# "If you don't believe in God, why don't you steal and murder?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-dont-believe-in-god-why-dont-you-steal-and-murder/569384>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [January 29, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-dont-believe-in-god-why-dont-you-steal-and-murder/569384 "2011-01-29T06:29:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 19

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**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-dont-believe-in-god-why-dont-you-steal-and-murder/569384/19 "2011-01-29T14:58:52Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> Never heard it once from theists.

This isn’t the whole line of thinking, but the basic gist of it was expressed in the other thread, which is what got me thinking about the subject.

> [@Of course I don't worship Satan, moron!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-course-i-dont-worship-satan-moron/569317/20):
>
> Hell, I imagine to some of them, atheists ARE child molesters. I mean, what’s holding them (atheists) back?

It’s not uncommon among the … simpler religious people. Have you never gotten a reaction like “Wait, you don’t believe in God? But… you’re a good person” from someone reflexively disbelieving the notion that one can be good without theism?

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