Are atheists/agnostics "better at not getting caught"?

Question

I ask this because they represent about .2 percent (that's point 2 percent) of the U.S. prison population. (Verifiable - please google it). Math dictates, therefore, that 99.8 percent believe in some sort of God.

Is it possible that atheists/agnostics (who represent anywhere from about 9 to 12 percent of the general population in this country) - is it possible that they're MORE moral than the majority? Or are they just better at not getting caught?

Answer 1

Check your statistics again. Prison is one of the most likely places for people to "find Jesus." Convicted murderer Richard Liggett made caskets for Rev. Billy Graham and his wife.

Answer 2

I'm not a Beatles fan, and I don't find nothing offensive about that song or them lines at all. He was only making a statement about himself, or maybe even someone else, that hit their woman be it a girlfriend or wife, which sorry to say did happen more often back then than it does to day, I should say it happened back then as much as it does to day, but was excepted as in, people did not talk about it that much. And all Lennon did was bring it to the forefront, to let people know what is going on in the world, and no one is doing anything about it. But he or the person in their song is doing something about it, as he's stopped beating the woman and things are getting better. I don't see nothing wrong with that at all. I think maybe you are going overboard a bit with the song. So I guess you don't like Hendrix shooting his old lady and running off to Mexico. I bet she was beaten many times, before she was shot. Or the Rolling Stones, singing about how Stupid Girl, a put down on all women, and that they were useless. But that is not the case. One always has to remember in the 50s it was very well known that men beat their woman, girlfriend/wife, and it also was true into the 60s, when people like The Beatles brought it to the forefront. So as a song goes, it's a great song, for it's open to what was going on at the time, and that it's also time to change things and make it better. If I was bothered by that song for that verse alone, then I would be bothered by over have the songs in my collection. I'm okay with that. Cause all it is doing is telling me things like that got to stop, and we have to start to make things better. In which case he is doing. take care dave

Answer 3

Let's look at what Christianity says about criminal behavior.

God will forgive you if you sin or commit a crime, if you are truly sorry, or even if you just confess your sin/crime, about what you did.

Not all crimes are sins. You can commit some crimes in God's name, and it will be OK with God. Think of what the Bible says about homosexuality and about other people of different faiths.

The ultimate judgment rests with god. There is nothing to fear from the court systems.

The ultimate glory rests with God and the end of time. The time spent on Earth is only temporary. It is possible to screw up your life here and still win at the end.

What atheists believe is that we have only shot at life. So we make it the best we can for us and other people.

And I believe a moral code based on reason and compassion is more moral than on based on fear (of going to hell or inviting the wrath of god). At least that is biblical justification of Christianity's moral code.

As far as the claim that most Christians converted to this religion in the jail system, is simply not true. Think of the many Catholic priests who are in the prisons for child molestation. And all those good Christians who assault or murder gays because they believe they bible tells them to do so. And let's not forget the Branch Dividians, Jonestown, and other Christian sects that while did not spend any time in jail, certainly committed heinous crimes.The majority of people going INTO jail are Christians.

It used to be that criminals were let out early if they had "found the Lord". Perhaps some criminals who convert in prison still believe this approach would work.

Do you actually believe that Paris Hilton will still be a Christian two weeks after she gets out of jail? I think not. I don't believe that most other jail "converts" will be Christians soon after they get out. It's a game played many prisoners while incarcerated.


Rob

Answer 4

I can tell you aren't an atheist or agnostic from this question. I shouldn't answer this publicly, but I will.

Atheists and Agnostics are as moral as everyone else. Thus you would expect them to be criminal about as often as anyone else. And they are. But you have studied the wrong statistics. Your statistic doesn't show the percentage who are guilty of crimes or even the percentage arrested. Just the percentage convicted and sent to prison.

The justice system is, depending on your theological interpretation, either "of this world" or out and out run by Satan. After all, it's run by lawyers. Need I say more? As a result, dues paying members of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy are all given two "Get out of jail" cards each. Hence believers end up in prison and us non-believers go free. Either you aren't an atheist/agnostic or you didn't pay your dues to the conspiracy and thus aren't in good standing. Try to keep this answer secret, we aren't supposed to tell.

Answer 5

There's a lot of stone cold athiests out there who when it comes time to fill out paperwork (or get shot at) suddenly start believing in some sort of god, whether it be God, Allah, or the Spaghetti Monster is unseen.
I like to believe athiest are trying to hold onto that one bit of faith for three reasons:
1: Just in case they're wrong
2: They want to legitimately be able to celebrate Christmas
3: AINO; athiest in name only. Hence the song AINO mountain high enough, AINO river low enough

I've known so many atheists who smoke crack, write dreadfully boring poetry, and commit suicide on the other hand I've heard of many Christians who beat their wives, swindel money in their taxes, and blow up abortion clinics. The fact that "thug" rappers thank Jesus when they recieve an award supports that fact.
In the end individual morality isn't religion based, it's the based off the individuals determination to be moral.

Answer 6

Right, that must be the reason, We're just better at not getting caught. Hey, When I was 7 I was the Zodiac killer, See how good I was? and now, You wouldn't believe the stuff I get away with.
Actually the test was when people 1st, got into the prison system, not once they have been in a while and converted. so that does not fly.

Answer 7

302000000 (three hundred and two million) - that is the rough population of the USA.

If you take it as 10% of people in the USA are atheist and the remaining 90% are not, then about 30200000 (thirty million, two hundred thousand) are atheist and 271800000 (two hundred and seventy one million, eight hundred thousand) are religious.

Obviously, this means there are less atheists to commit crimes worthy of a jail sentence in the first place. This also ignores the amount of people that 'see the light', as it were, in prison.

I don't think they're more moral, I just think there's less of them to arrest.

Answer 8

As a general rule Atheists are better educated than the general population. Higher educated people are less likely to go to prison.

Answer 9

Atheists DON'T worship a Jesus/God who drowned, tortured, and slaughtered millions, conspired to have his own self/kid beaten and executed, and repeatedly commanded his followers to hurt and kill thousands of other people. It isn't surprising that atheists would be more moral than people who think all that nasty stuff is 'good', 'moral', or 'loving'.

People who don't believe they can get magically forgiven by their Sky Daddy for every wrongdoing generally DON'T do wrong in the first place.

Answer 10

Most Christians in the prison system met the Lord after they came to prison. By the way nothing is hidden from the Lord in all creation.