could just go on refreshing attending church or temple as often as possible, or praying in the mosque or on a carpet the required number of times of our day and even more.

We do not definitely need God in order to try to be good. But the assiduous thought of goodness, and so also the idea of God's glowing dazzling unnamed nearness for those people who absolutely may need His consolation, might help!

Answer 8

God given as Free will to choose. He even left to us how to live of life that is according to His will in the commandments he have given or depends on us how we cope in the world full of things to be or not to be good. But there are times we need God to be good. God is always present when ever we may be. It's up to you to follow your will or God's will to be good. You know what is good but neglect the right thing because of something that is you want to have.

Answer 9

Some people need a concept of punishment to behave. Others need a concept of reward to behave. While still others do the right thing simply because they love and respect their fellow man.
Every person acts independently within their own motives.
Some need god and some don't.

I don't think god cares about us as individuals. As such i do the right thing because I feel if I don't help my brothers and sisters out then no one else will either.

Answer 10

Having God in life serves as a guiding light to your path to happiness (if they call it that way....) But having common sense can do the trick! Consciously you know you should be good to others in order to be treated good by others? So people do that!