The Truth

This question was prompted by the uncharitable answers to http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200... and to an answer a few days ago claiming atheists lacked morality.

To my mind the argument should be based on the facts, and the one I would like to present is:

There are very few atheists in prison (0.209% of the US prison population). It is hard to estimate the number of atheists in the US accurately, but it is believed to be at least 8-16% of the population.

Interestingly, atheists also have a lower divorce rate - 21% compared to 25% for Christians (figures are again from the US).

When I read the bible, many years ago it said 'thou shall not kill'. Now it is 'thou shall not murder'. I am told this is a better translation and gets rid of some contradictions in the bible.

So, is war okay? If so, are all wars okay? Could a nazi say he was following orders? I won't even ask about Iraq...

How about the death penalty, abortion and euthanasia?

It seems to me that thou shall not kill was far simpler... I am truly interested in what this has changed. All constructive feedback will be welcome.

I've read most of the Bible and I've read Dante (and Milton for that matter) and I don't recall ever seeing anything in the bible corresponding to these visions. So was he accurate or at least on the right lines?

Please limit your personal views of what Heaven and Hell are like (or whether they exist at all), as these are not relevant to the question. I'm only interested in whether the Bible and the Christian religions agree or disagree with this literary classic.