That is correct. Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, regardless of who is watching. This I think is the anchor to what ethical behavior is.

Don't be a dick.

Acknowledging that we are all on the same journey...treat others as you would like to be treated...be kind (open doors and help others)
Live life guilt free
Don't be an asshole

I go by the tenets of Boatfloatology: Whatever floats your boat, but to not sink any other boats- we are all in this ocean together.

1. Don't be a dick.
2. Leave things better than you found them.

People may take lack of religious beliefs for lack of morals or interest in a higher purpose. I believe if you need religion to be a good person, then you are really not a good person. I want to be a positive addition to this world, to my friends and family. Spread good vibes, love, compassion and integrity. You don't need religion for that

My ole Dad use to say there were only two kinds of people in the world.....those that produced, and those that destroyed.......those that were producers built, loved, showed compassion, helped their fellowman, and strived to better the world they lived in.....those that destroyed attempted to do the opposite...always thought that striving to be a producer was as good a moral goal as could be found.

I lived in Burlington for years. The Christian/Muslim contention that without religion we would all rape and kill each other just pisses me off. Children know better with no instruction. I believe that a sense of fairness and equity is common to most primates including human ones. This is corroborated by various studies that demonstrate monkeys and primates dislike being treated unfairly in various situations. I believe that from this basic internal "compass" humans and other animals have developed a sense of what is right and wrong etc. I believe the basis for this is largely innate and when reinforced in a cultural environment becomes what we call morality. So "egg or chicken" all you want. I do not believe humans require the external rulesets of religion to be moral. In fact morality existed before religion.

From an evolutionary perspective, being members of a species who relied on one another for survival, it only makes sense that we would develop traits that allowed for goodwill and cooperation between us.

I also believe very strongly that if you do good only out of fear of eternal punishment, or in expectation of reward in the afterlife you are not a good person, to paraphrase a rather famous scientist.

Do no harm.

Treat others with kindness and respect.

Hard to say. My morals are more compulsion than something I have thought through.

I like to be nice to people. I believe the more we help each other, the less we suffer, the better the world will be as a whole.

Do no harm. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If you wouldn’t want somebody to do it to you, don’t do it to them. People are stupid, don’t take advantage of it! Most Christians don’t really pay much attention to their Ten Commandments anyway. They tend to pay more attention to their conmen or women leaders than any real moral code. If told to hate, they hate. If told to love, they love.

Treat others the way they want to be treated.

I don't know that I have one. I believe that the world should be a better place because I was here, even if only on a small scale.

It's so simple, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." This doesn't mean I have to believe in a god. I was a Christian for 51 years and have been an atheist for 4. I am still the same person with morals. It's frustrating that most Christians think you're evil if you say you're an atheist. I have found freedom and hope since I accepted the fact that there is no god.

My moral compass, such as it is, is based around 'do unto others' etc and a bit of making myself a bit better every day in some way. I don't need any external influence to guide me and I certainly don't need the mumbo jumbo of the bible. For heaven's sake! lol

Does a moral compass point in only one direction? Magnetic compasses do. Or is the very notion of a compass rather limiting? I prefer to think in terms more like a compass rose, with some cardinal points and minor divisions as well. What are your cardinal points? Mine might be truth, wonder, love and humility.

Truth was here long before us and will be here after we are gone. I think one of our main virtues is that we can recognize and pursue truths wherever they lead, if we have the nerve to do so.

Wonder is a great spice for my life, hopefully for yours too. I can't help but stop and gaze when there are some really intricate high clouds overhead, or the stars are really bright, or the waves are swirling through the rocks at the shoreline. I sometimes consider getting this lyric inked: "I'm a seed, wondering why it grows..."

Love has had more print devoted to it than I could even describe, with good reason. Strong emotional bonds may be deep beyond words, and shape much of our lives. What would your life be without the love of your spouse, your children, your few best friends? A few generous souls can light the way for us all with an altruistic example.

Humility keeps us in perspective. It's more a matter of choosing wisely that which we do, with an eye to the good rather than aggrandizement. Being humble also leaves us some room to consider the good of others, by not being too wrapped up in ourselves.

So, does anyone have a similar system of ethical navigation? Please share if you do!

I recently had an argument about our moral compasses with a guy online. Apparently we all have a moral compass given to us by god and we should be thanking the Christians every time we do something good.

I admit I like the opportunity to mess a bit with someone who says they derive their "moral compass" from their religious faith. I tell them I could be a bit scared of someone who needs the promise of a reward or the threat of punishment to make decisions of a moral and ethical nature. That usually leads to them asking what keeps me from robbing people or even committing murder! I'm very happy to tell them I rob and kill as much as I want---and that much is ZERO. I then explain how I am capable of applying empathy and reason to know how to conduct myself and that I willingly accept all responsibility for my actions in my lifetime. Usually, they can't process that and I watch their eyes glaze over.

Ironically, my moral compass was forged by religion. However, I grew up in an Anabaptist community where I was taught that it wasn't enough to "do good", but to do so authentically and sincerely—otherwise, there was no conviction behind your words and deeds. The Anabaptist community was also unflinchingly left-leaning, for the most part; tolerance and acceptance were tenets of the faith, as was pacificism. I no longer go to church, but I do think that this had a strong influence on me as a child, and later, as an adult. I can appreciate this for what it was, which was a great learning lesson in How To Be a Decent Human Being 101.

I live in a small village and the local church are hosting what they call "the alpha course". Which they say is a way to live a moral life within the Christian faith. I strongly disagree that one needs Christianity or any other "faith" to lead a moral life. I would like to go along and argue my case but I would probably know many of the people attending and have I the courage to do so ?.

I use Ayn Rand's definition of good and evil, where good is that which advances life and evil as that which impedes life. It's amazing how far that will take you.

What I find puzzling is how xtians can claim to have morals while following a book that is about the most amoral collection of evil garbage ever written. It's a mass of contradictions where ANYTHING can be justified by simply cherry picking the right passage.

Morality is NOT a fear of punishment. It's doing the right thing because that what you want to happen.

I like the Golden Rule as a base. Live your life as long as you are not purposely hurting others.

Don't harm myself or others.