10 myths about atheists that just won’t go away

6. People are just atheists so they can sin

Religion has had a hold on morality for a long time. Many people still believe without religion, one cannot have a moral compass. Religion offers you a set of moral guidelines handed down from the god of your religion and explains how to live a good and moral life. They also believe that there is a god in which you must answer to, keeping the world fair and balanced. So the idea is born that people become atheists so they can do bad things without feeling guilty.

So how does an atheist know what is right or wrong? And, if you don’t believe you must answer for your sins, why would you bother being good?

The best answer to how atheists, and really people, in general, get their moral compass from empathy. We understand how pain, sadness, suffering, etcetera feels and we don’t like it, and we do not wish to impose this on others. To simplify, you can think of it almost like the golden rule, do unto others as you would want to be done unto yourself.

When it comes to doing bad, there are many reasons outside of fear of punishment in the afterlife to keep us on the straight and narrow. For starters, doing bad things to people makes us feel bad, this is an evolutionary trait, we don’t like to feel bad or see others suffering. Secondly, there is societal pressure and punishment that helps us avoid doing bad things.

Not everyone on this planet is good, but often the fear of prison, shame, and being rejected by society can cause people to stop and think about their actions. We pass laws to ensure that people’s well-being is ensured, and apply what we feel at the time are the appropriate punishments for breaking those laws.