Are you there God? It's me, Megan.

Do you need God to be good?

What an interesting question...

I would think that religion would inspire us to be good. I would hope that religious people would try to do good deeds and fallow in the footsteps of their prophet, Jesus, or religious figure. But is a deity necessary to maintain order here on Earth? I think so. Being held to a higher power than a principal or the justice system inspires individuals to be better than they would otherwise be. There are huge consequences for living immorally, especially in Christianity. Such things as the fear of “ eternal lose” […] and the void of Hell” are incentives for people to do good. With promises like “The Kingdom of God” at stake who wants to risk it (Beedles, Tinder 79)? Imagine if people didn’t have these beliefs? Would they do the right thing? Or would more people give in to the temptations of immorality?

I agree with Tinder in that if we turn from what holds us accountable what will keep us on the straight and narrow(Beedles 88) ? I understand that the promise of forgiveness may allow a follower to wander and commit a crime, but it is important that religion does not define behavior alone, as discussed by Philip D. Harvey. Many elements form a person’s integrity (Beedles 63). Religion isn’t an end all solution it’s a guideline to how people should live. Weather they choose to abide by the “rules” is still free will, but at least these guidelines are no secret. Everyone knows right from wrong; religion just clearly depicts this, weather it be in a church service or in religious text.

This topic brings up a lot of controversial questions. Do we need God to behave well? Based on my experience and understanding, religion guides the decisions of many all around the word. Is a God definitely necessary? Maybe not, but I do believe a God is a valuable source in keeping us in check. Weather it is an internal need to do good or a fear of Hell, I think more often than not, a spiritual belief aids us in making better decisions, at least part of the time.