There are a lot of ideas out there on the internet. Some of them are good and some are bad and some look better than they really are. To make sure that we are building on the right ideas, we need a way to examine all these ideas. We need something to compare them with.

I find that ideas are commonly connected to one of six different viewpoints represented by the following characters:

1. The Classical Hero/ Prince Charming
2. The Superhero
3. The Champion
4. The Reformer
5. The Mystic
6. The Disciple

As part of the Just Keeping It Christian column, I will connect ideas to these viewpoints so that you can choose which ideas you want to build on in your community, and to give you some reasons to defend your choices. I will continue to refer to these characters, but today I want to introduce them by explaining how each one defines what is good.

The classical hero defines good as something that works. If it works it is good. In other words it’s good if:

• it does the job
• it accomplishes the goal
• it achieves success
• it wins the prize
• it gains some ground

The superhero defines good as being empowering. We are talking about being personally empowered. It is good if it:

• makes you special (unique)
• makes you feel good
• touches (inflates) your emotions

The champion defines good as something to be proud of. It is good if: 

• it brings pride to the school/town/country
• it represents the pride of the school/town/country

The reformer defines good as being morally right. It is good if 

• it follows the rules/commandments
• it doesn’t hurt people
• it doesn’t violate someone’s rights
• it is fair
• it is honest
• it is based in scripture
• it builds character

The mystic defines good as something that brings miracles. They define a miracle as something that is unexpected or unusual. So, something is good if:

• it defies expectation
• it is surprising
• it makes you say “ooh”, “ahh”, or “wow”
• it is sensational

The disciple defines good as something that comes from God. If it didn’t come from God, it is not good. It is good if:

• it is commanded by God
• it is ordained of God
• it is received from God
• it is declared to be good by God
• it is created by God

You may have been taught to define good in one or more of these ways. I present all these definitions together so that you can choose the one you most want to pursue. Armed with an understanding of how others define good, you will begin to identify your allies and convert your enemies to unite to do the most good in your hometown.