Question: Is it possible to live a good life without Christianity?
There are many ways to approach this question. The traditional answer would be a simple "no", the reason being that no person can live a perfectly moral life, and need God's redemption to atone for this imperfection.
But will that simplistic answer stand? Is that all there is to it? Is Christianity a means to live a good and moral life? Can you not reach that end through some other means? If so, what good, then, is Christianity?
In previous generations, a "good" life was widely held to be one where an individual has a satisfying job (both financially and enjoyable), a nice, nuclear family, and makes a significant contribution to his or her local community as well as the wider humanity at large. But this definition of a good life will no longer stand in the current age of relativism and post-modernism. What is seen as a good life to one person may seem dull, unadventurous and indeed a waste of a life to another. To say that Christianity is the only means to live a good life sounds at best nonsensical, and at worst intolerant and self-righteous.
Moreover, greater dialogue with other cultures and religions has shown us that there are millions of industrious, friendly, "good" people who follow the teachings of Buddha, Confucius, Islam, or even Dawkins. I have a close friend who is something of an inspiration to me - a mother, wife, medical professional, who has undertaken clinical research as well as academic teaching. She juggles all of these with patience, compassion, and a sort of humble, understated confidence. When asked if she is a Christian, she said, "I don't do religion."
If it is your aim merely to live a good life in the here and now, you can certainly achieve it without Christianity. All you need is some self-help books (or even some affirmational internet memes!), meditation, a good diet and regular exercise. Ostensibly, you could even do the post-modern thing, which is to reject traditional notions of goodness, and redefine "good" as whatever your life looks like right now. And voila, you're living a good life. No need to give your life to Christ.
If I don't need Christianity to live a good life, then what is Christianity good for?
Once upon a time, there was nothing. Nothing existed except God - a powerful, infinite God, who created everything in the universe out of the mere power of his word. He made everything, and saw it was "good" - defining "good" as that which pleases the Creator.
Unique among all his creations - and they are many - he made one peculiar being - man. This being was made from dust, humble compared to the grandeur of the oceans and stars and galaxies and elephants and whales. A small, pink blob of flesh and bone, whose very life was God-breathed (Gen 2:7). This strange, small creature of flesh and bone was given the very image of God, and set over creation to have dominion over it (Gen 1:29), and enjoying intimate closeness and communication with with the Sovereign God. God gave man some instructions - which were surely to be followed with joy, because the man was created for this - to look after creation and fill it with other who will also enjoy closeness with God.
There was a particular fruit which the man must not eat - because eating it will surely bring death (Gen 2:17). But they saw it, they took, they ate, and they rebelled. Separated from the Sovereign God who breathed life into them, death was the only possible result.
Mankind has so fallen far from God, that we have forgotten what it is to be truly alive. We think we can reach fulfillment by morality - and when that doesn't work we try our hand at immorality. Morality feels good for a while, as does immorality, but it's all smoke and mirrors, a trick of the mind, a mirage. We have forgotten what it is like to truly partake in God's glory, to truly bear His image, and truly have dominion over all of creation.
This infinitely powerful, creator God, who so loved his pink blob that is man, that he took on immeasurable and inconceivable sacrifice to bring him back to Eden. The Bible is that rescue story, in which God is the hero. And Christianity is the good news of the gospel - that by faith in Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit, we once again have the breath of life (John 20:22), have dominion over creation (Romans 8:19-23), worship God (John 4:24) and fill the earth with worshippers (Acts 1:8), and bask, reflect, and partake in His glory again. (2 Cor 4:6, 2 Pe 1:3-4).
And that, my friend, is what Christianity is good for.
If you are looking to live a good life, then you should first define for yourself what "good" means - and pursue it. You will most likely find it, and you may even be happy, at least for the most part.
But if you should have the courage to look further, in Christ is the face of true glory and divinity, in the presence of which your feeble morality shrivels and shrieks. And yet Christ has paved the way for us to see him face to face (Rev 22:4), to stand in his presence (Rev 6-7), and to be like him (1 John 3:2). It may not lead to a "good" life the way your mother will define it - as you will be persecuted and misunderstood in every culture and in every generation. You will die before you can be born again, and indeed we are so fallen that redemption is almost certain to hurt. But great, so great, so great is our reward, both now and in the time to come.
That's what Christianity is good for.
