Good for Goodness Sake

Have you heard how the American Humanist Association is getting multimillion dollars worth of free advertising through its $40,000 ad campaign? The group plunkied down its money to create a series of ads on buses in Washington D.C. and those ads are getting a lot of press coverage. The basic message is,

Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness sake.

CNN carries the story as Group's New Christmas Message: Be good not godly and at Fox News it is 'Why Believe in a God?' Ad Campaign Launches on D.C. Buses.

Of course the answer to why believe in a god is different for me than for those who created the ads. I believe not in a god, but in God, because I have come to know God through his son Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit I have an ongoing relationship which I cannot deny. That is my experience of reality and I know the humanist are trying to respectfully disagree while encouraging like-minded atheists to make their lack of faith in a god public, in a kinder, gentler way than some angry atheists.

The basic idea of being good for goodness sake is wonderful. I know for a fact that many people don't believe in a god but live good lives—from miltantly anti-religion atheists to those who don't believe in a god but aren't angry about it, to those who as agnostics admit that they don't know. Yes, you can be a basically good person without belief in God. I know this goes against classic Calvinist teaching that says that we are morally depraved and can do no good without God. But scripture teaches that all creation was very good. Yes, humans messed up and through our own free will we created a lot of pain and suffering for ourselves and others. But we were created for goodness and I think that imprint within us comes from God. So, I agree with the Calvinists that we can't do it without God, but disagree in that I think that the Humanists were also created in God's image and God is speaking to their hearts as well even if they don't always hear it or know the source.

The common creed found across many cultures that we call the Golden Rule may be what the humanist are aiming at, treating others as you want to be treated. (see sermon on The Golden Rule for more on this). They would say you don't have to do that because a big mean God is ready to smite you upside the head if you don't. You can be good because you want to be good. I agree. I too feel that we don't have to be good out of fear of a vengeful God.

Here is where I part company with the Humanists. They think we can be good without God. I don't think we would even know what good is without God. God created us with laws written on the tablets of our hearts so that we know that murder is wrong and stealing is wrong. No, we aren't born with a detailed legal code imprinted within us, but we do know something about right and wrong even before culture begins to imprint its own take on morality. I think this comes from God. Even the Humanist ideals of what is right and wrong are, I believe, from God.

And yes, we can attempt the good without God and we can get it kinda close, sometimes better than others. But that is pretty tough to do. I also know that all of us do fall short of the mark set for us by God and that with God's help we can come closer. It is God's spirit bearing witness to our spirits that help us to see the good. Without that relationship with God that animates our moral compass, it would be easier to be diverted to greed or anger or lust. But we will the good to please the God we love who wants what is best for us and we are thus empowered further to live into God's will, which reflects the goodness which is God's nature.

That's my top-of-the-head reaction that captures something of what I see in being good for goodness sake. What's your take on this? Can we be good without God?

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue, Pastor