An alternative to atheist thought

[BlindedWantsToSee]

I agree that life matters. I am a a life long old fart, anti-fascist ambulance driving vegetarian. I just don't ascribe agency or purpose to life.

Well put. Not assigning purpose, meaning or agency is not even remotely the same as claiming life doesn't matter.

This is the fundamental error of many, probably most believers: assuming that purpose, meaning, virtue, civility, love and joy can come only from their pet deity. From that, generally, flows a lack of understanding of what unbelief is and isn't, the motivations for it, and the implications of it. And that's being charitable; it's usually not just a lack of understanding but a lack of interest / curiosity / desire to understand. It's far easier to mischaracterize if not outright dehumanize people who aren't impressed with your beliefs, than to even entertain the possibility that they might have an honest point of some kind.

What you are saying is valid, but I do ascribe, and assign, a purpose to my life. I mean I make the assumption that my life has a purpose, and I decide what the purpose is. To me, that purpose is to have fun, to enjoy my life, to feel good, etc; in short, to be happy. Then I notice that most other people also have as a goal to enjoy their lives and to be happy. Then I notice that I and most other people cannot be perfectly happy, for a myriad of reasons. This pattern of wanting happiness but not being able to keep it for very long must be caused by something.

Energy must be intelligent, else we could not have any degree of intelligence. Energy must be intelligent because everything is made of it and we see clear evidence of intelligence at work in the world and within ourselves. I cannot prove it to you, but I know this intelligence is good and evil at the same time (like having multiple personalities, a split mind). This is my way of making sense of the reality in which I exist. It does not have to be yours or anyone else's. I said this before, I am just sharing my interpretation of everything I have learned and experienced in my life because I think some people may find it useful.