"Do Athiest's kill, steal and generaly brake more "commandments" than those of religion? I don't know but I suspect not. It strikes me that in many cases religion is used as an excuse by those thiest as an excuse or escape from thier guilt."
probably not out of religious motives, but people who do these horrid things, tend to blame anything they can to relieve their own culpability. religion is easy. it were god that made me do it, as opposed to 'i was let down by the system' is just trying to bring other people to account, rather than admit personal responsibility.
The evangilist whos states his adultary/theft was gods temptation and he fell BUT he is sure god will forgive him. The chance of eternal damnation was clearly no deterent to them.
same. lack of personal reponsibility. who can i blame, er..... yep, god. or that woman in accounts who wore really short skirts and fluttered her eyelashes at me, deffo asking for it - not my fault guv.
Priests who abuse children, thefts of sacred things from churches etc etc
...would still do this if they were not priests, they are not doing 'because they are priests'. you might as well say that all paedos who are not priests are therefore atheist. of course such blanket statements are way off the mark. aint they.
i dont think the absence of religion would make much difference to society - some bugger would reinvent it anyway. if it were a catechismic event, then no doubt people would probably go rioting and looting for a bit. people would still worship the sun for 2 weeks a year.