The argument from morality is scary.

[Captain Scarlet]

While I wont dispute your evidence re athiests commit less crimes I would suggest that it's a bit soon to jump to the conclusion that its the athiesm itself that causes this. Can the rise in Athiesm or those who are religious only in name in any country in the west be matched to a decrease in crime rate when other factors are taken into account.....[ snip]... So how will the population as a whole operate when finally freed from any possible restraints of religious ideas to their actions. Are you really so convinced that it will be better if everyone just became atheist?

Under a naturalist perspective (which entails atheism) neither theism nor atheism is a causal factor in the development of morality. It is interesting to note that the more atheistic a country is, the better the indicators are for the general societal health. I wouldn't claim that for atheism however (ie it cannot be a causal factor). It is more that the degree of atheism is a facet of the ability of a population to think and act freely and a society which places our values and behaviors aligned with promoting the maximum desires of it's citizens. Equally theism cannot make any such claim (more than happy to expeand on that).

But worries atheists like myself, is the practical point. Theistic morality is frequently driven to be anything the prevailing demagogue of the day wishes it to be, and it is subject to their own mania, pandering to prejudice, petty vengeance and flat out absurdities: abortion, homosexuality, stem cell research, race, preventing the spread of aids, equality of the sexes. Theism has an excellent track record of getting it wrong, which given it's hotline to a soverign and perfect creator of an entire universe is somewhat surprising - unless of course that being doesn't exist and there is no one at the end of the celestial telephone except the very person attempting to make that call.