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On Being Good People Without Belief in God
The other day I got to watch a lively debate between James White and Adnan Rashid. The theme was the age-old Christian-Muslim contention on the necessity of the cross for salvation, and some remarkably interesting things were said. Dr White waxed eloquent on penal substitutionary atonement and the doctrine of righteousness by faith, while Mr Rashid maintained that strict obedience to the law was sufficient for salvation. Whatever the outcome, the debate highlighted some fundamental principles so largely neglected in the Christian and Muslim worlds. The discussion appears abstract until most of us realise that we have participated in the conversation in some form or other. Just recently, a close friend asked me of the relevance of Christ for moral development. ‘Is it not arrogant,’ she said, ‘of Christians to presume that individuals cannot live moral lives unless they become Christian? Is it not enough to be kind to others without accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour?’ I discovered that the traditional dismissive response does not suffice. These are important questions which demand a brave analysis of core Christian convictions. What does it mean to be justified by faith? What role, if any, does the law play in salvation?
The ultimate answer is that all have sinned and come short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23) and that it is once we are justified by faith…
