Looks like a great quote, right? Not so fast. Consider IF THERE ARE GODS…
Sometimes atheists will post this quote from Marcus Aurelius as if it’s profound and insightful.
“Live a good life.” – According to who, Marcus? Who gets to decide what constitutes a ‘good’ life?
“If there are gods and they are just…” – Who decides what is ‘just,’ Marcus? If there are gods, it seems that they are more qualified to define justice than you. After all, you’re merely a mortal. The gods (if they exist) make the rules (that’s why they’re called ‘gods’). Therefore, if there are gods, every decision they make is just.
Continued => https://johnbranyan.com/if-there-are-gods/
Note also Silence of Mind‘s comments. Not a simple subject.
Citizen Tom 
“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.”
-Thomas Jefferson
(Recently read a CS Lewis book that explained humans will not all receive justice as we cannot handle it. Hence, Grace)
To the extent he believed in the gods, Marcus Aurelius was a Pagan. Perhaps a relatively good Pagan. Don’t know, but he seems to have had the mistaken notion that we can somehow impress God with our virtue. We can’t. Romans 3 says as much.
All we can do is repent, beg forgiveness, and thank Jesus for covering our sins. The last thing we want is justice.
Deist or not Jefferson had more than enough sense to fear God.
Miss your “like” feature, Citizen Tom.
Consider this post “liked”. 😉
Do you know who Ray Comfort is? I find him to be rather obnoxious, but something I do appreciate about him, he is really good at interviewing people on the street and asking them questions about whether or not they are “good.” Everyone always thinks they’re, “a good person.” Then he brings up the ten commandments and before you know it what we really have is a petty thief, a liar who lusts after their neighbor. It always makes me laugh because “good” is a very subjective thing.
I also really appreciate how Jesus says, “why do you call me good? There are none good but the Father.” There is a lot going on in that passage, but one thing is that not even Jesus wants us to call him “good” in a careless manner.
Yeah, Ray Comfort is obnoxious. I do believe he’s sincere in what he does, and for that I don’t fault him.
Ray Comfort? Sounds familiar. I think i have listened Ray Comfort at one time or another, but I don’t remember what the man said.
We tend to reduce everything to a repeatable ritual. That is why people are always fighting the last war, even though it doesn’t always work well. Why else would supposedly sane men charge machine guns with fixed bayonets?
The Bible makes it clear that in order to be saved we have to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus. Therefore, some people think the first step in saving someone is to convince them that they are a sinner, and I suspect that is what Comfort is trying to do. However, Jesus told us to love our neighbors, not to tell them they are rotten to the core. I may be wrong, but I think it is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict us sinners of our sins.
After showing our love for our neighbors, what is our next step? The Apostle Peter said that when our neighbors ask we are supposed to give the reason for the hope that is within us.
That said, we are supposed to share the Gospel, and we are not supposed to wait for the people who have not yet heard the Gospel to come to us. Therefore, we have a problem. How do we share the Good News without explaining to people why they need to listen, why the Gospel is Good News. When Jesus died, He made it possible for anyone who believes in Him to be redeemed, and we all need a Savior. No exceptions. Only God is good. So, we do have to tell our neighbors that only God is good. We are not good, not one of us.