The point is, the Christian knows it's wrong, and that he will suffer consequences for not turning it in.
This will go into anecdotal evidence (which is at least a little more specific than what you've offered, though not much), but someone on the USENET newsgroup alt.atheism wrote of their car being stolen. It was recovered soon after and the woman who stole it arrested. She had left her audio cassettes in the car though: Christian Insipirational music.
I've heard in the past on
Customers Suck that one of the more commonly stolen CD items from music stores is Christian music.
I'm not sure what you're trying to imply by suggesting that Christians have a possible fear of punishment in 'the next life'. Does that make them morally superior to atheists, or does that make them more likely to be right about what they believe? I would think that it might be more commendable if someone was stayed from theft simply from their conscience rather than a fear of punishment in the afterlife.
I would think that it might be more commendable if someone was stayed from theft simply from their conscience rather than a fear of punishment in the afterlife. You miss the basic point, Dimensio. Relying on your conscience means following your moral axioms. Stalin relied on his conscience in slaughtering millions, because he thought he was building a great and better society. Religious people believe moral axioms come from God, and are not subject to choice.
I'm not sure what you're trying to imply by suggesting that Christians have a possible fear of punishment in 'the next life'. Again, unlike atheists, Christians cannot invent what is right and wrong, and have a powerful incentive for following God's instructions on what is right and a powerful disincentive for not obeying God's instructions. Atheists can concoct any morality they want - and lack any incentives or disincentives other than what society or their own minds may or may not provide.