"I think most non-Christians who try to be good people are probably better Christians than Christians"

Paul Kantner’s statement suggests a provocative reversal of expectations regarding morality and religious identity. While Christianity traditionally encourages its followers to behave in ways exemplified by love, compassion, kindness, and humility, ideals rooted in the teachings of Jesus, the focus often falls on explicit belief and ritual adherence as markers of being a “Christian.” Kantner challenges this by suggesting that ethical behavior and genuine goodness matter more than the label or formal affiliation with a religious institution.

There are many individuals who, while not identifying as Christian or subscribing to any religious doctrine, strive to be compassionate, generous, and caring. Kantner argues that these individuals embody the core principles many associate with true Christianity, service to others, empathy, honesty, and a sense of justice, more authentically than some self-identified Christians who may focus more on dogma or external markers of faith than action. In communities everywhere, people who are motivated purely by conscience, human solidarity, or personal conviction work tirelessly to help others, often without regard for recognition from any religious authority. According to Kantner, these people might unintentionally live out the moral imperatives that Jesus advocated even more completely than some of those who claim to follow Him.

His words highlight a recurring tension between orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right action). The implication is that the spirit or essence of a religious tradition might be better embraced by those outside its official structures than by those inside who neglect the deeper call to act ethically. Kantner’s perspective also invites reflection on hypocrisy, suggesting that an insistence on identity without corresponding conduct can be hollow. By elevating the importance of genuine goodness over professed faith, he challenges readers to value integrity and moral behavior across all belief systems, regardless of religious branding. Such an idea advocates for a more universal, practice-based measure of virtue, rather than one based on membership or belief alone.