Ask the Atheist

I derive pleasure and fulfillment from the numerous accomplishments and experiences I am involved with every day.
I create beautiful structures which provide joy and serenity to my customers. I live every day for wonderful variety of sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and feelings that are all around me at any given minute. If I were to live for 100 years even 1000 years I could never experience all that the world as we know it today has to offer. I don't need a promise of an everlasting existance after death to find fulfillment in my everyday life. I find fullfilment in living! Tomorrow is not guaranteed, neither is eaternity!!
I refuse to allow myself to be scared into living my life according to someone else's rules.

First of all, let me commend you for asking this question. A lot of theists that I've encountered have this question, but don't want to ask it for fear of sounding jerky. I assure you, you don't.

I don't think that belief in a deity necessarily coorelates with a will to live. When I was a theist, my belief in god didn't sustain me any more than my non-belief does now. It's life, you know? So nothing really changed, at least on an emotional or psychological level.

My will to live stems from a variety of sources. One is that I love to learn, and I have ambitions that include learning as much as I can so that I might apply my knowledge to help others. (Yes, I'm serious, and yes, an atheist can do good things.) Also, I love nature, so I like to get up and explore it. I got up this morning because I wanted to see the sunrise. (And I had to go to work.)

I think the meaning of life is to do what you can to help others. It sounds wishy-washy, I know. But does God necessitate every ounce of meaning in your life? Why should he? What I'm saying is that we're viable humans here and now, and if there is something extra (ie, god), then that's fine, but its absence does not make us less human, and its presence does not make us more human. Both theism and atheism are, after all, sets of beliefs. There is no 100% proof... if there was, there would not be any debates.

I hope that I answered your question well.

And then what? After you die, then what? It isn't religion that Christians argue - its a relationship with Christ, the one true God.

It saddens me that your ultimate goal stops there. It saddens me for your daughter as well. My ultimate goal is to know Christ and make Him known. My eternity will be with Christ, in Heaven. Where will you be once this life is over? Does not knowing scare you at all?

Sure, I'll play. Hypothetically, if everyone was completely wrong about God - it was all a big joke - then what, right? Then I'd have lived a good life, had a great time, created amazing memories, and helped people along the way. Then I'd die and become fertilizer - just like you. My life would not have been lived in vain but would have been lived in pursuit of people and loving them more than myself. If you ask me...if I were an atheist and believed that my final resting place was in the ground without hope for eternity...I'd be DYING (no pun intended) to believe in something else. Something that provided hope and purpose. How much more bleak can it get?!

But since I'm not wrong about Christ, my salvation through His death on the cross, and my eternity - I do have hope and my life does have a purpose.

This costs me nothing, the price was paid for me - and for you. But atheism will cost you eternity. Now, is it worth it? It couldn't possibly be.

What was flawed about my argument? I didn't see your reasoning, just curious. Sorry you think the way you do, you're in my prayers.

Bro, in no way was I being arrogant or condescending - I meant every word of it. I truly do pray for you guys, not that your souls will be saved from the pits of hell or whatever kind of a prayer....not at all. Just that you find truth, Christ Jesus, and the life that He brings. In no way am I better than you, or you better than me - that's not the issue here. But alot of the time, the "rational" thought I hear so much about isn't rational at all - at least not to me. Sorry it came off that way. I really do appreciate you taking the time to discuss this stuff with me - I like knowing more about other people and what they think and feel.

Any god worth worshiping would be really pissed if I were doing it just so I would be on the right side of a wager.