"We should lead a decent human life simply because we are decent human beings" — the line that cut Lin's last tie to Christianity. Morality built on heaven-and-hell bookkeeping cheapens morality itself: it implies you wouldn't be decent without the reward, and it drags goodness through a gauntlet of hypothetical postulates — sin, redemption, celestial treasure — none capable of direct proof. Paganism's simplicity: doing good is its own justification. Love among men should be a final, absolute fact, without being reminded of a third party in heaven.

— In our words · Source: The Importance of Living (Lin Yutang)