very interesting observations and thoughts. As a atheist I disagree to the zero return on investment of being a non-believer. You cold have a lot more to invest once you stop pushing your time and money into a religion (no matter which) and that investment could give your life a different focus and enjoyment, than the hope that someday the big flying spaghetti monster will come down and help you and fellow pirates save the world from climate changes.

I do however fully subscribe to the more lean atheist approach as you grow older, though only to the point when religion become organized and people start preaching. THEN I am also an atheist fundamentalist who has very little time to hear about old books with people walking on water / saving virgins or whatever they find funny to claim.

However, we could all be wrong, and end in hell as we did not pray to the right god(s), but there should enough people there to arrange a proper party anyway. Until then, remember to enjoy life, as we only got one of them as far as I know

i do find it interesting that you have left unquestion the conclusion that it becomes our responsibility to make meaning in the absense of deities. this too is a belief-system – the idea that there is a responsibility – and it has its own faith – that there is meaning to be made. not that i disagree, but i think there may be people in the world who are maybe a little less type A…

Or maybe you have kids, and you start going in one direction or another. You gravitate toward your own youth, or consider the dilemma of teaching ethical behavior with/without omnipotent consequence; God as Santa, for those who matriculate, the all-knowing knowing if you’ve been bad or good (or else).

Funny thing is, it sounds like you and I have traded sides, where we once traded jabs. I am freshly confounded and aimless in the greater-power realm, while you seem to have — at long last — finally found some peace.