Do you think that Atheists have stronger moral values than people who believe in God?

Question

Do you think that Atheists have stronger moral values than people who believe in God?
Please think deep before answering this question.

Answer

On a philosophical basis I think you have it down pretty well and are rather admirably objective, I might add. brbrSpeaking strictly of religion without considering overlaps of family, philosophy, or what feels right, the only basis for good deeds is what others tell you is right, whether a minister, the main religious book of your faith, or others of your belief system. This makes the moral value question one of outside influence, not selfimposed, therefore weaker. Its a reward afterlife and punishment afterlife system carrots and sticks.brOne major problem with religions is the quotblind faithquot aspect this is made obvious with different factions in one religious arena say Christianity CatholicsProtestants, and perhaps more so with different religions IslamChristianity, for instance. brThe Crusades, the Salem witch trials, Islamic fanaticism, and the Inquisition which I batch in with the Spanish Conquistadors wanton destruction of native peoples are just some of the results of the inexplicable, unacceptable, and undeniable horrors done in the name of quotreligionquot. brSome of the blame for this can be placed upon the nonseparation of church and state, some on racism, nationalism, sexism, and other arbitrarily competitive stances that cause division among us rather than bring us together as we actually are one human race.brbrFrom an atheistic viewpoint, the moral values seem to me to come more from within necessarily considering societal interactions, including religion i.e., quotwhat feels rightquot, or from a self imposed belief system philosophy. They do good deeds for the here and now, not because of some reward or punishment later, by blindly following some creed laid out for them by others. brOther considerations like legal system punishment, I believe, apply to religious types, as well as nonbelievers. Atheists seem to be more of a quotyou do your thing, and Ill do minequot, persuasion. I find this far preferable to the conversion attempts edictsdemandsexpectations from some that seem common with religious people in general. Atheists are following the golden rule better than quotreligiousquot ones, and I feel there is no other rulelaw necessary, or in fact, that is not deceptiveobstructivecounterintuitive to that other than for punitive clarification premeditated murder should not be punished the same as shoplifting food by a starving person, for instance.