Today I was listening to Speaking of Faith, a program on NPR.
http://www.speakingoffaith.org/programs/2003/08/29_whistle/
They were interviewing Colleen Rowley, the whistle blower who worked for the FBI and wanted to investigate Mussoui, before September 11th.
She was, and so was the host, making the arguement that having a strong religious faith allows one to do the right thing in the face of adversity, and going against the grain, not following the herd blah blah blah. The host asked, can you have ethics without faith?
Rowley sort of lamely said that ethics can be a religion unto themselves, but it all boiled down to, being good meant doing so for a greater good.
While I agree with that, i don't feel that the greater good is God. Which is what they were trying to emphasize (In my opinion--you can hear the interview yourself at the link I provided).
As someone who is becoming increasingly athiest I tend to bristle at this. I am far more "ethical" and concientious of how I treat others while not being a christian. (I dunno if this is due to the fact I have matured, or because I saw how un-ethical and cruel JW christians can be despite all their hollering that they are in-fact christ-like).
Rowley also read a poem, attributed to be at the bedside of Mother Theresa. I have heard this poem before, and have embraced it whole heartedly...but I heard this version only.
"Anyway"
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self centered
Forgive them anyway
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives
Be kind anyway
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies
Succeed anyway
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you
Be honest and frank anyway
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight
Build anyway
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous
Be happy anyway
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow
Do good anyway
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough
Give the world the best you've got anyway
She (Rowley) then said, she saw another version that ended with these lines...
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God
It was never between you and them anyway
This is a fine bit of thelogical rhetoric, if you ask me from an artistic standpoint it stunts the flow of the poem, and changes it's meaning. Which is the orginal reason for this post, and why I bristle that "Ethics need Religion" to be effective and followed through on.
Speaking as someone who no longer believes in God, which is "better" Doing good because I should do good because that's what humans need to do for each other and their environment in order to survive and make life worth living, (which I believe is the message of the first half of the poem) or should I do good because someone on high is watching, and really let me have it at the end if I don't?
This is what's always bothered me about religion. Do you do good for the sake of doing good, or do you do it for the sake of looking good during the highlight reel?
Christians, I welcome your comments, I really do. I am not trying to sound high and mighty. How do you reconsile the two? Do you do it (being "good") for God or humanity?