Ryan Sager had a good post a few weeks ago discussing how if people do things that make them feel like a moral, good person, they are more likely to behave immorally. For example, white people who voted for Obama felt they had more license to be racist in other parts of their lives. Thus it makes good sense that the most shoplifted book in America is the Bible:

I asked Steve Bercu, BookPeople’s owner, what the most frequently stolen title was. “The Bible,” he said, without pausing. Apparently the thieves have not yet read the “Thou shalt not steal” part — or maybe they believe that Bibles don’t need to be paid for. “Some people think the word of God should be free,” Bercu said. As it turns out, Bibles are snatched even at the Parable Christian Store in Springfield, Ore., the manager told me, despite the fact that if a person asks for a Bible, they’ll be given a copy without charge.

I recommend your library. Most local churches also would be happy to give you a copy of the Bible, for free.

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