15 Questions with Greg M. Epstein

As Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, Greg M. Epstein has long promoted the message of Humanism: people can lead good and moral lives without believing in a higher being. His recently published book, “Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe,” has brought a new wave of attention to the topic, presenting a community-based and positive alternative to Atheism. Epstein argues for highlighting humanity’s potential for goodness as a whole, with or without God. FM spoke with the author to learn a little more about the book, his chaplaincy, and Humanism as a whole.

1. Fifteen Minutes: If you had to summarize “Good Without God” in one sentence, what would you say?Greg M. Epstein: I would say that “Good Without God” is a short definition of my life stance, of the life stance of Humanism, but only if the emphasis of good without God is not on the “without God” but rather on the “good”: on doing good, on living a good life for ourselves and for our loved ones, and for the sake of all human beings and for the sake of the natural world.

2.FM: They say that the writing process never ends, and instead we are always completing revision after revision. Now that your book has been published, are you ever able to get it off your mind?GME: It seems to be that no book could ever possibly be done, that you merely respond to a deadline in the most effective way you can, and you put it out there and then getting the book reviewed and read and blogged about and whatever is really the beginning of the further rewriting.

3. FM: I’ve read there’s another book or two in the works. Any tip offs about your next book project?GME: I decided ultimately to wait for this book to create some discussion before making a decision about how the next book should be framed. Because, I really do see this book as a conversation, and I don’t want to be the only person dictating the terms of that conversation. I think that the next book will be my response to some of the questions that this book is raising.

4. FM: A month-long advertising campaign promoting atheism in Manhattan subway stations with the slogan “A Million New Yorkers Are Good Without God. Are You?” was just launched in timing with your book. Why the focus on New York and no T ads?GME: There are about 20 more cities that are planning similar campaigns as the year goes on. Everywhere from big cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco to much smaller places like Idaho. Moscow, Idaho is running “Good Without God” advertising campaigns. So the point is really just to raise awareness so that people really begin to get a sense of the scale, the scope that we’re talking about when we’re talking about Humanism.

5. FM: I read that an American humanist Association’s “Good Without God” billboard was recently vandalized. How did you respond to this?GME: It’s sad to me that the billboard was vandalized. I think that it speaks to the fact that people really misunderstand what we’re about, and we’re not trying to vandalize anyone’s religion. You know, we are not trying to erase. What they did was they tried to blot out the word “without” and it’s kind of sad because they could have at least blotted out the word “out” and then they could have said millions of people are good with God, which I would have no disagreement with. In fact, if they had at least done that, then I would say at least the billboard was still correct, right? Because millions of people are good with God, and millions of people are good without God. And I don’t have any problem with that. So for future vandals, that’s just a suggestion.