Throughout life, we develop qualities like decency, respect, and empathy through experience, relationships, and the temperament we’re born with. These ingredients shape our conscience — the inner voice that guides and regulates our behavior. For many people, God is part of that story. For others, moral behavior grows from the natural consequences of our actions: the rewards of doing good and the discomfort of remembering when we’ve fallen short. Whether or not one believes in God, the work of becoming a moral person happens in the choices we make, the habits we build, and the way we treat one another.