Question for atheists: What governs how you live your life?

[Anonymous]

I dispute the premise. The vast majority of people do not live their life governed by religion or any other principle. We are all mostly just getting by and reacting to the daily challenges life throws our way. Economics, culture, personality, and family history have much more to do with how we make choices. And the big choices where we might call on religion (or lack of it, or any other set of principles) are very few and far between. Even for those choices (eg unwanted pregnancy, end of life care) people almost always revert to the individual circumstances of their lives, not an abstract belief system.

[Anonymous]

In case the OP is still around, this is an incredible article written by a born and bred atheist who converted to Catholicism, based on the problem of morality. It addresses, head-on, several of the weak arguments given in this thread:

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2013/05/23/the-atheist-orthodoxy-that-drove-me-to-faith/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In case the OP is still around, this is an incredible article written by a born and bred atheist who converted to Catholicism, based on the problem of morality. It addresses, head-on, several of the weak arguments given in this thread:

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/features/2013/05/23/the-atheist-orthodoxy-that-drove-me-to-faith/

Hmmm.. I found it shallow and illogical. OK for preaching to the choir, but unlikely to convince atheist like me. I guess I'm coming from a different place in that I'm very familiar with mainstream Protestant, orthodox Jewish and Sunni Muslim doctrine and practice.

BTW, I think Sam Harris is an ass, so an atheist investigation of the source of morality does not lead "inevitably" to either his ideas or God.

[Anonymous]

dispute the premise. The vast majority of people do not live their life governed by religion or any other principle. We are all mostly just getting by and reacting to the daily challenges life throws our way. Economics, culture, personality, and family history have much more to do with how we make choices. And the big choices where we might call on religion (or lack of it, or any other set of principles) are very few and far between. Even for those choices (eg unwanted pregnancy, end of life care) people almost always revert to the individual circumstances of their lives, not an abstract belief system.

Disagree. At least for myself, I definitely know there is a God. I see proof of it every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dispute the premise. The vast majority of people do not live their life governed by religion or any other principle. We are all mostly just getting by and reacting to the daily challenges life throws our way. Economics, culture, personality, and family history have much more to do with how we make choices. And the big choices where we might call on religion (or lack of it, or any other set of principles) are very few and far between. Even for those choices (eg unwanted pregnancy, end of life care) people almost always revert to the individual circumstances of their lives, not an abstract belief system.

Most Christians are good people, despite being Christians. Although I'm frequently horrified by their faith, I find most of them to be good people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

dispute the premise. The vast majority of people do not live their life governed by religion or any other principle. We are all mostly just getting by and reacting to the daily challenges life throws our way. Economics, culture, personality, and family history have much more to do with how we make choices. And the big choices where we might call on religion (or lack of it, or any other set of principles) are very few and far between. Even for those choices (eg unwanted pregnancy, end of life care) people almost always revert to the individual circumstances of their lives, not an abstract belief system.

Disagree. At least for myself, I definitely know there is a God. I see proof of it every day.

I see proof of unicorns every day. Just because one assumes proof in their own mind, does not mean there is objective proof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My humanity commands how I live my life. Treating people how I want to be treated.

I'm not looking for any reward. I'm not looking for "blessings," or heaven, or anything self-serving.

I do good, because my humanity is enough - even if I don't get anything in return. To me, if you really need some book to tell you how to be a decent human being, then your ethics must be very flimsy - because you're basically admitting that being decent is not innate within you.

This! +1000