All humans have some good qualities that make them good people in their own ways. Over the years of growing up in a moderately Christian household, I often wondered why we did the things we did. Did we do them to be good people? Does going to church every Sunday because you feel you will live in a utopia after you die make you a better person? I often wondered what I was getting out of church, but I could never figure it out. Over the years of wandering threads of thought, I came to the realization and opinion that going to church is largely a social thing, and doing things for the purpose of eternal life is somewhat selfish when you don’t really understand the reason you’re doing the things you do.
I now consider myself an atheist and I like to read about different religions to see the good aspects of each religion. I think being a good person means taking the time and energy to do something for somebody else. People are essentially what make other people happy. Selfishness and spoiling of one’s self can bring a degree of happiness, but it can also bring on a form of emptiness. Without unselfishness and gratuity toward others, I don’t think a person can ever have complete happiness.
While growing up, I believed that going to church makes you a good person. I now realize that the unselfish things my Mother did for me to make growing up easier, and the unselfish things my father did for me to bring some fun into my life were far superior in making them good people than going to church. Although I think I should do more, I’m done school and I don’t have a wife or kids to worry about, so I’m going to participate in various programs that I believe in. Everyone has their own way of giving back, in little ways and in big ways. I believe you have to enjoy and believe in something to be successful at it, and if you’re doing something for someone else, it will only make you happier about yourself and others.