If I were an Atheist

[Whateverist]

Well, I was once an atheist...and the beautiful atheists I've met along my journey in faith, is an experience I'd never trade. Not everyone can emotionally handle atheism. I was one such person. No one can prove that a deity exists, but it brings me some sense of comfort to know one just might exist. Deism resonates with me now, more than theism.

Everyone has to find their own way.

So which would seem to explain nature more simply?

1. A god or God exists?

Or

2. Humans make them up because they like the idea?

I hope you don't consider these two options all encompassing. Between humans making gods up to make themselves happy and the actual existence of a literal god, there are other possibilities.

A third alternative that strikes me as most obvious is that the complexity of the mind can lead one to suspect there is another consciousness guiding them. If that is right, then they didn't set out to create a god: they discovered one (though in most cases it is probably more accurate to say they confirmed that which they were conditioned to expect). That would mean you don't have to be engaged in deliberate subterfuge to be a believer and your profession of faith can be entirely sincere.

That doesn't mean belief in a literal god is justified, but it certainly is understandable.

I don't doubt you if you say you once did not believe. I do doubt that you had all the understanding of science or human psychology that would arm you with the knowledge of how easily humans can have false perceptions. You need to consider that even a generic idea of a god is still your own reflection of you and your desire to be immortal.

It appears you think that belief in the non-existence of gods is something everyone should work hard to maintain. That is fine for you, but it doesn't seem like a genuine attempt at open minded inquiry.

I find the natural world much more inspiring. Like the atoms in me being of stardust, and even the stars themselves and all the material in the universe all starting in the same dense spot. But I see nothing "designed" in all this. It certainly is not comforting to humans, but it is reality.

I don't lose my sense of awe knowing I am a mere blip. I still find life worth living. I still value human rights as much as I value my family and friends. I simply don't fill in the gap with invisible characters generic or specific.

All of which is to say that some people at least find meaning and fulfillment in a world devoid of gods. Me too. But there isn't anything I believe which I feel strongly everyone would be better off to adopt as well. I wasn't a missionary/proselytizer as a 'Christian' and I won't be one now. The world I choose to live in is one in which adults are assumed to be my peers, capable of making their own choices. I start off assuming their value judgments are as valid for them as mine are for me, since only they know what matters from their point of view.

I feel no sense of loss for Deidre having chosen to return to her Christain roots. Nor do I think she is worse off for having made that decision. If every person raised in a religion would go 'walk about' for a while during which they questioned much and explored other points of view, I suspect the world would be a better place. If they then return to their roots to let their discoveries infiltrate and elevate those beliefs, it seems like a great outcome to me.