Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe [Hardcover]

A lot of books have been written in the last few years exploring whether or not there is a God. This is not one of them.

Refreshingly, Greg Epstein starts a step further down along the line of debate. His premise, stated simply, is this; However they got there, there is now a significant portion of the population who simply do not believe in God. And yet most of them (including himself)live what would be thought of by most as perfectly "good" lives, raising their children, taking care of their parents, helping out in the community, and the like. They are people you would like to have as neighbors. So if they don't believe in God, why do they act in this way? Why aren't they all out marauding, looting and pillaging? If not God, what do they believe in?

Of course, there is no one answer. But in a straight-forward, learned, yet conversational style, Epstein takes us on a brief tour of the history of non-religious based thought and ethics (which extends back as far as religious history.) He then turns to explaining a simple, rational, functional basis for exploring morality and ethics in society, and how one can do this by synthesizing the lessons of history and human experience, aided by science and research. But Epstein's emphasis is on the story of the human experience. He recognizes there are needs beyond cold rationalism to find out what is important in life. There is a place for a sense of awe, for humility, for art and nature. But he finds it in places other than a belief in God.

Epstein knows that atheism is a negative statement, that is to say, a statement of what is not believed rather than what is believed. This leads him to spend the later chapters in an explanation of Humanism, a "lifestance" (his word, which I like immensely) rather than a religion, encompassing a view of life in which compassion, joy, service and human interaction is lived and celebrated for its own sake. One of the strengths of the book is that this Lifestance is not presented in a confrontational mode. He does not shape this explanation in terms of "this is better than religion" although it is clear it makes more sense to him. Rather, it is presented as a "here is what I believe, and more importantly, why it makes sense to me" fashion. He is quick, and even eager, to point out that many of the ideas that shape Humanism are recognizble in religious traditions as well. These lessons are not to be tossed out just because one doesn't believe in God. Some still make sense, some do not. His emphasis throughout is that the important thing is what people do and how they behave to each other.

The books of Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens argue that belief in God makes no sense. If your question is whether there is a god, then read those authors (and their religious counterparts.) But if you are now at a place where that question is settled, the question that then presents itself is- how do I live my life? Greg Epstein provides an answer in this excellent book, which is sure to be a work that will resonate for years to come.

My favorite independent bookstore in the whole world is owned by a brother/sister pair of atheists. On separate occasions, each of them reached for Good Without God when they saw me walk in, held it up, and said "Hey, you might be interested in this book." It made me fear that I have something ungodly about my appearance. But you know, they were right. I DID find this book interesting. Rather than get caught in a withering cross-fire from atheists on one side, and devout believers in God on the other, let me take cover behind the always popular FAQ format.

FAQ's about Good Without God:

Q. A bit about the author?
A. Greg Epstein is the Humanist chaplain/rabbi at Harvard University. He has a B.A. in Religion and in Chinese, and also a Master of Arts in Judaic Studies, both degrees from the University of Michigan. He's a musician and has played in a rock and roll band.

Q. Greg Epstein does not believe in a God, does he have a theory as to why so many people do?
A. Yes, he does. Perhaps his most interesting theory is the "God is a Mental Spandrel" hypothesis. A spandrel is the somewhat triangular space that exists between two adjacent archs. Envision the row of arches often seen in the interior of large cathedrals or mosques, often lining the sides of the church: there is a pillar, then an arch that connects to the next pillar, then an arch to the next pillar, etc. Often, the space between each arch is filled in with masonry, and subsequently richly illustrated with designs or drawings. These filled in spaces are called spandrels. The God spandrel, Epstein conjectures, is based on two evolutionary traits of the human brain, both deeply ingrained. The first is Causality. If we humans weren't good at causality, we wouldn't be good at surviving. Put your hand in the fire, you'll get burned. Pet a sabretooth tiger, you'll get bit. Cause, effect. The second trait is that because WE experience consciousness, we attribute that quality of experience to other things: other people, our pets, trees, even our cars when we curse at them for not starting. Between our drive to attribute cause and effect to everything we see, and our drive to somewhat indiscriminately recognize consciousness all around us, is the mental spandrel that we fill in: God. God is a wonderful CAUSE in life, and we like attributing CONSCIOUSNESS to that CAUSE.

Q. Without God giving us the rules (e.g. the Ten Commandments for Judeo-Christians, other sets of rules for other folks), why would anyone be ethical, or good? Why not party hardy until we drop? Why not rape and pillage whenever we think we can safely get away with it, if God isn't up there with a ledger keeping score?
A. Because, Epstein says, we desire dignity. I'll quote Epstein on dignity: "There's a state in which you're aware of your own vulnerability and mortality, and that awareness allows you to connect with others from a place of strength and empowerment." "Being in this state feels good in both the short term and long term--good enough to motivate us strongly. And so our goal is to get there and try to stay there." Not exactly Kant's Categorical Imperative, but fertile thought for a rousing red wine and beer fueled book club discussion.

Q. Is Humanism a religion?
A. Well, of course, define religion. But here's one listed definition: "A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion." And by that definition, yes, humanism is a religion, with movements within movements, vigorous attempts to define the tenets of humanism, even churches of humanism (one of which is in Central Park). Epstein himself, with the title of both chaplain and rabbi, unmistakably evokes a sense of religion. He becomes even more evocative of religion when he includes detailed information regarding humanist holidays, humanistic rituals for births, deaths, and marriages (none of which involve the blood of infants of other faiths!).

Q. Is Epstein an evangelist?
A. This is what Rabbi Epstein has to say to you, if you don't believe in God but do want to make the world a better place: "That's why I am asking you now, whether in conjunction with a local Humanist, atheist, or secular group, or on your own initiative if no such group exists near you, to organize a meeting about Humanism in your home, or elsewhere in your neighborhood." And he says, "This is the beginning -only a beginning--of a movement that will change our world....As we can learn from a nearly two-thousand-year-old saying, it is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it. Let us go out and make a difference now." In, short, I'd say the answer to the question is affirmative.

You'll have your own questions, without a doubt. A few parting thoughts. For those of you that feel that godless people are Satan incarnate, Good Without God is an important opportunity to read the list of charitable social programs that have been started by humanists, and an illuminating look into the minds of people that don't believe in God, but dedicate their lives to doing good. You'll like Rabbi Epstein. If he believed in souls, I'd say he had a compassionate and caring one. Me? Though I was once enrolled in a Franciscan seminary to become a Catholic priest, I'm now a non-believer (and a do-gooder). Epstein does not speak for me. I don't like the "oughtness" of his call to do good. I am not a humanist. Maybe a planet-ist, or a universe-ist, but Epstein's focus on humans as the apparent rotational axis of the world is slightly, oddly, offensive to me. There is way more going on out there than the little tide pool we humans are splashing around in, and the infinities of wonder that existence holds seems diminished by the term "humanist. If my dog could understand it (he's a very bright dog) he would call "Humanism" an exclusive, rather than an inclusive, term.

The release of a Greg Epstein's book, Good Without God, is a welcome resource for anyone who wishes to have more than just a superficial idea of what it means to be a humanist. In his discussion, Epstein reaches out to a wide range of people: nonbelievers, nonreligious, atheists, agnostics, anyone who do does not feel that their morality is derived from a belief in a god. Even the progressively religious can be humanist, or at least friendly allies, since the basic framework for being a humanist is to seek the best in yourself and others, and to believe in your own ability to make a positive difference in the world.

Good Without God does not focus on criticizing faith based beliefs; rather it seeks to bring an understanding of the natural goodness of humanity. It emphasizes the need for humanists to carve out a space in society in which like-minded, concerned, nonreligious citizens can come together to share their beliefs, celebrate life, and collaborate in making the world a better place for everyone. As a group, we should look for and expect more than simply toleration from society. Rejecting and refusing to accept alienation from religious communities and making our collective voices heard is an important theme in the book. As Epstein emphasizes "being a good person in a vacuum is not a very satisfying experience". We too, crave fellowship with people in a forum that is inclusive, supportive, and one in which we can grow together.

Morality is not about sinners and saints, heaven and hell, damnation and punishment. It's about alleviating unnecessary suffering and promoting human flourishing and dignity. As the Author emphasizes, "Not a single version of the golden rule requires a god". The time has long since come for the creation and recognition of a common forum in which nonreligious people can together mark life's events - marriages, births, deaths and a shared understanding of life. As Epstein emphasizes, within this forum we can "develop aesthetically powerful rituals and a sense of engagement with culture, serve the community with uncommon bravery and measureable success; and play a leading role in the most urgent social struggles of the age." This book leaves no doubt that "Being Good" is a characteristic that is not solely derived from living in awe and fear of a god. Being good blossoms from the hearts of people who feel the awe of nature, are energized by the bonds of love, sympathize with the plight of those in need, and are moved to action to make the world a better place. The sincerity of these emotions and the virtues they evoke do not depend upon an outside force. They come from within.