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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I had an interesting conversation that sparked a question that I have regarding atheism. Hopefully those who are atheists will be willing to indulge me:

-What (or who) governs how you live your life?
-What standards do you uphold (as it relates to how you live and your actions)?[/quote]

I think it's a common misconception that faith is the only way to develop a moral compass. Having been on both sides of it, I feel that religion only provides guidance and reinforcement of what we know deep down to be right or wrong. Without religion, I still abhor murder, theft, infidelity, violence and the like. It's the old school of thought of "If you knew you could get away with it, would you do____?" Some people don't steal simply because they fear going to jail if they get caught. Take away the threat of prison and half may still say they wouldn't simply because it's wrong. That's how I view life. God and the afterlife aren't ultimate punishments that I worry about, yet I still feel certain things are wrong.

I try to live under the mantra of "do no harm." Also, I'm attracted to the idea of strong character. I don't want to be admired necessarily, but I do want to be well regarded. I want people to tell my children that their father is a good man. I imagine that when I die there will be no statues erected or newspaper articles written on my behalf, yet I hope to have a funeral home overflowing with people who feel that I touched them in some way or that I did something to make their lives a little better. [/quote]

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