Do you feel that you have to believe in God to be a good person?
156728
For me, a belief in God through Jesus Christ is not a vehicle by which I seek to attain the lofty heights of “good person” status, neither is it inspired by something as vague as a “feel”. It is far more definite than that and I thank the Lord that He has helped me to see these things with clarity.\n\nBut getting back to the crux your question, there are many people that have led a more righteous life than I (and others professing to be Christian), who perhaps from our limited human perspective would “deserve” to be way ahead in the queue for receiving God’s salvation.\n\nThe properly understood, “Good News” of the Gospel however is that we do not (and can not) receive the gift of God’s salvation by means of any good deeds or works that we can muster. There is simply nothing that we can do well enough to “earn” our salvation.\n\nWe need no preparation, (it’s futile), we come as we are (because God’s love is unconditional), we do not put it off (it’s the devil at work), we place our trust in Jesus, the Son of God (His blood, our only means of salvation), and we believe it in our hearts, confess with our lips and receive…… We are born again …...and with God’s help and the guidance of His Holy Spirit we become His “work in progress”.\n\nAs for being a good person, I believe that every true Christian strives to fit that bill as indeed plenty of non-Christians do also.  You do not need to be Christian to be good, you do not become Christian by being good but good (or heading that way) is what every true Christian should be.\n\nMat 6:33\nBut seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
351761
No. I am not a really big religious person but i still believe that if someone is, that is a major life decision and they should believe in what they think is best. Not believe in something just because you do.
214304
You go girl! You believe in whatever you want to, whatever feels right to you. And dont ever let anyone try and tell you your beliefs are wrong, just because they may be different than others.\n\nMe, personally, i believe in GOD. But i dont go to church, or preach, or all that stuff. I believe, and thats all that matters to me. I dont need to put on an 'act' for people to think i am a good Christian or anything. I am who i am.
651065
Not necessarily, I know some very compassionate caring atheists. Unfortunately many deny God either from bad experiences with religon or the cunning of human philosophies but not believing in God does not make you a bad person by default.
1041648
I don't think so.  I believe that people who do put alot of faith in god are giving the credit of their actions to another being.  God didn't create or plan your actions- you did!
258264
I concur.  I feel like adherence to a prescribed moral principle removes personal responsibility.  I've felt that way (only perhaps less eloquent!) since I was eight.  If you are a good person because you adhere to the Bible / church values unquestioningly, you aren't actually a good person.  You are only truly good if you are the person choosing your own behavior.  I think fundamentally it boils down to manners - in greater or lesser dimensions.
354906
Yes, but this is not as important as God believes in me. For I can imagine any kind of a God or none at all but as long as he thinks of me I continue to exsist. This can not be said of all people. I am an orgininal thought of God, very unique and there is none like me on the earth though there be billions with my form. He has spoken to me a few times and he is more real than I am, for I am just a thought of his
476008
That is a very good question.\n\nI myself am Presbyterian, but i do not go to Church weekly, nor do i pray.\n\nI am a nurse and i have pretty much spent the majority of my time in servitude to others making them have a better quality of life wherever possible.\n\nI may not believe in god entirely but i do believe that everything happens for a reason... BECAUSE i know it to be true through life's experiences.\n\nSo i think yes, there is a good place for good people when they go.
759543
I am an atheist and I am as flawed as any human being is. I have made mistakes, and I will continue to make mistakes, because human beings are imperfect. I strive to be the best that I have in thought, word and deed, because my principles are important to me.  I try hard not to hurt others. I am not the best person in the world and I am not the worst. \n\nI don't believe that I am by nature sinful, because I don't believe in sin the way Christians do. I am not inherently bad because I am human.\n\nThat doesn't mean I can spot and change what is wrong with me myself. I need plenty of help in adhering to my principles, but I don't get that help simply by asking God for it. I have to change my behavior. Name calling ("arrogant" ) is not changing my behavior. It is simply playing "one up" on people so that the writer doesn't have to look at his own behavior.
858420
I'd say atheists could be slightly happier on average because they are allowed to accept themselves as good beings without being in conflict with their religion.  Most religions such as Christianity take the stance that humans are inherently sinful and bad.  An atheist can start with the idea that they can be however they act - it they act with kindness and love they can feel good about themselves and feel that they are good.  Religious folks are not allowed to feel that they are good beings without being in conflict with the teachings of their religions which state that they are not good beings and that their actions cannot make them good beings.  I feel sad that people are raised believing they are not able to be good no matter how good they behave or how kind they are.  \n\nThere's also no evil God hanging over our heads waiting to have us tested like Job or tortured like half the poor people in the Bible.  When something bad happens to us we don't have to think, "what did I do wrong?  why am I being punished?"  We can think, "oh, well, sh*t happens" without assigning blame to ourselves and get back to living without feeling guilty that something bad happened to us.  \n\nI have yet to see a Christian who could follow all the rules of his religion.  The rules are too many in number, conflicting, and complex.  They seem to be constantly "sinning" in their own opinion.  The guilt must be awful.  Religions are mostly based on the principle that humans are inherently base and evil beings.  Atheists don't have an obligation to feel like crap just because they were born human.\n\nTo sum up - \nAthiest = allowed to feel good about good actions\nAtheist = doesn't feel guilty when bad things happen to them\nAtheist = doesn't have to fear torments from a God\nAtheist = can have a clear conscience so long as they feel they've done nothing wrong\nAtheist = can believe that people are fundamentally good
1139034
god to me is a belief , to help be on our right path, by loving him ur promosing to ur self to TRY to avoid dong sin.But no one is perfect, if god exist and he will understand it too
919311
You will know when you know God....When you know God. God is not simply  good idea. He is real and as real as anything else in your life even more so. So continue to seek God in prayer and meditation and in his word and everyday you are working on your relationship with him. No one can know God for you and you can't just accept what people tell you. It is imperative you build your relationship with him. You have God's word that if you seek him you will find him and there will be no doubt in you. God will make himself real to you, May God bless you in your relationship with him.
974162
There are good people in all walks of life. Some of the most honest, trustworthy people I have known have been atheists \n\nReligion does not make you good unless you think you are bad already and need to change for the good.
552630
It is a belief and a faith. You have to used to be a person to become spirits so God is just a belief for people who have faith.
902449
No. I can't. \n\nI have to base my judgements on what I read in the bible and how I interpret it. \n\nI DO believe (for certain) one thing: \n\nGod loves us (ALL) therefore, once we accept that: \n\nWe have to love ourselves\n\nThen we have to love others as we love ourselves\n\nTHAT pretty much wraps it up.\n \nIf we treat others, regardless of whether we like them or not, how we want to be treated, if we love ourselves, odds are we'll do the right thing. \n\nThe rest is just semantics.
320036
Absolutely not.  I honestly believe that I am not religious just for any reward of afterlife.  I believe that doing what is right is good for its own sake.  And I believe that being religious in my case helps me to be good.
936826
No.\n\nWould a person consistently do, say, or think higher or better things if they did not feel truth within their heart? That is, what would be the reward of competing with an imaginary concept? You don't understand people very well if you think that imaginary rewards from imaginary beings are enough to keep them "in line" for years upon years.\n\nBut let me just speak for myself. Imaginary rewards from imaginary beings with imaginary qualities are not enough to make me want to do better and be better. If I did not have evidence of God in my heart and soul, I would be a sloppy, self-centered, chronic-misdemeanor-committing, self-indulgent jackass. This is my nature. Trust me, I know. If this world was the only world there was, I would slather my incompetence and selfishness all over it, and I wouldn't care about any consequences except prison. And, no, I'm not kidding.\n\nIt takes more than an imaginary concept to make me want to be better. It takes more than imaginary incentive to make me want to rise above my small-minded nature. It takes true spiritual rewards from a living God who actually provides them. What the deal is, is that without God I have a dark heart and a murky mind. When I lived outside of God's grace, I was an utter and complete tool.\n\nThere was no human incentive good enough for me to change my heart and mind. Anything any of you people could have offered--money, prestige, personal glory, fame, or any of that hoo-ha--just wasn't good enough. All of it (at least the money, prestige, and personal glory, which I did have or think I had) did not change my dark heart and murky mind. It fed these things, in fact, and I craved more.\n\nMy problem was that there was nothing in this world that was satisfactory and whose promise did not wear off shortly after I attained it.\n\nIt was when I reached the point where I came to understand this for real, and I hated it, all of it, that I began searching for God in earnest.\n\nIt wasn't you, or him, or her that I was competing with, trying to satisfy, or holding up as a standard. All you people were as bad as or worse off than I was. Nobody had anything I wanted. And as for good behavior and good intentions--people who exhibited these things turned my stomach. I certainly didn't see that as an incentive either.\n\nI hope that this answers your question. To sum up: Only God could fill the chasm within myself, and he did fill it when I sought him. If it was all just a concept, it wouldn't have worked--because I have chased after many a concept, seized upon its claims, and turned up empty-handed in the end.\n\nGod lives, his promises are real, he provides, and all that is of him endures.