Where do atheists get their morality from?

[Red Celt]

Morality starts with empathy and is normal part of higher animals brain function.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/chimps...10808.html

If you can put yourself in other peoples positions you can 'feel their suffering' and, if you are a nice person, try to lessen it.

People who do not have empathy are psychopaths who use people as things.

It is interesting to note that a psychopathic mind set is often seen by high earning capitalists.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/opinio....html?_r=1

I liked your post (and thoroughly agree with you) however, there's one small correction needed. People who lack empathy are sociopaths... but sociopaths can learn how to mock feelings and can live (relatively) successfully in society, by abiding to social norms. Psychopaths take it to the next level which (as you said) involves the abuse of others.

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You know, I've heard that statistic about atheists in prisons and I don't think that it really proves anything. All that proves is that atheists are better at avoiding getting caught. Which makes sense. When you spend your whole life living in sin, you're bound to be better at it than the amateur from the other side of the fence who occasionally crosses over.

It's a whole lot easier to get parole if you appear to be on a course of redemption, and religion is a useful "tool" on which to hang that apparent improvement from criminal to law-abiding citizen.