-order and complexity-

I've been reading about Intelligent Design and atheism lately, and I've been wondering if atheists believe that the world has merely the appearance of purpose. It simply doesn't look like an accident (or series of accidents) caused the world to be as it appears. I also wonder on what basis atheists choose to be ethical rather than amoral, since if there are no fixed moral absolutes, why bother to be good (in fact, "good" is a non-issue in such a world). I've probably said this before, but a world without God is left with arbitrary preferences at best and anarchy at worst. The world may function better with standards, but without a fixed moral basis, every value may be questioned and rejected outright. The other day I read in the newspaper a letter to the editor declaring a questionable activity as moral. On what basis? Personal opinion? That is hardly an adequate criteria. Let's get back to a theistic worldview.