Happiness level after embracing atheism

[Lek]

I am still genuinely puzzled by this idea of "meaning" to life, and how religion is supposed to give it meaning.

It appears to reduce this life to some sort of test, which is of zero relative length and happiness compared to "the next life". Like this is something to be got through, before the good bit starts. Some crappy trailers before the main film.

I've never been under, so it's hard for me to understand. It would seem that realizing this is in fact all there is would add a sense of urgency and value like never before. If anyone can help me understand this, I'd be grateful. I've heard "no meaning without god", but what meaning is there with god? I'd find this life to be pretty meaningless actually, if I found out it was a constructed test just to see if I'd believe a load of nonsense or not.

I suppose I can see that if you are still unhappy, you no longer have the consolation that there's something better round the corner if you grin and bear it. But it seems eerily similar to the idea of being drunk, and not being fully present in life anyway.

Believing in God and an afterlife doesn't at all diminish the importance of this life.  This life on earth is the beginning of an eternal existence.  That in itself doesn't make this life any more or less important, but we were created for a specific purpose.  We still strive as much as an atheist to make our time here meaningful from an earthly perspective, as well the lives of our neighbors.  Why do think I'm involved in so much community service?   Having God in this life makes it important and meaningful because we're being formed to be the kind of people we will be for eternity and are helping others to do the same.  You live your lives in trying to achieve a purpose in a world that you believe was formed completey without a purpose.