I'm a good person I don't need God

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Victorygirl

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More often than not, when I open up to people about my Catholic faith I hear the above or “I know a lot of really moral people that don’t believe in God” and similar “one doesn’t have to believe in God to be a good person” type responses.

How would you respond to that?

I have been a Catholic since March 31 or this year so do not have all the answers yet (as if I ever will!)

Thank you!!!
 
How do you define ‘good’ without God?

Who, other than God, defines ‘goodness’?
 
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Religion isn’t about making this world better. It’s about preparing ourselves for the next one.
 
“Tell that to God before He judges you.”

That is if the person is being real snarky. Otherwise if they are being polite, go with what Max said.
 
Ask them why they think just because someone is “good”, that they don’t “need” God. It sounds like they’re trying to boil God down to nothing more than a lawgiver, totally ignoring that He is a savior.
 
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I know this is precisely what Judaism is about - making the world a better place. And I am not so sure that preparation for the next world is ALL that Catholicism is about either. What about social justice priorities in this world, for example, based on Catholic teaching?
 
I might point out that their goodness in the form of moral behavior means that they really do believe in G-d since the behavior they exhibit is a sign of G-d’s grace. And this also means G-d believes in them. In other words, they are already displaying faith in action.
 
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I think that line of thinking can lead to self righteousness. Being pleased with one’s self. Using their own standards to judge their own goodness.
 
Catholicism isn’t a set of ethics. Ethics and morality is just part of it.
 
Love your neighbor as yourself. God is a lawgiver and He gives to man the way to live. And He is the Savior. Yes, there are good people out there who don’t believe in God but there need to be standards for what qualifies as good behavior. I’m obligated to mention that there will be a final judgment and God will be judging all.
 
A lot of people think being a decent human being is good enough to enter heaven. Most people I’ve associated with think they’re headed to heaven.
 
How do they know there is a heaven? The point I was making with my post is that Catholicism is primarily a worldview.
 
How do they know there is a heaven? The point I was making with my post is that Catholicism is primarily a worldview with a way of life that naturally
 
They probably believe if there is a God, they would go to heaven because they’re a decent person. Their idea of God and heaven is shaped by…no clue. The average noncatholic doesn’t know of purgatory or the variation of sins
 
The average person no doubt has a philiosophy of life as shallow as a kiddy pool.
 
I can just see them saying there is no proof goodness is God’s grace. They might say one can have good morals independent of there being a God. I wish someone who thinks that was was here to have the debate with us!
 
No doubt they’ll be on board soon. Be careful what you wish! LOL
 
This is how I’d respond:

1. Ask them if they’ve ever done something wrong. They have to admit this fact because 'all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). If they say ‘no’ they’re lying because ‘there is none righteous, no, not one’ (Romans 3:10)

2. Explain to them that all sinners, even liars, deserve Hell (Revelation 21:8)

3. Explain that God sent his only Son not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17)

4. Explain that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross (2 Peter 2:24)

5. Explain that they need Jesus because he is the way, the truth and the life. They cannot go to Heaven without him (John 14:7) and unless they believe in him, they will die in their sins (John 8:24)

If they do not believe in the Bible, I would discuss original sin and get them to see that human nature is wounded and inclined towards evil. The history of the last century provides abundant evidence that humanity is profoundly evil. Nobody can deny the realities of original sin because can be empirically proven.
 
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