The Bible teaches in Matthew 22:36-40 that all of God's laws for humanity depend upon obedience to the following two commands:
1. Love God. ("Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.")
2. Love your neighbor. ("Love your neighbor as yourself.")
The most important thing to note here is that love for God must always come before and have total priority over love for other people -- otherwise we fall into idolatry.
When we read these words, we think immediately that we understand them. After all, who doesn't understand "love your neighbor"? How difficult is that to understand, really?
Actually, it is rare that any two people will agree on exactly what "love" means in this context. We tend to think we understand it and that every other human being will understand it the same way we do because of how obvious it is, but this is simply the "psychologist's fallacy" -- presupposing that others think the same way we do.
For example, in many people's minds, loving one's neighbor means, in part, never arguing with them: never discussing controversial topics such as scripture, salvation, and religion. Love is often equated with tolerance or lack of disputes. After all, it is argued, Christ is the Prince of Peace! (Isaiah 9:6)
Is this the "love" that Christ wants us to have for our neighbor?
If it were, the Bible would be not only contradictory, but utterly meaningless!
Since Christ is the Prince of Peace, the only way we can be peacemakers is to introduce people to Him! This means necessarily discussing the scriptures, salvation and religion. Christians are commanded by Christ to make disciples of all nations and to teach them to obey all that He has commanded us (Matthew 28). The church is also commanded to preach the gospel to all creatures (Mark 16). Those who do so are highly commended (Romans 10:15).
The ultimate picture of love for neighbor is certainly not the avoidance of conflict, but rather the presentation of Christ.
And love for God -- what of that?
Christ, who is God the Son, teaches that if we love Him, we will obey His commands (John 14). Thus, obedience to Christ's commands is an outpouring of our love for Him -- love that we only have because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
The best way to properly understand how to love God is to read His word, the Bible, recognizing that God Himself is the very picture of love (1 John 4:16).
In totally giving Himself up for us, He provides a model for how we should behave towards Him (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; John 15:13; Philippians 2:8; Matthew 16:24).
Therefore, our behavior as Christians is to be first and foremost obedient to Christ out of love for Him, and in that obedience, to bring Christ to our neighbors out of love for them.
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My authorities are scientific facts and the dictates of reason (as defined by logic and mathematics). These together tell me both what probably does and doesn't exist (and thus I derive my belief system) and how I should and shouldn't behave. There are countless things that I thus conclude (such as that it is immoral to smoke, but not immoral to drink if I do it safely and moderately), but some of the most important guidelines for my behavior are the Golden Rule and the Rule of Intellectual Honesty.
The Golden Rule has been taught by numerous religions and cultures: to do unto others as I would want them to do unto me, and to judge others by the standards I would want them to judge me. By doing this, I help create the social environment I want to live in, I gain the respect of my peers, and I can respect myself and live satisfied with who I am and what I've done. Scientifically, we know living by the Golden Rule creates the most stable and successful societies, and brings the most consistent benefits to the individual, including psychological health and life satisfaction.
The Rule of Intellectual Honesty governs a whole way of thinking. It includes admitting when I don't know something or when the facts or logic prove me wrong, and adjusting my beliefs accordingly; admitting uncertainty when I am uncertain and talking probabilities instead; being honest about the facts; being careful about avoiding fallacious or invalid reasoning; being concerned to find out what the facts are (and thus to hear both sides of a case before deciding, and not by picking the worst advocates, either, but the best); and many similar patterns of thought and behavior. I find that conducting my life this way brings me ever closer to the truth and burdens me with less error, and results in my learning a great deal more, and ensures I won't be enslaved to any dogma by choosing to defend that dogma at all costs rather than letting that dogma face the unending tribunal of facts and reason.
Naturalism guides me to these virtues because it entails there is no god to help me or reward me or punish me or fill me in as to what is true, nor any other supernatural power of such kind, so I must rely on facts and reason to tell me how to obtain these things, reliably, efficiently, and safely. And science, experience, and common sense all teach me that the Golden Rule and the Rule of Intellectual Honesty (as well as a great deal else) constitute the best way for me to live. Such behavior is the only behavior that will reliably get me to the truth about myself and the world, and maximize my happiness in the process. What An Atheist Ought to Stand For
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