Good without God?

The following letter to the local newspaper addresses the plan of the bus company to run the ad of the local atheists on the side of some of their busses.  The sign reads: “Millions of Americans are Good Without God.”  I wrote the following response to both the militant atheists as well as the religious community that had decided to boycott the bus company.  Keep in mind that I am limited to a mere 200 words, thus the whole message must be brief.

There has been an outcry among devout and religious people about the plan to run atheistic ads on Fort Worth busses.  However, maybe we are missing the point.

Professing atheists want us to believe they’re “good” people.  But are they?  Are any of us perfectly “good”?  Only God is truly “good” in the absolute sense, according to Jesus (Mark 10:18).  But people—even atheists—can have a helpful attitude, a gentle spirit, and a kindness toward others (Acts 28:2).

While atheists can be “good” in the above sense, they have no real foundation or ultimate reason for their goodness, thus it is a humanistic and limited “goodness.”  However, since God is good, there is motivation for true Christians to be good, loving, kind, gentle, and peaceful.  God said, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).  When a person comes to God through Jesus Christ, He makes that person a “new creation” and enables that person—through the Holy Spirit—to be genuinely good.  God gives us the power and will to be good with His own goodness.  I refer, of course, to authentic followers of Christ—not hypocritical pretenders.

Unbelievers may proclaim their own goodness, but let’s also remember that “all have sinned” and are in need of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, His Son (Romans 3:23; 5:8).   Even atheists need this good news!

Richard Hollerman

Here is a photo of the Atheist

billboard elsewhere in the USA: