[Moneyguy1]

There are those who have led "moral" lives while not having an affiliation with a religion. All I was trying to say is we, as thinking, rational creatures should have an internally driven obligation to behave in a rational manner. For some, that means taking everything they can for themselves, and for others it means cooperation with others for the benefit of the whole. Those animals we think of as beneath us on the evolutionary scale sometimes show cooperation and caring that could serve as perhaps simplistic but relevant examples for us to follow.

Those who believe in God feel that it is God that provides this leveling power, and therefore providing a moral compass. Sadly, the God one belives in may be entirely different from the God of your neighbor. One person's God may say that killing those who differently believe is sanctioned, while another person's God may believe in acceptance, tolerance and understanding. The Aztecs...well, we won't even go there.

So, the concept of God is a very individual thing. I am fairly certain that no two people have the same internal picture of God.

But, the primary question is whether God as a concept is really necessary in order to provide that moral compass. My own opinion is that a belief in a God or gods codifies this moral code, providing a base for those who need it. I believe in God, but I do not believe that I should depend on God to tell me personally what is "right" or "wrong". If I am made in the image of God, that image, includes the concepts of right and wrong which in themselves should be sufficient for me to do the moral thing, simply because it is right. not because of an anticipation of reward or a fear of reprisal.