Atheists are Immoral

I find it interesting that religious people think that because an atheist does not subscribe to the "promise of reward or threat of punishment" cult training they have subscribed to that we somehow don't have a moral compass. I've been in discussions with people who have outright asked, "If you don't believe in god, then why?"

The answer is simple: compassion and empathy. I know what it feels like to hurt, and I can imagine others' hurt, and I would like to help so they hurt less and to avoid being a cause of the hurt.

That is what guides me. That is my moral compass. Compassion and Empathy. It doesn't work for everyone...some people (sociopaths) literally have the inability to see things from someone else's point of view, but it works for me. No rhetoric to learn, no ridiculous rules to obey, no money to pay...it's very freeing and simple.

Conversely, perhaps religion itself is immoral, or at least, begets immorality. Think of the millions who have died because of religion. The tears, the pain, the emptying of pocket books, the interpretations, the arguments, the debates, wars, disagreements, torture, hypocrisy, intolerance....so dark.

Think of what religious works have told people to do, most notably for me is the Christian book of Leviticus, though it seems all the Abrahamic religions have the same teachings. Think of what religious people have actually done.

If selling your children or stoning someone for working on the sabbath, bombing buildings and beheading people, inquisitions and witch trials, shooting clinics and protesting funerals is the definition of morality, then I'm proud to say I'm an empathetic and compassionate atheist and I'm immoral.

Hindu God Tattoo