I respect and accept that political columnist Angie Vogt may feel that one who is not a Christian may not be motivated to do good or act in compassion, but resent that she decides that others need her motivation to do so (“Believers and atheists can all feel the love,” Dec. 13).

She states that “reason alone will never be enough to compel somebody to act out of that impulse, and reason is what atheists appeal to as their reference point, of, if you will their ‘god’.”

As one who is not of the Christian faith but among many who neither believe certainly that there is a God nor that there is definitely not a God, I am one who will act out of conscience and desire to contribute to a world that is beneficial to all. I do not need to believe in anything but the common sense approach that if I want others to treat me well, I must do so by example, as we all know that every behavior has a ripple effect.

I need neither the gratitude to God for my existence nor the fear of punishment from God to make such decisions — it just makes sense to me to do what I believe to be right and to try to live a life of integrity.

Being human, I have imperfections and often fail in being my “best” self, but continue to make the effort, as I believe it is the right thing to do just because it is the right thing to do. Each person has what motivates him/her and this is mine. I am neither a “believer” nor an “atheist” and am very comfortable in living with that which is unknown.

Toska Rodriguez

Federal Way