lurkette

Not necessarily true. Even in some animal species, it's been shown that altruistic behavior can actually enhance the chances of survival for the individual who practices it. And in a species with as complex a social structure as humans, looking out only for your own survival (a pure sociopath, say) is likely to reduce your rate of success, rather than enhance it.

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These concepts of "good" and "evil" are religious by nature. What's in it for the Darwinian mindset to be "good"?

Again, Darwin doesn't apply to human society, really. We live in a society where there are rules that are derived from popular consent. While many of these rules were religious in origin, most of them are based on common sense, and are aimed at creating and maintaining a stable society, which is pretty much in your best interests whether you believe in god or not. Not all atheists are anarchists.

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What happened to survival of the fittest? How is helping the old and infirm add to our society?

You have to drop this simplistic "survival of the fittest" stuff to understand. And I don't know how you got the idea that all atheists are darwinists as well. Helping the old and infirm adds to our society by 1. reinforcing bonds of affection; 2. preserving a knowledge, memory, and experience base; 3. in some cultures, keeping someone to watch the little kids while the work-age folk go off to work; etc. Just because you can't necessarily contribute to the genetic pool any more doesn't mean you can't contribute to the social pool.

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What is the void that love fills?

I'm not quite sure what this question means...if you want to look at it in purely psychological terms, each human being has an experience of oneness with the mother until they're born. Even after they're born, for some time they have no concept of self/other. When the concept of self emerges, there's a powerful realization of aloneness that is partially ameliorated by physical contact, bonds of affection, chemical processes that reassure and teach us to reassure ourselves. I think that's the seed of love, and pretty much all love afterward is some kind of bond with someone who helps fill that void left by the realization of aloneness and dissociation from the Whole that happens when we learn that there is a Self and a Not-Self.

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Why monogamy?

Because it's stable. I don't think the Bible has much to say about monogamy (correct me please if I'm wrong), which was a cultural practice long before it was reified by religion. Monogamy creates stability, which is better for the whole society.

I think wherever you look at religiously-proscribed beliefs, you'll find at the heart of it a common-sense practice that makes a society more stable. And that stability necessarily comes at the cost of individual freedom. Some people choose to take the individual freedom and risk the displeasure of the rest of the society anyhow.

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It seems to me that those who expouse an atheistic belief structure are limiting the growth of their personal individualism by playing by the rules of the religious.

Not necessarily. A lot of people, religious or atheists, obey those rules and mores that are ultimately to their benefit (going to school, holding a job, not popping stupid people on the nose), and break the ones that they don't think should apply (having polyamorous relationships, not having children, cheating on income taxes, etc.)

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In other words...if no God, then no final judgement. Who are you trying to please by living a moral life?

Myself, really. Granted, a lot of my moral tenets have been formed by the society I live in, and may have religions bases. But I've considered and discarded a lot of them, too, and kept the ones that I think are most likely to enhance my own life. I am kind to other people because I like it when people are kind to me, and if everyone were kind the world would be a good place. I am charitable in part because it's ultimately in my best interest if a lot of the people who are worse off than I am have a way out, a way to prosperity, rather than seeing themselves as hopeless and possibly committing crimes. I have a monogamous relationship because I love my husband and we make each other feel good in a lot of ways. If we ever decided to have an open relationship, I would accept that because it enriched our lives in some way that was worth the possible risk to the stability of our relationship. Etc. I don't need much more than the wisdom of the golden rule (which is not religiously based) to guide me.

I think the key difference between religious people's morality and atheist's morality is that religious people tend to follow beliefs blindly, because they were "given by god," while atheists are free to examine their beliefs, and the religiously-derived beliefs of their society, and discard the morals that seem unfounded or nonsensical.

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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

- Anatole France