whenever you do right you feel good! there is a natural happiness attained when you help other people we are all equal whether you fear god or a guilty conscience... they are one and the same

Not in my opinion. They're both doing what they believe to be the right thing, just for different reasons. A religious person might believe that the reward for doing something is a better chance of getting into heaven. An atheist might view the reward as self-satisfaction or a stronger sense of self-worth for doing something right.

NO because in some sense all people can do things for a reward of some kind. It could be just because they are moved by a conscience or a feeling of guilt to themselves if they didn't. And that would apply for atheist or religious person. People don't say, oh, I'll open this door for this nice lady because I'll go to heaven. They just do it from their heart motivation.

No. Doing right is it's own reward. It doesn't really matter why you've done the right thing. IMO

No, doing good and doing the right thing have nothing to do with a person's religious perspective. It is a reflection of their own character.

No, doing right has nothing to do with being an atheist. Atheists don't believe in God, it doesn't mean they don't have good judgement.

Well, to take a different note from the answers I have seen, I believe it is better to do the right thing when prompted by your own sense of ethics than to do so based on a moral framework handed down by somebody else.

do people honestly believe that atheists have no morals simply because they don't believe in God? uh for those who do believe in him it's not like he's going to pick and choose which person he breathes life into, so there's still good in that person. and for those who don't believe in him people are people and they still have hearts, consciences, morals, and they know what's right and wrong based on their character. it makes them neither better or worse, since nobody has the right to judge that

Dude there are good atheists and bad atheists as well unto Christians who can choose to be good or bad. There are some Christians that would strap bombs to themselfs so that they can destroy a n abortion clinic. Besides in my point of view good and evil is a mere point of view stating by one seeking control. I can tell you that walking forward is bad while another man can say it is good but do remember that both men are using there opinion which is but a mere theory with no evidence hence good and evil is nothing but opinion. Besides there are many atheists like Joesph Stalin that have committed crimes which are considered to be immoral. However there are atheists like Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein that have contributed to society by the means of science and technology and these people are considered to be positively influential. Again remember that it is considered but not proven to be immoral hence it is a mere opinion. Also Christians do remember that if one man is to commit a crime that all men don't commit a crime so stop using stupid propaganda to support your stupid theory that all atheists are evil due to the disbelief in God.

I would love to say yes, because that would be funny, but no; in my opinion doing the right thing is as much a reward for Atheists as for Theists (when circumstances allow that it is the same thing for both of us). We are likewise motivated by guilt as a punishment for those times we do not do the right thing.

Only if the others only do right because they are afraid of punishment. You should do the right thing because it feels good and it helps others. Personally, when I do what is right it is because that is what is right. Not because I am afraid of hell or I will not be rewarded. I get my rewards in a different way. If you are only doing the right thing because you are looking for a reward or for a pat on the back, then are you REALLY doing the right thing? In closing, no one is better than anyone. But don't make others question your motives.

No. It doesn't make atheists better people even if they don't believe in heavenly rewards or punishment because an atheist have no moral authority to determine what is good or evil. Theists believe in ultimate accountability and GOD holding absolute moral authority. This is what hell and heaven represents, ultimate accountability. It is with this authority that theist determine what is good and evil. With a true atheist there is no "good" or "evil" but merely desires and apply judgment to fulfill those personal desires and interest. And the judgment used to fulfill those desires are guided and structured by 'the now'; current accountability (current society laws, current society norms etc). Not ultimate accountability as with a theist. For example, if having sex with underage boys was consider legal and normal as it was in Rome era, why wouldn't an atheist commit such a act without remorse (since the society consider it legal).

Alot of perspectives have changed in the church the last few decades. That God wants us to have a fulfilling sex life is just one of the newer mantras from the pulpit. Another one is going further into WHY we should be good (better people, more Christ-like). We used to be fed a steady diet of fire and brimstone, but an unrest grew out of that due to the futility of the message. Why bother trying if it is just going to end in failure? The revision is much more palatable, and to me, more realistic, besides: We don't do good in order to get to heaven. We do good in order to be better people. We try our best to follow Christ simply because it is the right thing to do. Heaven will be there, but now is what is important.

Neither better nor worse. Where the problem comes in is in deciding what is "right." Who decides that and on what criteria?

It's pretty easy to do what's "Right" when you're the one who defines what "Right" is. It's far more impressive when it's defined for you, and it goes against popular opinion and practice.

That is like saying that the only thing that keeps the religious from going out and murdering everyone is the fear of god's retribution. Most people want to do the right thing because it is inherent in them, we are social animals. Much harm is caused by religious leaders perverting that instinct.

Atheists are not a uniform group, so what is true for one atheist may not be true for others. I, with many other atheists, am a Humanist. Which means that I feel that I must treat all other humans as my equal - I have no right to say that I am better than them or deserve more than them unless I earn it. I must regard their happiness as important as mine. Which leads to rules very similar to those which the religious follow, except for details of ritual and worship. I believe that humans, to their own surprise, are naturally sociable animals. They invent religion to explain to themselves why they do not, actually, rape, steal and murder ruthlessly, and to have a shared rulebook that they can ask their neighbours to sign up to to ensure that they do the same.

Because "right" is whatever they say it is. Anybody can be good at a game when they make up their own rules.

Yes.

Yes, it does. Like some have mentioned, both believers and non-believers will do the right thing for some kind of reward. Whether the reward is heaven, or a good feeling, or avoiding hell, or a bad feeling, we all do the right thing out of some degree of selfishness. The difference is that the non-believer had to do the mental "heavy lifting" in deciding the difference between right and wrong. While believers and non-believers alike will often agree on right and wrong, the ability to question and doubt is the deciding factor for me.

No, they are living for themselves instead of our Lord.

All I know is my kids behaved whether they got a cookie or not. Morality and good judgement are taught behaviors as are fear and shame. and guilt

yes, but no. i can't say this applies to all religions but, i would think they would have a similar thing going on true Christians (i believe) are not supposed to do right just out of fear, or as it's what god says is good. they are supposed to do it as it is the right thing, which just so happens to coincide with what the bible teaches i right. therefore if all Christians were truley doing right by God, Atheists would be doing the same things a Christians. the fact of the matter though is that not all Christians do things out of the goodness of their heart but they do it on a fear based thing

Not necessarily; I don't think many people do things just because of heavenly reward or punishment. That's like saying most people refrain from murdering only because it's illegal. Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't go around randomly killing people - I dislike leaving a mess.