Are atheists empty shells with no moral compass?

The Faith section of the Bradenton Herald recently published an article with the headline "Atheist may be sunny on outside, but feel empty inside." A reader wrote the Billy Graham Evangelical Association for some advice from their "My Answer" program. The reader asks how it could be possible that her friend, whom she describes as the "kindest, most thoughtful person" she knows, could be the way she is being an atheist. The answer provides deep insight into the rhetoric that resonates within Christian households regarding morality and kindness.

Why is she such a kind and thoughtful person? I don’t know the reason; perhaps she simply has a sunny personality (as some people do), or perhaps her parents taught her to be kind and considerate when she was growing up. But I do know this: She’s not this way because she’s an atheist. In fact, she’s this way in spite of her atheism — because a true atheist has no real reason to believe in right and wrong, or to behave sacrificially toward others.

It is a commonly accepted belief, though erroneous, that to be moral, one must be a Christian. Many people of faith in the United States believe that their particular religion has a monopoly on morality and that an atheist, with no supernatural deity to answer to, can behave however they wish. This is true of anyone. Anyone may act however they choose, but it is true that an atheist does not adhere to any religious belief with specific behavioral condemnations. What then prompts an atheist to act with kindness and regard to others?

When people live in a society, there are benefits to acting positively towards others and ramifications for acting negatively, regardless of any notions of a postmortem judgment. Stealing, lying, and certainly acting violently towards others results in negative social capital. Fostering positive relationships and acting kindly towards those with whom you share your community creates positive social capital. While there is no standard for how an atheist acts, this easily explains how an atheist can act kindly and thoughtfully.

Let's examine the inverse of the question presented. What reasons do Christians have to behave kindly and thoughtfully towards others? Many would say that to live a life like Christ, one must act amicably towards others. Mark 12:31 instructs believers to "love thy neighbor as thyself," but what motivation is there to heed this commandment? Eternal damnation in a lake of fire. Underlying all of Christianity's messages of love and hope is the constant reminder that if you do not achieve salvation in their prescribed manner, you will burn for all of eternity. Atheists have no such fears to motivate their positive actions towards others.

Besides, when read without rose-colored glasses, one can find many examples where the Bible is a less than optimal source of moral guidance. With issues like slavery, incest, rape, torture, and murder being committed by individuals through the Bible (sometimes acting on direct orders from the Big Man), can we at least agree that times have changed and maybe the lessons put forth in this ancient text aren't as applicable in modern society?