Good vs. Evil: Contrasting the Humanist View with the Religious View

I didn't get too far in my reading this morning before my blood started to boil.

On page 134 of "The Shack", the author attempts to explain why "God" not only allows, but arranges for bad things to happen to good people. Sarayu (the Holy Ghost), is staged in a conversation with Mack (the main character) for the following dialogue:

"Let me begin by asking you a question. When something happens to you, how do you determine whether it is good or evil?"

Mack thought for a moment before answering. "I guess I would say that something is good when I like it--when it makes me feel good or gives me a sense of security. Conversely, I'd call something evil that causes me pain or costs me something I want.

"...Some things I initially thought were good turned out to be horribly destructive, and some things that I thought were evil, well, they turned out..."

He hesitated before finishing his thought, but Sarayu interrupted. "Then it is you who determines good and evil. You become the judge. And to make things more confusing, that which you determine to be good will change over time and circumstance. And then beyond that and even worse, there are billions of you each determining what is good and what is evil. So when your good and evil clashes with your neighbor's, fights and arguments ensue and even wars break out."

The author then goes into this double-speak type of logic that connects this all back to the "tree of knowledge of good and evil", and what a literal calamity it was that Eve partook of it, saying, "A problem? Indeed! The choice to eat of that tree tore the universe apart divorcing the spiritual from the physical. They [Adam and Eve] died, expelling in the breath of their choice the very breath of God. I would say that is a problem!"

This is when the author went into the most damaging logic, which is absolutely frighting to me when I realize how many people have bought into this book; hook, line and sinker. Taken from page 136:

"So there is a way to fix [mankind's insane lust for independence]?" asked Mack.

"You must give up your right to decide what is good and evil on your own terms. That is a hard pill to swallow; choosing to only live in me. To do that you must know me enough to trust me and learn to rest in my inherent goodness."

Well, since religion is primarily of interest to the uneducated, what did this paragraph just accomplish? If this is supposedly the Holy Ghost talking to Mack, and the reader has just been counselled to "only live in me" and "know me enough to trust me", then how, exactly is that accomplished?

This is how...by going to church and "learning about the Holy Ghost" through the words of a preacher...a man! You are essentially being told to follow the leaders of your church blindly, and now, worse than that, "...give up your right to decide what is good and evil on your own terms...choosing to only live in me."

I have a better idea. Rather than follow "a man" who claims to be "speaking the word of God", why don't you just trust yourself...your own inner goodness?

The following is from a new web site that people are being directed to from ads on the sides of buses in Washington DC. The website is http://www.whybelieveinagod.org/.

"Many people imagine that the only way to be good in this world is through belief in a god. But is that really necessary? Must we be bound by moral dictates set down in “sacred” texts written hundreds, if not thousands of years ago? Must we accept the authority and judgments of “spiritual” leaders and religious hierarchy? Does religious faith offer the only lens through which to judge life’s events?

The answer to these questions is no! There is another way for us to approach life. We can have ethics and values based on our built-in drives toward a moral life. And we can expand on these by adding what we have learned over time, building on tested principles while weighing consequences—all in the light of compassion and reason. Our ideals and principles can thus adapt to face the new moral dilemmas that arise in our ever-changing and increasingly complex world. Although there are few simple answers to life’s problems, we can be confident in the decisions we make—not because someone told us what is right but because we relied on our own careful reasoning and emotional reflection. We can live a life that accepts and appreciates the world as it is, and makes changes where possible, without needing to see supernatural explanations behind every event. This is a positive and uplifting approach.

Such a way of life is called humanism. Humanists use reason and the tools of science to better understand our world and the best way to live in it. Humanists understand that compassion for fellow human beings, as well as an acknowledgement of their inherent dignity and worth, must form the basis of our interactions with each other. Humanists are free of belief in any god or afterlife. We must make the best of this one life that we have.

If this is how you, also, see the world, then you are a humanist. So why not learn more about the American Humanist Association and the friendly people who are enjoying humanist activities in your area?
[end of excerpt]

My advice to you this Sunday is that you stay home from church and start living your own independent life. This web page would be a good start.