The problem with secular morality is that secular moral rules are based on secular, i.e., mortal authority, which means that they can be questioned, warped, bypassed or altogether ignored. Religious morality is based in divine authority which is by definition infallible and cannot be cheated around.
Except when you guys decide Jesus would really like something you he thinks should happen. Seems to be a big way that things like "Thou shalt not kill" are conveniently forgotten.
Most humans observe laws mainly because of the fear of punishment, there being relatively few evolved enough to restrain themselves from immoral actions even when there's no threat of punishment.
Keep telling yourself that. MOST people obey the law because they would anyways. They don't throw a cinder block through a store window because it is wrong, and it would adversely affect the person who owns the store. They don't rape people because it is an unbelievably traumatic thing that frankly wouldn't cross someone's mind in the first place. People aren't good because they fear retribution, they're good because, ultimately, with a few exceptions, they are good. Contrary to what your "We are all filthy sinners who deserve to be shit on from the heavens" religion says.
Secular punishment, however, can be avoided - by bribing or evading law enforcement, by mitigating the penalty via judicial procedures (such as plea bargaining), and so on.
Indeed. So strange that people stil adhere to the law if it's so easliy circumvented, no?
Divine punishment, however, cannot be eluded or bribed - it is slow to come, but it is inevitable to arrive, and it is this inevitability of punishment that makes people think twice before indulging in crime.
Or...you know...not. If what you said was true, there would not be a single Christian in prison. Strangely enough, the prison population is OVERWHELMINGLY the opposite. But then, I bet they're just persecuted for carrying out God's will, right?
A godless thief will steal without remorse, since he knows the worst he can get is a few years in prison, but a person that believes in God will think twice before becoming a thief, since he knows a punishment awaits him at the end of his life even if he manages to dodge prison.
Except it never seems to work this way. Might have somethign to do with "I can steal, I just need to be really, really sorry for it, then Jesus will forgive me, and we're square."
I find the lot of the folk believing in religious superstitions preferable to godlesness and total lack of restraint.
no, see...there's a difference between "I'M'A GONNA GO OUT AND RAPE, STEAL, KILL AND PLAY BEIBER AT FULL VOLUME AS I DRIVE AROUND THE BLOCK RUNNING OVER ORPHANS AND PUPPIES" and rejecting some of the completely arbitrary Biblical teachings, like the anti-homosexuality stances that I have yet to hear a single compelling reason for, and shaming people about their sexuality, treating it as something tawdry and shameful.
Those who are evolved enough will rise above petty superstitions and refrain from immoral deeds anyway, but the lot who yet lack the ability to resist their base urges best fear at least something, however silly, to keep in check.
Newsflash: MOST people are evolved enough. MOST people don't need a finger waggling at them, be it from the church or the law. The laws imposed are ones we wouldn't break anyways, and are just in place as a guideline as to how someone who DOES break them should be punished.
