Many theists have claimed that morality and obedience to their version of "god" must walk hand in hand or one cannot be considered as a "moral agent". Altruism, they contend for instance, is an inborn motivation placed within the human genetic construct by "god" (Rachlin, 2002. p. 241). Further, they claim that selfishness is a greater motivator of human behavior than selflessness (Rachlin, 2002). While religion provides a standard of behavior that is considered moral by those who adhere to that ideology, it operates on the false assumption that human beings are incapable of rising above their selfish nature to make moral decisions without the intervention of a "higher" intelligent force or being (Van den beld, 2001. p. 384). As Reno (2012) states, "20 percent of Americans now check 'none' when asked about their religious affiliation (p. 3)." Despite this growing trend in secularism, the majority of Americans maintain a very well-developed standard of morality (Reno, 2012). Despite the fact that many theists contend humans are the creations of God and would not have the capacity to be moral without God willing it so (Mawson, 2002), one can be moral and not believe in God because self-interest is not necessarily immoral, humans are not moral by nature, and morals are learned behaviors.
             It can be asserted that humans are not naturally moral. According to Van den Beld (2001), all moral actions are commanded by God (p. 396). If this were not the case, there would be no restrictions upon human behavior or interactions. Van den Beld further contends that if God did exist, humans would only be bound by their legal obligations as established by their respective governments and not by any internal governing factor (2001). Once the letter of the law was satisfied, it is implied that humans would revert back to self-gratification over self-sacrifice.
             Furthermore, the "will ...