The atheistic evolution

Lets try and bear some fruit like the bible says to do. Let our actions speak louder than our words just like almost everyone was taught, non believer or believer. Lets get out there and demonstrate love, respect, compassion, forgiveness, and grace. Just like our role model Jesus did. If we claim to have a set of beliefs that determine if we live in pure joy forever or live in pure suffering forever lets live out those set of beliefs like we were told to do... that is our divine purpose on this earth because that is what pleases God.

Let me clarify: If I were only doing good because I would be rewarded, I would have zero capacity for actual compassion, and would not at all understand the difference of right and wrong on a fundamental level. The dynamics of reward and punishment as a primary motivator for one's ethical actions shows an immature and extremely poor character.

To address some of his other points, I actually find death a positive thing. No, not premature or painful death necessarily, but the fact of death is a necessity not only biologically, but so that we are motivated to do what we need to, and not stagnate. Living forever would be boring, and we would quickly grow uncaring and callous towards even the largest travesty, and even begin to suffer because of it. Everyone thinks Heaven is great, but no one can give any specific details of it [laughs]. I wouldn't want it.

"Eventually the Earth will be destroyed, what would be the point of your philanthropy?" Didn't Jesus himself encourage philanthropy? Having to answer this question the way you intended means that you are clearly both self-righteous and quite ignorant, at least one of those Jesus doesn't like.

In sum, Mr Hewitt, you have done your religion a severe disservice, confirming the perceptions of those like myself of your ilk. Carving a schizm with the knife of ignorance and false superiority will not make you many friends. But, if you are seriously interested in secular ethics (I still will not presume the worst), I suggest Aristotle and Plato, for starters, and to answer your questions, specifically "Why would atheists be good people?", I suggest Michael Shermer's The Science of Good & Evil.

The lack of purpose was my point, though I can see where you got that conclusion. I do, though, believe that without God there wouldn't be morals (heck, there wouldn't be anything!) but I do believe God exists and only because He does can we (INCLUDING ME) as deprived sinners do any sort of good.

Why don't dogs rape and murder each other? How can any other species be kind to each other if they don't believe in a higher being? We have a choice as humans. Godless animals live to support their families. We get to choose what we live for. Some live for love, some for pleasure and some live for others.

When I do something that is considered good it is because I am a righteous person. I have a purpose in life that I have created, I am a good person and I am an Atheist. Does that sentence conflict with your views? I do what I believe is good because I am righteous, not because there is some god looking at me to judge what I am doing. Humans are social animals and it benefits the community as a whole if we are cooperate and do not harm each other.

"What would you rather have: no God and no purpose or a perfect God and an eternal purpose?"

Quite the choice you have given us. I have never seen such a horrible ultimatum. I, and many others, have no god and can easily show you we have purpose. I have a question for you: Once you get to heaven and have everything you desire, what is your purpose then? What is your purpose when you are in heaven and have all that you will ever need? The utopia, that most christians speak of, contradicts the purpose that you say god gives us.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

What is your purpose then? And how can there be a place with no sorrow, crying or pain without god somehow canceling your emotions? Personally I enjoy my ability to have sorrow and feel pain. Would you not miss those you have left on earth? Would you not weep for those that continue to suffer on earth?

And what exactly is “Atheistic evolution”? Evolution is the truth Lucas, despite how much your dying religion wants to fight it.

"What will be the point of not raping or murdering or stealing? Everything you do (in atheistic evolution) should be to make you feel the best in the shortest amount of time before you simply stop existing."

If I'm interpreting this correctly, the things that would make you feel the best in the shortest amount of time include rape, murder, and theft? So good things don't bring you pleasure, and you do them for the rewards. The only reason you aren't satisfying your desires to rape, murder, and steal is that you don't want to be punished.

If that's the case, I'm thankful that you are restraining yourself by holding yourself accountable to something, since you apparently don't feel accountable to other human beings. Keep on praising the lord!

This article feels like a terrible formation of a Christian elitism which I would never apply to more than a small portion of believers. Where did you come up with the term "Atheistic Evolution"... or was it the product of prejudice against non-believers? You say it is a blatant inconsistency to not believe in God and to live a moral and ethical life... where do you even get that? That is a blatant disregarding of any past philosopher, humanitarian, or individual who not only lived, but wrote and revolutionized the moral life based off of human reason which you would just as soon say that God created and no one else had access to without him... its actually plainly insulting of history, I mean I guess I most have forgotten about when Hammurabi went up the mountain and got his code from God. Such an accusation is actually angering. Why are you even spending money to get an advanced education when as you put it “What purpose could be better than worshipping and adoring an infinite God?” This assertion would imply that there is nothing else you should do other than worship and adore God… why try or do anything else, I am sure some monastic societies are still looking for members? You accuse atheists of being contradictory and inconsistent when everything you say is inconsistent, contradictory, or untrue. I understand this is an opinion piece, but it reads like a joke. You have no academic understanding of morals or ethics, let alone of what it means to be an atheist. Please leave your biased, prejudiced, logically flawed, and uninformed opinions to yourself until you have fixed the previous four mistakes.

I could go on for hours, this is just ridiculous. Does the NI not proof for content, even opinon articles have to have standards?

That's pretty sad.