People are often driven to be good due to their fear of God – i.e. divine retribution! Personally, I find that a sad way to live. Why? Because in my estimation, I wouldn’t act any differently whether God exists. My moral compass never deviates. It doesn’t matter who is watching or listening and that includes a god of any given stature. I live my life using this as my moral compass; I think of my dad, a man I still admire due to his love of life, a person who always went above and beyond for others. A truly decent and well-loved man, and if I can’t honestly say that he’d be proud of my actions, then I rethink my position. For me it’s that simple.
What brought this home again was a posting on Mastodon, regarding a “moral alignment” test. I had a few minutes, so I participated. My results?
Lawful Good
People who are Lawful Good believe that an orderly, strong society with a moral government can work to make life better for the great majority of the people. When the laws are fair and the people respect them and try to help one another, humanity as a whole prospers. Therefore, people who are Lawful Good strive for a social order that will bring the greatest benefit to everyone and cause the least harm. Lawful Good personalities may sometimes find themselves faced with the dilemma of whether to obey the law or do good when the two conflict. For example, when upholding the law of the land would lead to unfairness or harm or when there is a conflict between two orders of what is right, such as between the ways of their community and the law of the government.
I’m in the same blue box as you! 🙂