The nearness to God factor. How do Atheists feel about moving higher or lower?

[Mystic]

It should rather be reversed. What makes me think the Highest existence is God. I acknowledge a Higher Power and a Ultimate High Being, then chose to worship it, and thus it becomes God to me. I don't believe in a being worthy of worship, then say it's the highest. It's the other way around.

So to sum up: you've found something which you consider to be vastly (infinitely?) more powerful than yourself, then chose to make it your god. Without wishing to appear judgemental, what part of that would you consider to be rational were it to come from someone else?

For some reason I can't help being reminded of the nuke-worshipping mutant humans from Beneath The Planet Of The Apes.

Well it's not simply power, it's that it's the ultimate existence, the highest being, the being that excels in all qualities of perfection and who highness cannot ever be reached by creation. It's the Highest in love and goodness as well as power. It's not simply power that I worship, although, in reality ultimate power is ultimate love/goodness.