Also, I am requierd by the secret bylaws of unbelieverdom to own leather pants.

A question for you, O evil one: If I'm agnostic, can I get away with pleather?

There's no such thing as goodness for goodness' sake?

No. Goodness only comes through fear.

I am currently rocking out to "Centerfold." Is that evil enough for one day?

If I'm agnostic, can I get away with pleather?

Only if you feel bad about it.

An an unbeleiver (I prefer "heathen"), I would like it noted for the record that I am missing out on all the fun evil I am supposed to be in on. I am a heterosexual married monogamous mother who doesn't smoke, has a one-drink max, and doesn't swear in front of my kids. I manage to only minimally covet my neighbors' stuff, and none of their spouses, and while I have occasional slips into Sloth, Gluttony, and Envy, overall I am about as moral as a good Christian could wish to be. Goddamn it.

Goodness only comes through fear.

That's what comes from living in a country founded by people who felt persecuted because they couldn't inflict their fear of god on their fellow man (Puritans).

(I'm suddenly mulling over "freedom of religion")

There seems to be a widely-held belief that there is nothing keeping an atheist from committing immoral acts because we don't believe in God or heaven and hell.

Just look at the crime and murder rates of developed countries like Japan and Sweden that have a high percentage atheiests versus the highly religious U.S., would you want that?

I don't mean to say that religion causes crime, just that there isn't a correlation between lack of belief and crime. I think crime in the U.S. has other sources of causation.

flea - you and I should go out on a Thelma and Louise type trip. Without the driving off a cliff and sexual assault, but with blowing up trucks. Do you want Brad Pitt or Michael Whathisface?

Oh! That reminds me. ("Centerfold," not the atheist discussion. Although...)

It appears that my current reaction to "Don't Stop Believin'" coming on the radio is now to laugh out loud, crank it up, think of several of you people, and belt it out. Surprisingly, for never having actually liked the song, I know almost all the words.

There seems to be a widely-held belief that there is nothing keeping an atheist from committing immoral acts because we don't believe in God or heaven and hell

I often ask the question - so the only reason you are good is because you don't want to be punished?