What makes a person "good" or "bad"?

Question

I am just wondering, not trying to start any battles, but when people say they believe they will get to Heaven because they are a good person, what exactly does that mean? I have a few questions:

1) What makes a person good?

2) Who get's to decide what makes a person good or bad and what gives them the right to determine what's good or bad?

3) Where do these morals or right and wrong originate?

4) So you acknowledge a Heaven and God, but you think you don't have to follow God's rules to get to Heaven? You are just banking on the thought that you are "good enough"? Which mistakes do you think are okay to write off...because face it. We all make mistakes.

I'm just wondering. Thanks for your answers! No thanks if you're trying to start trouble with the keyboard.

Answer 1

Yeah, thats an interesting one...

The only way to be "good" is to become one with God as Christ explained to us.  You have to give up the things you want and do the things God wants- the things that are best for you in the eternal perspective.  

Thankfully God is forgiving and allows us all to act dumb and still forgives us anyway.  

Answer 2

1. Good behavior is in service to others. Bad or evil behavior is in service to self.

2. Society, defines good and bad and codifies it into laws. It's about behavior not the intrinsic value of the person.

3. Morality is defined by society or by a subset of society such a s a church or group that has more stringent standards. What is moral and right in one society is immoral and wrong in another time and place.

4. No, I don't necessarily. I believe in God but not in the typical Christian view of Heaven as a place in the (Christian style) afterlife.

I'm not banking on anything. I'm doing my part to create the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. Mistakes are mistakes. We do the best we can w/ the information we have at the time.

You sound like you have more on your mind than "just wondering." Your 4th question sounds like a bit of "starting trouble w/ the keyboard." You should try to eliminate your attitude from your writing if you're truly just wondering and not wanting to start trouble.

Answer 3

God alone is good.  Good actions are those within the will of God.  No one stays within the will of God all of the time except God Himself.

The keyboard and I are getting along fine.  Thanks.

Answer 4

Someone is good if they don't inflict harm on anyone else and mostly does what they feel is morally right, like don't kick your dog, don't sleep with your best friend bf, treat others as you would like to be treated etc, it has nothing to do with heaven or h**l, and yeah we all can't be good all the time so try for most of the time, it's all on you. you can choose to be a "Good" person, or "Bad" person , to tell you the truth I reall don't think it's one or the other, we all can be bad and good sometimes but do we really care , that's the question.

Answer 5

Nothing makes a person good.  The only goodness in mankind is through the Lord.  We are all sinners.  There is nothing that any of us can do to merit us a place in heaven.  It is only through Christ's saving grace that we can get into heaven.  People who say that they will get into heaven because they are good people aren't going to heaven because they think they can earn their way there and you can't.  Only through Jesus Christ can you get to heaven.

Answer 6

God knows our hearts and I think we will be rewarded based on both our faith and our works.

Answer 7

Nobody can be "good" or "bad", but they can perform actions that are good or bad.  We do not get morality from religion, so it's up to society as a whole to decide what is a good action, and what is a bad one.  And that is, of course, subject to change over time.  Maybe now a majority of people feel that the death sentence is morally acceptable, but in 50 years they may not.  

And there is no heaven or god, so don't worry about it.

Answer 8

1) If they act for the greater good of all people.  But broadly, they have to respect the rights of others and do things to help other people.

2) Society collectively decides who is good or bad.  This definition can drift as society changes, but at the core, our morality is pretty much the same as it has ever been.  Don't kill or hurt others, play nice, help your friends and neighbors.

3) These morals come from tradition and evolution -- they have been preserved because they enable us to live together and accomplish greater things.

4) I guess this doesn't apply to me, but I think that since we all make mistakes, we shouldn't punish people for every single mistake.  Imagine raising a child and saying, "You can't make any mistakes, or else you are kicked out of the house forever."

Answer 9

1. I don't know what makes a person good. When I think of a good person, I think of someone who is loving, caring, tolerant of others, etc. Basically someone who doesn't do anything to purposefully harm someone else.

2. I guess it depends on what you believe. I believe ultimately, God makes those decisions, but I also believe that he has messengers here on the earth to enforce his choices. At least, to make his choices known. No one can force anyone to be "good" or "bad". We always have the right to make our own choices; we just need to be willing to face the consequences.

3. As far back as we human beings have existed, I believe these morals have as well.

4. I do think if you acknowledge God and Heaven, you need to be prepared to follow His rules to get there. Faith without works is dead... you can't just coast there. You do have to do things which demonstrate or prove your faith. You have to be doing the things he asks of you. I don't think you can really write off any mistakes.... I do believe we learn from every mistake we make, and every sin we commit.... I believe that repentance is vital to returning to Heaven.

Answer 10

No one is "good" some people just do some nice things.

Answer 11

It's my opinion that most things one would consider "bad" begin from the ego or an unyielding perspective of self-interest.

Answer 12

correction No one is perfectly good.

even jesus denied that he was Good, only God the father is good.

to answer the question specifically: choice makes a person good or evil

but environment and social engineering can force a person into unbelief and to follow evil, if a person can have their memory and options erased of good choices.

even still one can still choose good and to choose repentance

Answer 13

A good person is always just.

"The just man serves neither God nor creature; he is free; and the more he is just the more he is free and the more he is freedom itself."

"The just seeks nothing in his work; only thralls and hirelings ask anything for work, or work for any why. If you would be informed with, transformed into righteousness, have no ulterior purpose in your work; form no idea in time or eternity, not reward nor happiness nor this nor that, for truly such works are dead." Meister Eckhart.

A just person is a Warrior of the Light.

God love you!

Answer 14

Bad is the debasement of life, its selfish, greedy and does not look on others with charity or love but only uses them for thier purposes. It mocks any thought of creator and has the universe revolve around themselves only for their pleasure.

Good sees the beauty of the Creator in all things, not just the trees and stars but in the people that are his brothers and sisters in this valley of tears and sufferings.  Always with a goal of the light of Christ and happiness for eternity that will soon come.

Answer 15

Each of us is endowed with a "guidence" system called a conscience, or Light of Christ.  We have our agency also so we have what amounts to a radio tuned to a good channel.  But we can ignore or change that channel.  When we choose good we do good, here is good:

13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Going farther the moral base than can be influenced by our race, culture, and religion as well.   Doing good as a Pigmy might not be the same as doing good as a french person.  Doing good as a Muslim is not the sdame as a Mormon.

But all good is personified in God.

Based on the Scriptures and my understanding being good is "good" but will not get you to heaven alone.  You must act on it.  Act on your faqint and hope in the Savior.  You must make the atonement of force in your life by the way you act toward yourself and others.  Christ gave us a clear pattern, be baptized, keep the commandments, gerow in the spirit, serve others.  As you do this you become better.

Finally this will help, it is longer but approprate:

8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

2 Ne 2:9

9 Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

2 Ne 2:10

10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement--

2 Ne 2:11

11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

2 Ne 2:12

12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

2 Ne 2:13

13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.

2 Ne 2:14

14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon.

2 Ne 2:15

15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.

2 Ne 2:16

16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.

Answer 16

Its all perspective and justification

Answer 17

According to the Bible

"There is no one righteous, nay, not one."

Only God is good.

Believe on the name of Jesus Christ and be saved.

You cannot be good enough to get to Heaven.

However, when you live in God's love, sin becomes less appealing over time.  This is called sanctification.