Of course, without God, it is all the same whether I smash your face in or decide to sit nicely with you and discuss reality. Without God no one can tell me that your precious family should live, or not. Without God, if I am stronger than you, then my reality becomes your reality. Without God, your good genes will do you no good when it comes to imposing the will of a tyrant. Without God, there is no right and wrong -- only opinion. And who says yours is any better than mine?
If God did not exist, we would have to invent Him. -- Voltaire
So, fear of divine consequences is the only thing keeping you from acting uncivily? Lord protect society should you ever have a crisis of faith.
BTW, has Penn Gillette ever "smashed anyone's face?" I mean, he doesn't have that brake on his actions you claim only comes from faith in God, so he should be going on rampages right and left, shouldn't he?
If God did not exist, we would have to invent Him. --
Voltaire
QFT
There may be no God, but most atheists and fellow agnostics refuse to accept that it must mean nihilism. It's no damn fun being a doubter, at least for me.
Without God, all is lawful - Dostoyevsky.
I don't agree with your posting. There are three levels that statements such as yours can be made on: the philosophical and the practical and the meta-physical.
In philosophical terms it is a falacy that there can be no morality without god. In fact philosophers have created such for many years. Confucious created a moral system that governed China that was essentially agnostic. You may not like or be familiar with such systems but to claim that they don't or can't exist is simply wrong.
On the practical level the existence of God does not prevent people from smashing other peoples face in. It happens every day. The god of this universe continues to allow all sorts of misbehavior.
The last level is the meta-physical. This allows us to look at horrible evil and say "there is a final price to be paid". I agree this adds sense of fairness and symetry to life that is otherwise lacking.
Belief in God is no bar to smashing someone's face in - in fact many theists have no problem with, say, hijacking a plane and smashing it into a tall building.
Without God no one can tell me that your precious family should live, or not.
See a variety of places around the world and throughout history where theists have done exactly that. You don't worship our God, you and your family don't get to live here or at all.
Really? Would you be out plundering and pillaging if not for God's orders not to?