“One atheist speaks”

I'm an atheist. I have a great deal of respect for religion and people with faith, but faith never came to me, and I don't believe it's right to try to force it. (On what grounds would I choose a religion?)

My morality comes from Western civilization. Part of that is Judeo-Christian morality, but also the work of Socrates, Spinoza, Nietzsche, and other philosophers, writers, and artists.

To this atheist, if this world is the only world, then morality is infinitely more important than if there's an afterlife. In other words, it's vital and urgent that we do good here and now since there's nothing else, no deity to take care of us (or punish us) later.

So I'm constantly thinking about and re-examining my understanding of right and wrong.

My basis for morality is humanity -- what's good for people, individuals and groups.

There's no safety net (this atheist thinks), so if I kill someone I've done them a terrible wrong, I've taken everything away from that person. They don't go to Heaven. Death is a true extinguishing.

And if I hurt someone, I've made their sole existence worse than it has to be.

The basis of my morality is the belief that life is good and pain is bad. Where does this come from? I don't know. But if you ask me, or almost anybody, they'll tell you life is good and pain is bad.

Another belief I hold is that other people are actually people and not illusions, and that they believe like me that life is good and pain is bad.

One has empathy. I think it's hard-wired in all of us (except for sociopaths).