Religion and Ethics

I believe that someone can definitely be ethical without being religious, so of course I believe that people of all religious backgrounds as well as people with no religious affiliation can be ethical. I found an article by Dr. Otto J. Helger that made me consider the basis for our ethical belief systems. He wrote:

"The existence of a final judgement (completely fair with no hidden evidence) provides a minimum ethical motivation. Further motivation would be available to those who desire to obey God from gratitude rather than for reward or punishment. This is not to imply that atheists or non theists are not ethical, but only that they do not have a rational basis for their motivation."
I found this to be very thought-provoking. Clearly, he believes that non religious individuals can be ethical as well, but the basis for their beliefs and behavior is not as clear as it would be for a religious individual. I think the motivation in the case of non religious people may come from family or community. Additionally, I think that explaining ethics to a diverse audience would simply center on a discussion of doing the right thing, the law, and the belief that most people are born with a fundamental sense of right and wrong.

http://www.leaderu.com/offices/o_helweg/professional_ethics.html