Why Can't We Just Be Good?

Why do we need religion...why can't we just be good? At first glance, this question seems so profoundly simple that it can be difficult to answer. The individual’s thinking goes like this: (1) Religion is meant to promote good behavior. (2) I live my life trying to be a good person. (3) Therefore, if I behave in accordance with the good, then religion itself is unnecessary. Afterall, the implication of this reasoning is that we do not need religion nor to turn our hearts, minds, and souls to God. God merely wants good, and good is what it’s all about.

The next imperative question then becomes: what does “good” mean?

Good, and notions of “the good,” have been philosophized for millennia. Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, the Church Fathers, and Church Doctors (like St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas) are some examples of the brilliant minds who have written libraries on this topic. “Good” is one of those primary ideas which cannot be strictly defined. 

According to New Advent, a Catholic encyclopedia, there are several divisions of good:

-corporeal good is whatever contributes to the perfection of the purely animal nature;
-spiritual good is that which perfects the spiritual faculty-knowledge, truth;
-useful good is that which is desired merely as a means to something else; the delectable or pleasurable good is any good regarded merely in the light of the pleasure it produces.

The secular implication that being good is the ultimate purpose of religion is quite nebulous about what it means to be good and what is being perfected. When pushed on the matter, the secular notion of good is almost a blend of all three above divisions, seeking to be a “good of everything” principle. It is the idea that our good is simply behavior as individuals that has a benefit to others or society at large.  Being good is seen through values of tolerance and niceness. It can be more about what one does not do than what one actually does. If someone avoids conflict or the imposition of opinions, that can be seen as good. If one refrains from telling tasteless jokes or invites over a neighbor of different racial profile, that too can be good. If one wants peace on earth and takes no action to the contrary, that is good.

The inescapable calamity of this ambiguity of good is twofold. First, it is entirely subjective. The individual, with all of their inherent flaws, biases, sins, and ignorance, becomes the judge of this profoundly philosophical and theological concept. Not only do they define the meaning of good, but they measure their own embodiment of the good. How can anyone accurately determine such a deep and rigorous standard without any form of structure or comparison? Where does the bar for such a standard begin? It relies on little intellectual or moral investigation. It defaults to the most common standards of human society, including providing food and shelter for family, avoiding unnecessary conflict, and acting cordially with others. 

The second, and most grave, way that the personal determination of good self-destructs is because it attempts to avoid God. Regardless of how any one individual explains the ministry of Christ, the overwhelming majority uphold the goodness of his moral teaching. In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Christ makes a striking claim about what good is:

A certain ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.  You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother’ ” (Luke 18:19-20, NCB).

First of all, the emphasis in Christ’s response should be on the term me. The implication is that if the ruler is calling Christ “good” teacher, is that because the ruler understands His divinity? Is the ruler somehow associating Christ with God? In order to know how to be good, one must be able to root individual behavior in reflection and adherence to ancient wisdom. In this case, Christ is referring to the 10 Commandments. What is unavoidable is the necessity of using a standard for good outside of oneself. In this case, religion bonds the collective understanding of this good and gives the individual structure and support for the pursuit of objective good.

The secularist may instantly note that Christ did not command any particular ruler to join a religion. Therefore, one conclusion can be drawn that religion is still unnecessary, and it is the teachings (the commandments) that lead us to our salvation. Even if someone accepts that conclusion, there is a key component of what Christ declared that needs addressing: you know the commandments. The emphasis is on knowledge. The knowledge in question comes from beyond the individual.

Knowledge is extremely important and often overlooked. Knowledge comes in many forms and builds over centuries. Does the good in 13th century Germany look the same as the good in the 21st century United States? Certainly not. Our notion of good must address the context of our times. Sinful traps such as internet pornography did not exist in the 13th century. One could falsely conclude that it is acceptable to use heroin on a daily basis and still be practicing the good because there is nothing to be said about heroin use in the 10 Commandments. In fact, there is nothing to be said about addiction at all in the 10 Commandments. Is it then logical to deduce that our behavior is good, or pleasing to God, as long as we simply don’t violate the big ten? The vast majority, if not entirety, of moral and religious thinkers would say no…that’s not enough. 

The Jews of Christ’s time were well-aware of this. They tested him by asking him about following the 10 Commandments. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read:

When the Pharisees learned that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and, to test him, one of them, a lawyer, asked this question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Everything in the Law and the Prophets depends on these two commandments” (22:34-40, NCB). To "be good" must include a love of God. As Christ declares, the way one loves a fellow human being is also how one shows love for God.