Sigh...the next time a person asks me (after finding out I'm an Atheist)...

[BlueJazz]

"What keeps you from killing or doing anything you want"
I'm going to reach over, whisper in their ear and say ",,,nothing...absolutely nothing"

[Warpy]

1. "What stops YOU?"

I throw it right back in their faces, that if the only reason they're not preying on their fellow humans is because of their fear of some invisible sky daddy, it doesn't say much about them as human beings.

[BlueJazz]

3. Maybe it WOULD be more fun it we said "Nothing...I could kill you right now and go to sleep"

: )

I'm kidding, I'm kidding

[TxDemChem]

7. Hubby and I had this same discussion

Over the weekend. I think it was Penn who said that he has already raped and killed everyone that he wanted to...which is nobody.

[NastyRiffraff]

11. I'm gonna steal that!

Good answer. I get the question all the time and I've answered with the evolutionary benefits of cooperation in society, but many of those people don't believe in evolution.

[Warpy]

12. Please do. It's very effective

at pulling the underpinnings out from under the religiously superior.

[PoliticAverse]

2. lol. n/t

[BlueStreak]

4. I have never heard that question

I wish somebody WOULD ask me that one. The answer is simple. (Most) humans have evolved to want to be part of a society, and a society needs rules and boundaries to be successful. Even the cave men didn't often kill other humans. Unfortunately there are many among us who aren't even as evolved as the cave men. And many of them believe in gods.

[LostOne4Ever]

5. Thats a good answer

I would probably say "Are you saying that the only thing keeping you from killing people right now is some fairy tale? Listen buddy, you have serious problems and need to talk to a professional ASAP."
[p class=post-sig style=margin-top:0px;text-align:center;]

[div style='color: #B20000;font-size: 2.000em'] [center] Not all those who wander are LOST!!! [/center]

[frogmarch]

6. Perfect!

haha! I am so going to use that.

[AtheistCrusader]

8. No no no no no...

Not in the ear. You have to hold their gaze when you say it. Unblinking. Lean into it.

[BlueJazz]

9. That's true and maybe even whisper softer "I..I need the thrill...please don't take it personal"

[Brainstormy]

10. Just yesterday

a very dear friend asked me, quite sincerely, why anyone who didn't believe in eternal punishment would be "moral." She was convinced that it's the fear of hellfire that keeps us from ripping each other's throats out on whim. All my reasonable arguments failed. The only avenue that seemed to have any effect on her was my offering up the idea that Jews, as a general rule, don't subscribe to the idea of Hell and yet form a very tiny contingent of the populations on Death Row. (She plays Mah Jong with some very nice people.)

whatever.

[Curmudgeoness]

13. I get this all the time too. My answer

"I guess that I must be a better person than you, because I can be good without fear of hell." It usually shuts them up, especially if they know me because they know that I am not a bad person.

But I kind of like your idea, just once, just for fun. The question does get old.

[dimbear]

14. The squirrels in the yard aren't constantly killing each other, nor spend much time praying.

Could it be nature?

[DavidDvorkin]

17. That's good!

[dorkulon]

15. "I'm a good person."

"And if you need the threat of eternal hellfire to prevent you from committing such acts, you're not."

[Major Nikon]

16. Ask what keeps them from selling their kids into slavery to pay off their credit card bills