It has been asked "On what basis does the nontheistic and practical atheist make moral choices. . .?”.

My answer is:

Our moral choices, as atheists, include striving to be honest in our words and actions, faithful to our family, responsible toward the world and careful in our use of it’s limited resources.  These moral choices are based on the connections and responsibilities we have to all other living creatures and nonliving things on this earth that we share.  We are much like an ingredient in a soup which can enhance (or ruin) the overall flavor without even being noticed individually.  And, as a soup is greater than the sum of its parts, it is our belief that by striving to be positive and caring in our interactions with other “ingredients”, we are making moral choices which hopefully enhance all life on this planet.

We don’t need a promise of a reward after death to motivate these moral choices or to think this is important.