Yes, but one can most definitely HAVE spiritual values WHILE taking full responsibility and sleeping easy with the decisions one makes. Everyone has a belief system in which they have faith. It's just that everyone does not have a belief system based on organized religion...or on the idea of a "God".

While I have strong spiritual values, this does not mean that I have a set code or priest or some such figure to guide me.

Matter of fact, the only criterion that makes sense to me regarding guidance is: seek it from those who are more experienced than yourself in the area which you are taking an interest in.

Example: When I want to learn new guitar techniques, I seek guidance from people who can already play that way! (I have faith in them.) When I want to invest in foreign exchange, I seek guidance from those who are well-informed about that. (ditto) When I want to seek guidance in meditation and contemplation, I seek guidance from those who have been doing it for a long time and making progress. (ditto once again)

Dead simple. I have faith in people who inspire faith, by virtue of their character, their knowledge, and their expertise...NOT their official title.

None of this means I am in thrall to either a priest or a set "code" of rules and beliefs.

Being an "atheist" does require more careful mental thought than being a conventional adherent of primitive traditional organized religions. I believe that is the point you were making, SINSULL. It does not, however, exceed the extremely careful mental thought that accompanies genuine spiritual and philosophical study on a higher level. By no means! Read the books of Sri Aurobindo, for just one example, and you will find a great deal of extremely challenging and careful mental thought...about spiritual matters.

Paramahansa Yogananda is also quite interesting. Also Deepak Chopra. And a great many others. These are not lazy thinkers, content to rest upon a set priestly code of mere faith gleaned from some holy book or organized religion. They are pioneers who discovered what they did through hard work and practical application.

The kind of work they did is work generally undertaken by probably less than one in 10,000 people, if that. That's why you don't hear much about it on CNN. :-)