A Good Person

[JohnDB]

Ok. Several stories of late have come to my attention.

A co-worker of my wife's had a genetic DNA test done to see who else she might be related to and ancestry etc.
She found out that her father isn't really her biological father. Then upon further investigation of her mother's diary... well let's just say that EVERY ONE liked her mom.
She was raised in the church...her parents pillars of the community. Her brother is currently a deacon and wants to sweep the whole thing under the rug... because their mother was a "Good Person".

My evil and wacko ex wife did (and likely still does) some of the most wicked and evil things but believes that she is a "Good Person".

Then there are the television interviews of the parents of some guys who committed some atrocities with firearms. The mother always quoted as saying, "I don't understand...he was always such a good boy".

What does that mean anyway?

What quantifies as a Good Person?

 

[civilwarbuff]

Mar 10:18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Nobody is good except for one—God. ESV
Shouldn't that put that question to rest?

Ok. Several stories of late have come to my attention.

A co-worker of my wife's had a genetic DNA test done to see who else she might be related to and ancestry etc.
She found out that her father isn't really her biological father. Then upon further investigation of her mother's diary... well let's just say that EVERY ONE liked her mom.
She was raised in the church...her parents pillars of the community. Her brother is currently a deacon and wants to sweep the whole thing under the rug... because their mother was a "Good Person".

My evil and wacko ex wife did (and likely still does) some of the most wicked and evil things but believes that she is a "Good Person".

Then there are the television interviews of the parents of some guys who committed some atrocities with firearms. The mother always quoted as saying, "I don't understand...he was always such a good boy".

What does that mean anyway?

What quantifies as a Good Person?

 

[JohnDB]

Mar 10:18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "Nobody is good except for one—God. ESV
Shouldn't that put that question to rest?

Oh obviously we have the answer

But my question refers to what are THEY thinking?

 

[civilwarbuff]

What does that mean anyway?

What quantifies as a Good Person?

Those were your questions....I believe the scripture from Mark answers them.
Would you like to rephrase your questions?

 

[reba]

Context matters ...

 

[Nathan]

Ok. Several stories of late have come to my attention.

A co-worker of my wife's had a genetic DNA test done to see who else she might be related to and ancestry etc.
She found out that her father isn't really her biological father. Then upon further investigation of her mother's diary... well let's just say that EVERY ONE liked her mom.
She was raised in the church...her parents pillars of the community. Her brother is currently a deacon and wants to sweep the whole thing under the rug... because their mother was a "Good Person".

My evil and wacko ex wife did (and likely still does) some of the most wicked and evil things but believes that she is a "Good Person".

Then there are the television interviews of the parents of some guys who committed some atrocities with firearms. The mother always quoted as saying, "I don't understand...he was always such a good boy".

What does that mean anyway?

What quantifies as a Good Person?

Humans quantify "goodness" based on a scale. They pile all the good stuff on one side, and the bad on the other.

Which side tips is the winner.

Not the way God judges.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

What quantifies as a Good Person?

The 'good' person's behavior is not perfect but they see their intention as trying to be good, and they succeed to a certain degree. That kind of person has the world's sympathy. The world respects that kind of person because it can relate to that kind of person. Paul makes reference to the world's 'good' person here:

7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die." (Romans 5:7 NASB)

The world can't identify with the righteous person, but it can identify very well with the 'good', but not perfect, person and may even die for them. 'Good' people are always honored above righteous people. Even the world knows the difference between the two.

 

[JohnDB]

Sooooo.

If a person always speaks kindly...
If they appear helpful...
Physically attractive is also a plus
No obvious, blatant "unacceptable" vice and Viola...you are a good person...

Nevermind the reality of being permiscuous, liar, cowardly, greedy, unfaithful, uncaring, imbezzler...you still get the label of being "good".

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Sooooo.

If a person always speaks kindly...
If they appear helpful...
Physically attractive is also a plus
No obvious, blatant "unacceptable" vice and Viola...you are a good person...

Nevermind the reality of being permiscuous, liar, cowardly, greedy, unfaithful, uncaring, imbezzler...you still get the label of being "good".

That's right.
Deep down we're all really good people.

 

[JohnDB]

That's right.
Deep down we're all really good people.

Of course...
You even throw spare change in the kettle for the bell ringer at Christmas... although in reality you never have any because you always use your debit card.

 

[LovethroughDove]

My evil and wacko ex wife did (and likely still does) some of the most wicked and evil things but believes that she is a "Good Person".

I have people in my life like this. They don't know what the light looks like (John 3:19), but they do know how to pose as (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

 

[reba]

Sooooo.

If a person always speaks kindly...
If they appear helpful...
Physically attractive is also a plus
No obvious, blatant "unacceptable" vice and Viola...you are a good person...

Nevermind the reality of being permiscuous, liar, cowardly, greedy, unfaithful, uncaring, imbezzler...you still get the label of being "good".

back to context..

 

[JohnDB]

back to context..

The context of what the heathen consider "a good person"...and sometimes a deacon of a church.

 

[GodsGrace]

Ok. Several stories of late have come to my attention.

A co-worker of my wife's had a genetic DNA test done to see who else she might be related to and ancestry etc.
She found out that her father isn't really her biological father. Then upon further investigation of her mother's diary... well let's just say that EVERY ONE liked her mom.
She was raised in the church...her parents pillars of the community. Her brother is currently a deacon and wants to sweep the whole thing under the rug... because their mother was a "Good Person".

My evil and wacko ex wife did (and likely still does) some of the most wicked and evil things but believes that she is a "Good Person".

Then there are the television interviews of the parents of some guys who committed some atrocities with firearms. The mother always quoted as saying, "I don't understand...he was always such a good boy".

What does that mean anyway?

What quantifies as a Good Person?

Hi John,

What is a good person?
It depends what you compare a good person to.

If you compare a good person to a worse person, they are a good person.
If you compare a good person to a really evil person, they are a very good person.

Then there's the subjectivity, of course. It depends what you're talking about?
Everything is subjective. Is lying being bad? No. Then one must be a good person.
Is cursing every now and then being bad? No. Then one must surely be a good person.
They haven't killed anybody, have they??
THAT would be a bad person.

Of course, if one compares themselves to GOD, then NO ONE is a good person.

That's why a Christian could be very holy (set apart) and obedient as much as possible, and still feel like a sinner.
Why? Because he's comparing himself to Almighty God, the true light.

SO...

The bad person could feel like a good person.

And the good person could feel like a bad person.

Funny.

 

[JohnDB]

So in order to be a "good person" one needs a healthy amount of cognitive dissonance?

 

[GodsGrace]

So in order to be a "good person" one needs a healthy amount of cognitive dissonance?

Absolutely!

Whatever that is...

cognitive dissonance

• Examples
• Word Origin

noun, Psychology.
1.
anxiety that results from simultaneously holding contradictory or otherwise incompatible attitudes, beliefs, or the like, as when one likes a person but disapproves strongly of one of his or her habits.


Hmmmm. Maybe not.

I don't think our good people have any anxiety because they really believe they are good and don't really know any better...

(and stop talking like we're all psychiatrists. Thanks!)

 

[Nathan]

So in order to be a "good person" one needs a healthy amount of cognitive dissonance?

Truthfully, in order to be a good person, someone has to be something they are not. Therefore, it is impossible to actually be a good person.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Ok. Several stories of late have come to my attention.

A co-worker of my wife's had a genetic DNA test done to see who else she might be related to and ancestry etc.
She found out that her father isn't really her biological father. Then upon further investigation of her mother's diary... well let's just say that EVERY ONE liked her mom.
She was raised in the church...her parents pillars of the community. Her brother is currently a deacon and wants to sweep the whole thing under the rug... because their mother was a "Good Person".

My evil and wacko ex wife did (and likely still does) some of the most wicked and evil things but believes that she is a "Good Person".

Then there are the television interviews of the parents of some guys who committed some atrocities with firearms. The mother always quoted as saying, "I don't understand...he was always such a good boy".

What does that mean anyway?

What quantifies as a Good Person?

There's several paradigms of goodness. Each one can be used loosely on a person to make them acceptable to themselves while also condemningly look at those who don't meet the code. (Or visa versa, to hate themselves wile looking up to others). In this way goodness can be shaped for based on a person's indivual philosophy, and they can hold themselves to that philosophy (even with a few slip ups) and count themselves as a good and upstanding person. Morals, work ethic, responsiblity, kindness, strictness to what's right, even comparative considerations like the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collecter at the temple. The Pharasee listed all the good things he did, as well as not being like the tax collector.

"I might not be a good person, but at least I'm not like __________." "I am a good person because of A, B, C, and not being like _____________". Or "I'm good because A, B, C, and because I'm accepting of others and open minded."

Those are three different rationelles of being acceptable to one's self and holding their standards. The first at least sees their faults but doesn't care about them, because at least they aren't like something really bad. They might be people who are often told how bad they are and stopped caring, or people who know they are bad and trying to move one without looking back. The second rationelle is like the Pharsee in Jesus's parable of the Pharesse and the tax collector. The third one I've also seen now a days. People don't want to judge others and consquence you they lose a piece of their standard. (And sometime when they are honest and angry, they can see that they do have standards and aren't completely open).

Either way. these are the common formats I see that rationalize people to be good, and They show the wisdom of Proverbs 21:2 to be accurate. A person thinks their own ways are right, but God judges the heart.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

Another thing to consider is how is God's goodness not recognized? If people look at God as a loving parent, then His standards are good for us. If a person looks at God as an oppressive tyrant, they don't care about what the standards are as much as the conclusions based on tyrants and dictators in both histor and in present times. This is something I've seen and heard in conversations with others or overhearing them in conversations they have among themselves. And it's a horribly sad one. We should be able to show the goodness of God to others and it not be a difficult thing.

 

[GodsGrace]

Truthfully, in order to be a good person, someone has to be something they are not. Therefore, it is impossible to actually be a good person.

:nod