[stuartcr]

First of all, I am not, and have never been an atheist. You should not jump to conclusions and assume things like that. It is the person that commits the acts, whether good or bad, that is responsible. Sometimes, people minds get clouded by their religious beliefs, and instead of following their heart, they will follow the pressure of their religious teachings, which may be different, for whatever reason. Many people do things, and use religion as an excuse for why they did it. If there were no religions, then at least when a person did something evil, there would be no excuse other than the person is evil. Hopefully this is clearer. As for logic, I will be the first to say that logic cannot apply when dealing with metaphysical subjects.

[wonders]

If there were no religions, then at least when a person did something evil, there would be no excuse other than the person is evil.

Oh, come on. There surely would be lots of excuses like: my race, my poverty, my mental instability, my sexual orientation, my Mommy/Daddy abandoned me, my Mommmy/Daddy/neighbour/funny uncle abused me, my Mommy/Dadddy/funny uncle didn't pay enough attention to me, my parents didn't understand me, my spouse/funny uncle doesn't understand me, my dog doesn't appreciate me... the list goes on and on.