Who would you expect to be more moral - an Atheist or a Theist?
This may seem like a simple question but it is not. An Atheist believes that when he dies life is over. His existence is over - period. Therefore, he must make the most of his time here on earth. If he commits a serious crime and spends the rest of his life in prison he is screwed. His time on this planet is finite - why spend it in prison.
A Theist (if he believes in heaven and hell) is taught to be moral or else face eternal damnation. You would think this would make him more moral. But there is a caveat - if he accepts Jesus as his savior (Christian religion) then no matter what he did wrong in his life he can still go to heaven. Now I ask you - if I had a 'get out of jail free card' wouldn't I be more likely to be immoral than if I knew that my life is finite and should not be wasted in prison?
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