I question if the only reason a person is moral is ONLY because they are forced to obey their god or religious book, if they are being moral at all.
Would you really appreciate a birthday gift that I give you only because I feel that I was obligated to buy it for you?
Or would you appreciate a gift given to you, not out of obligation, but to show their love for you?
Christians, for example, are to love their neighbor as themselves, and yet, do we? Do we let someone over in traffic to exit because that is what we would want someone to do for us? Do we not judge others because we ourselves don't like being unfairly judged?
And even then, we have a hard time following it.
So, if the bible says we should act this way, give more than we are asked, to give without asking what's in it for us, not asking to be paid back but rather pay it forward to someone else, and yet, we don't act that way, where are we getting our morals from?
For me, our conscience is what I have come to believe is God. I believe that is what God breathed into Adam, not just oxygen, but a part of God himself, a reflection of God Himself, the part of us that feels so good when we act selflessly in love towards others, as God does for us. We listen, or we don't.
We all have that inner voice, a conscience, regardless of our religious belief, and as a Christian, it is much more that that I listen to, to God within me, rather than the doctrine commanded from a man in a pulpit.
I assume that is the same of those who have no religion.
You don't lie because you know how it feels to be lied to. You don't want to be known as a liar, because you don't like liars.
I think it is that simple. That is why when Christ was asked what laws were the most important, said, "to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself." If you aren't loving your neighbor, you aren't loving God."
It's that easy. It is written on all of our hearts.
Some people live selfishly, regardless of the religion they profess with their mouths.
Someone said once that if you took 50 Christians and 50 atheists, and put them in a bag to mix them out, and then sorted them by who acted "good" and who acted selfishly with only their own best interest at heart, you would probably have two groups, each 25 Christians and 25 atheists in each group.
At least the humanist or atheist doesn't claim to be following any religious guidelines.
However, the "goat" Christian has guidelines, claims to be Christian, to follow the Bible, and yet, doesn't, and makes their own justified version of morality. They have far less of an excuse.