Can Kids Be Good Without God?

A new website devoted to kids and sponsored by the American Humanist Association (AHA) says “Yes” to this blog post’s title. The homepage of the site states,

Welcome to Kids Without God, a site for the millions of young people around the world who have embraced science, rejected superstition, and are dedicated to being Good Without a God!

A cartoon dog, appropriately named Darwin, is used to teach kids what is supposedly true and false about the world they live in. Kids can flip through a storybook, where they learn that Darwin the dog “loves to do science experiments and test out theories about how the world works.” I’m glad Darwin the dog likes observational science (i.e., technology that gives us planes, computers, vaccines, etc.) but that is distinctly different from historical science (i.e., creation and evolution). We can study evidence like cells, fossils, and rocks in the observable present, but our worldviews or starting points determine how we interpret that evidence in relation to the unobservable past. Do we start with man’s ideas about the past—who wasn’t there during the supposed billions of years of earth history—or do we start with the Bible, the written revelation of the eyewitness account of the eternal God?

We learn that Darwin the dog likes to read stories from a “long, long time ago” but he knows those stories are false. Darwin knows it’s okay for people to believe those stories, but you don’t have to believe them to be a good person (more on this below). According to the book, Darwin “only believes in things that he can see in the real world. Things like friendship, and being nice, and learning.” I would love to know how you can “see” friendship, being nice, and learning! These are abstract concepts, not physical realities.

In another section children are encouraged to uphold seven promises that Darwin the dog has decided are the “best way to have lots of friends, and feel happy and satisfied every day.” So who determines how happiness and satisfaction are defined in the relativistic worldview of atheism? AHA has apparently decided they are the ultimate authority on this matter and so, being inconsistent with their own worldview, they proceed to tell children what they need to do to be happy and satisfied.

1. Be nice
2. Care for the world around us
3. Think for myself
4. Think about how other people feel
5. Tell the truth
6. Help others
7. Take good care of myself

As I read the list I couldn’t help thinking, “But why?” or “According to who?” When there is no ultimate authority other than man, each individual determines whether these are “promises” they should keep or not! Whether they decide to keep the promises or not, they cannot be considered wrong.

I doubt the AHA realizes this, but all except one of these promises has a biblical basis! The atheists have borrowed from a biblical worldview to argue against a biblical worldview. It is truly a self-refuting argument! Let’s look at the basis for each of these promises from Scripture. (Please note that I am only sharing a few verses for each promise; there are many more that could be used.)

1. Be nice. (Galatians 5:22–23) Being nice is not one of the fruits of the Spirit, but I think the overall concept being promoted here is encompassed in the fruits of the Spirit.
2. Care for the world around us. (Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 2:15) God gave man dominion over the livings things He created and desired man to be a good steward of it.
3. Think for myself. (Colossians 2:8) Scripture actually speaks against this promise. Eve decided what was right and wrong according to herself, disobeyed God, and along with Adam’s disobedience she brought a curse upon all creation (Genesis 3). Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
4. Think about how other people feel. (Luke 6:31) Jesus gave the Golden Rule.
5. Tell the truth. (Exodus 20:16) This one of the Ten Commandments.
6. Help others. (Matthew 25:34–36) Jesus commands us to care for the sick and poor.
7. Take good care of myself. (1 Corinthians 6:19–20) Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

These "promises" are consistent with a biblical worldview that holds Scripture as the ultimate authority. Atheists must be inconsistent and borrow from a biblical worldview to state these things and uphold them as the highest good.

The accompanying parents’ site states,

We hope that you and your kids will enjoy reading about Darwin the Dog, who is committed to an uplifting, altruistic morality without the influence of religion; and who is able to enjoy mythology while still differentiating between the real and the imaginary.

You know what I hope? I hope and pray that kids and parents visiting the site will see the morally bankrupt, self-refuting arguments used by the atheists. I hope and pray that kids and parents will decide to visit the Kids Answers and Answers in Genesis websites and discover Bible-based answers to their questions about the world in which we live.

The Answers in Genesis theme for next year, “Standing Our Ground, Rescuing Our Kids,” resonated loudly in my mind as I browsed this atheist website for kids. I want to challenge each of you to do one thing (and I hope you’ll do many more!) to actively teach kids the truth of God’s Word in the coming year. Maybe it’s a trip to the Creation Museum, maybe it’s using resources like books and DVDs for Christmas presents, or maybe it’s teaching a Sunday school class (check out our amazing Answers Bible Curriculum). Just do something to help rescue our kids before they’re already gone!

Keep fighting the good fight of the faith!