I’m not. There are more than a few outliers in each side. The fact is you don’t need to be religious to be a good person. Period. One has nothing to do with the other.
Stolen Youth: How the woke, like all totalitarians, are targeting our children (very good read)
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I happen to agree with you. However the standard of "good" cannot be a moving target relative to one's own definitions. I believe @spartansstink is offering that a standard of good is foundational to any respect for carrying out the behavior, and that standard for better or worse comes from our Religious affinity to "good" vs "Evil". Those cannot be situationally applied because for one "Evil" could be interpreted as "good" and vice versa.
So what decides? A standard of morality found in the Bible which has been our source for deciphering where to draw that line. You are correct it doesn't require acceptance of all written there (that requires a measure of Faith) however the principles are timeless and unarguable as our existing standard of morality or (good).
What is arguable against the "Golden rule" found in Matthew 7:12?
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets".
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Matter of fact I'm posting that whole passage because it is a standard of morality ALL can benefit from in terms of living a "good" life. As @NYC_Eer stated, one does not have to believe in Jesus as Lord to follow this sage and timeless advice. However it would be difficult to call yourself "good" or a "good person" not following it!
Matthew 7
Judging others
1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Ask, and It Will Be Given
7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
The Golden Rule
12“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easya that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Build Your House on the Rock
24“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The Authority of Jesus
28And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Matthew 7
Judging others
1“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
6“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Ask, and It Will Be Given
7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
The Golden Rule
12“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easya that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Build Your House on the Rock
24“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The Authority of Jesus
28And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
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True. But, that still makes them the outliers.
The last part I totally disagree with.
Good according to what standard? We've already established that man's morality constantly changes with the times. What was good yesterday isn't today and vice versa. Just as what's considered good today may not be in the future.
It's true that religious people aren't always good. Look at this site for numerous examples. You are called everything and treated terribly sometimes by many who claim to be religious. It just shows how situational their religion is. And, if we telling the truth, you give it back just as well.
The fact is, if we use the Bible as the standard, we are all bad. None of us - you, me, everyone - is bad. That's because that's the foundation that we must build our lives upon because it doesn't change. The foundation is solid but the framework (us) is weak. So, we all are good when the sun is shining and times are good. But, what happens when the storms come? We won't attach ourselves to it so when the winds and water come, we crash into the sea.
Some learn to attach and build on that foundation after years of futility. Others refuse.
Necessary has to be acceptable.
Acceptable is what we can accept.
People can and need to be taught no one owes your nothing after the age of 18 .... black yellow red and white if we all are equal then we all can earn our own way . People being in titled or us excepting mental illness ( transgender and most of this woke equity and equality crap does not have to be acceptable evils. Government is a necessary evil but we only have to accept a limited version.
