Originally posted by dj2becker
Exactly. You don't have anything to compare it to. In other words for the Atheist there would be nothing absolutely wrong with raping and murdering an innocent 2 year old baby. At least you are being honest about it...
Aeeee! Wrong answer. See, them atheists (and us agnostics) compare
right and wrong to their own experiences and natural desires. We all
have a self-preservation instinct, and we can all relate to people being
in danger (especially defenceless little babies). Compared to that it's
wrong to do what you just suggested.
Now, you may argue that an atheist could flip out and really not care
about his/her own life much, and hence not care about others. That lack
of sympathy for others can cause you to perform many heinous acts,
whereas a theist such as yourself must abide by a "higher" law and would
have to follow that law no matter how you feel about another person.
Alas, this is not true. A psychopath is pretty much a psychopath whether
(s)he believes in a God or not. So, the subject (as so many has
already pointed out) is not really about being atheist or not, but more
about social norms and personal experiences slowly shaping our sense
of right and wrong over time.