Answered Prayers as Proof of God

[cdog]

I don't kill people and I don't believe in god. Honestly, the law has little to do with why I don't kill. I don't kill because I dont believe in killing.

Sorry, you posted while I was typing, and sometimes I'm a really slow at posting

That's why I mentioned the fact that most (all?) human societies agree that murder, theft etc. are wrong. Most people don't want to murder or steal, maybe it stems from empathy, maybe it's just because we don't to be killed or have things stolen from us, I don't know, but that would be an interesting discussion to have.

So if you and I feel that way, and apparently most of the people on the planet feel that way, what makes you think there's a bunch of people running around who would just love to murder and steal, but damn, they're worried about hell? Somebody with those inclinations probably wouldn't be religious, or if they were would just use the religion to justify their crimes.

I don't know that removing religion would make society 'better', I'd like to think so, but who knows. I suspect we'd find some other reason to kill each other, we're pretty good at that. However you claim that if everyone was an atheist there would be more crime, the basis of your argument that threats of eternal torment keep people in line. I ask again though, (realizing that you've already said you're done with this discussion :p) have such threats lead to any measurable decrease in crime?