Jack the Sailor says this:

When I was an Atheist, I had a Catholic put it to me this way. "What if you are wrong? If you are an Atheist and you are right after death there is nothing. If you are wrong you go to Hell."

And then he says this:

It remains to this day a logical point which did not convince me then or now.

I can't believe in a God who punishes people for what they believe, or what they don't believe. Note that Jack and I agree on this, and I think most of us here can agree on this point.

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Steamin' Willie asks about Jack's original question, which started this thread. Jack's question:

How does a non-believer decide what is right or wrong. Even more interesting, can an Atheist have a concept of good and evil?

Little Hawk answered the question in the second post - and maybe the discussion should have stopped right there, because again I think that most of us agree. Little Hawk's answer:

Most morally strong people decide what is right or wrong one of two ways:

1. by following a predetermined set of moral rules (the passive way. Doesn't involve much independent thought)

2. by following the Golden Rule, which is.... "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you...and also...don't inflict upon others what you would not want inflicted upon you." This means allowing others the same freedom and autonomy and consideration and kindness that you yourself desire. (the active way. Involves much independent thought.)
It's pretty simple really. The active way is definitely a more enlightened path, in my opinion.

This is the way we all make moral choices, either by following a moral code, or by following more general principles like the Golden Rule. And whether we follow a numbered code or a more general principle, the morality of our actions then depends on the quality of the code or principle that we follow.

Can anyone disagree with that?

-Joe-