Does being an atheist imply that one will be immoral?

Since leaving Christianity, one question that has plagued my newly reformed mind is: what motivates me to act in a moral fashion? The answer is not a particularly simple one.

Before I explore this question in more depth, I must make you aware that my former attachment with religion is one that bound me in a shroud of ignorance, fear, and often a lack of desire to see viewpoints outside of my own. This is a fairly common occurrence as far as religion as a social device is concerned. That is not too say that all religious individuals are ignorant, but the nature of religion itself is one that can lead to a sensation of being blind to other world views; especially when many of those viewpoints are deemed inherently "wrong" and by extension "Satanic" or "sinful." Speaking in terms of mainstream religions like Christianity and Islam, a line has been drawn in the sand. If one crosses said line, then they are often viewed by their respective churches as acting in accordance with the devil. The most unfortunate observance of scenarios related to this is one a few of us may know all too well. I have seen religious men and woman (from my former church) who were unwilling to pick up books that discuss topics juxtaposed to the nature of their religious ideology. My simple observance is this: if simply reading is "wrong" (or by extension sinful in the eyes of God), then how can one rationally conclude that basing one's morality based on God himself is acceptable? If we are not allowed to view the world through any other lenses then our own bias, then how can saying "morality is only found in the absolute truth of God's existence" express a reasonable sentiment without having an in depth, personal dispute over which moral theories are superior and inferior?

Of course, let me again be clear, not all religious people act like this. However, this is a remarkable observation I noticed in my younger year and is important to note for the sake of this blog.