"Can You Be Good Without God?" (an article)

[mdgspencer]

This author explains why Catholic children do not go to mass. They have been told in the church that religion is about being good. These children usually think they can be good without going to mass, and so they don’t go. But Catholicism is rather about the forgiveness of sin through the death and resurrection of Christ, this author, Father Dwight Longenecker, insists.
see www.patheos.com/Catholic/Good-Without-God-Dwight-Longenecker-04-25-2012.html#.T5c1aezONL8.email

 

[St_Francis]

This article was terrific, and really put a finger on something I have been wondering about, so thank you very much for posting it

So sad that some of the comments reflect a complete lack of understanding of his point, which I wish he had put better by defining and differentiating between “being good” on the first page and the “being good” one can become with God’s help. I realize he put in the information needed, but I think his use of the same terms for each might have led to some confusion, esp for those who did not read all the way to the end.

This is something we should talk about more!

 

[Seira]

Believing you can be good without going to Mass isn’t Catholic. That’s what atheists think. Of course the “good Catholic” kids don’t think of themselves as atheists. They think they’re okay and still self-identify as Catholics.

OK, the kids aren’t atheists because they’re not going to mass. Just the kids are misguided (which totally is the Church’s fault to begin with) doesn’t mean they’re Godless.

 

[livingwordunity]

Question: “Can You Be Good Without God?”

Answer: No because everything that is good comes from God whether we realize it or not.

 

[fredms3]

At face value ------ No!