Atheists, do you believe in the existence of a conscience?

I believe in social conscience (i.e. this will/won't have a positive effect on society, the community or the world at large) and I believe in empathy (recognising that another creature will have pain/pleasure or happiness/sadness - which I myself can experience so would want to either help with or prevent).

I also accept that I have ideals of right and wrong that were ingrained into me by my upbringing, and that my context for what is "right" and "wrong" is as a result of this.

I don't believe in some all powerful personal spiritual force that says "Don't do this or I will spank you in the afterlife" and then does nothing whichever choice I make, no matter how much suffering (either intentional or inadvertent) there is as a result.

Arguably, I make my choices based on the context I am in and for this world and this life, I don't do it for any other reason than it is right to me based on the above criteria... I don't do it to massage the ego of the Creator, nor assure myself a place in their exclusive country club when I die...

As in the voice that tells you "don't do it", or the sensation of awareness that some animals feel (including us)?

maybe,maybe not
i beelive that we are dictated to by our biology and pscyhology
even if we haev a soul, it only works in conjunction with the biology inthis life, it cant work alone

soif the conscious is innate and is conected to a soul
either way,they work together

There's no need to believe, it is a fact.

As there are 2 meaning of conscience (1. self awareness & 2. capacity for morality);

1. I think therefore I am.

2. The capacity for morality is inborn was we are social creatures. It is located mainly in the medial prefrontal cortex and limbic system and is connected to other areas of the brain.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article6037175.ece

The type of morality you develop depends on your upbringing, personal experiences, and judgements.

Most definitely. It's your subconscious.

Sure.

I accept people ''have it''

Yes.

Apes don't have a conscience and hence they don't know the meaning of "belief".

They don't.

I accept that it exists, mostly because I experience it in myself. The anterior prefrontal cortex controls inhibitions and moral reasoning, there's no denying that. Adults that damage this part of their brain may still be capable of making moral choices having learned right and wrong in other cognitive centers of the brain, but if it occurs in children, they never develop the ability in the first place and often exhibit sociopathological behaviors.

Hi Ray.
Regardless of "belief" we -know- that we have a conscience, because we experience it. Atheist is just a term that means "someone who does not believe in any God". It does not mean that we do not believe in things which are common to human experience, like love or peace or hope or joy or conversely hatred or fear, etc. That we do not share the concept of faith does not mean we do not share similar concepts of right or wrong, or good or evil with those who are believers. Although we do not believe in a God, we are not really much different from anyone else. We just tend to view the nature of conscience as being something that is partly inborn and related to self awareness and partly a social construct.

Yes.

Conscience, as the sense of having done right or wrong, is a learned behavior. It exists if your parents, guardians, or mentors did a good job in bringing you up as a child.

as in morality?
or thought??

Yeah, but I also think it's a by-product of being self-aware social animals. It doesn't have to be anything to do with the fact that I'm atheist.