Happy Holidays. You’re a Baboon.

By Rev. Tim Pauls

Just in time for Christmas, the American Humanist Association (AHA) has begun an ad campaign to the masses around Washington, D.C., with the slogan,“Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.”Why just be good for goodness’ sake?

Because you’re like a baboon, and you’re going to die. With credentials like that, why would you not be good?

Perhaps I should flesh this out a little bit. The AHA presumes that there is no God and no Word of God. Instead, it maintains that we are to rely on reason and science in order to understand how to live in the world. And because we human beings possess a built-in morality, we can determine what is good. So, let’s examine this philosophy a little bit closer.

No God?

On its ad web site, the AHA gives a number of the same old arguments as to why it’s reasonable not to believe in God. For one, it argues that there are a lot of different ideas about God out there, which makes it hard to know where even to begin the discussion. For a group that prides itself on reason, this is hardly reasonable. It’s like saying, “Since there are so many different classmates around school, there’s no one to take to the dance.” If there are many religions in the world, isn’t it reasonable to admit the possibility that one of them might be true? I say yes. The AHA says no. That’s unreasonable.

The AHA also says it’s reasonable not to believe in God because most claims about God can’t be tested scientifically, indicating that He doesn’t exist. But wait a second. Good science only rejects what it can disprove, not what it cannot prove. The scientific method would honestly say, “If we can’t prove or disprove God scientifically, then He may or may not exist.” To say God doesn’t exist isn’t reasonable or scientific.

The AHA further argues that some claims about God can be tested scientifically but lack evidence, like the “notions” of children and primitive people that God might have human qualities. Santa Claus fits into this category, says the AHA; I’m assuming they’re including Jesus too. Does this make sense?

We have the written records of several apostles and evangelists who saw Jesus firsthand as He worked miracles. Historians are delighted to find just one or two firsthand records of history, and in the New Testament, we’ve got a lot more than that. Apparently, these don’t count. Perhaps it’s assumed that these witnesses had a personal agenda, but since most of them were violently killed for testifying about Jesus, I’m not sure what that payoff would have been—especially since the AHA declares that human beings are so-called free from both God and an afterlife. Some freedom.

But just for the sake of moving along, we’ll go with the AHA’s assumption that God doesn’t exist. If that were true, then…

Why be good?

The AHA answers simply, “Because you want to.” According to the AHA, nearly all people around the world have a built-in morality, a sense of right and wrong. You and I would say that this is because God has written His Law in our hearts (Romans 2:14–15), but this couldn’t be true if there is no God to do the writing. So where does this sense of good come from? Here’s what the AHA says: “Human beings are social primates. So they have basic feelings of empathy and sociality built in, just as do other social primates like chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, baboons, and the like.” To be fair, the Web page goes on to say that you’re more advanced (and, I would add, usually less hairy), but you’re just another primate. And now that you’ve been, um, promoted from “child of God” to “accidental primate,” you and your fellow less-hairy primates can make decisions and determine…

What is good?

Without God to establish good, there is no such thing. “Goodness” becomes whatever people want at the time. If I’m naturally good, then what I naturally want must be good too. On that basis, the AHA expresses support for same-sex marriages. This is good, says the press release, essentially because same-sex couples want to be married. The AHA also defends abortion and embryonic stem-cell research (not so good for the unborn!) and physician-assisted suicide.

If there is no God, there is no good.

So, happy holidays. As an accident of the universe, you’re a primate who claims death as a right! But at least you’re good, if you say so.

Except you’re not good, because God says so. His Law, written on your heart, shows you your need for His mercy and forgiveness.

Here’s a better proclamation for the masses throughout history: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

No one is good except God alone (Luke 18:19); and in His goodness, God sent His Son to be your Savior. The One with a good will came to save you from sin, death and the devil. He lived a good (as in “sinless”) life for you, then went to the cross and suffered death for you.

Risen, He tells you this: you’re not just a social primate or advanced baboon, certain table manners notwithstanding. Instead, you’re a one-of-a-kind creation, made and known by God. You’re not stuck trying to cope with guilt by explaining why your sins are good on a sliding scale. Instead, Jesus absolves you. He declares that He’s taken your guilt upon Himself to set you free. Furthermore, death isn’t a right that you get to claim when life is too burdensome: it’s the wages of sin, an enemy to be delivered from. Jesus has conquered that enemy for you, so that you’re going to live forever.

When human[ist]s decide what is good, the answer isn’t appealing: you’re a primate who’s going to die. The Lord has much better news for you: for Jesus’ sake, you’re going to live forever.

That’s why Christ the Savior is born. Merry Christmas: you’re a child of God.

Pastor Tim Pauls is the associate pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Boise, Idaho. He is also the editor ofHigher Things Magazine.