It’s remarkable how little the term “atheist” tells you about someone. The one thing it does tell you is that we are not convinced of the existence of a god. But we believe in lots of things. It might be worth having a conversation to learn more about each other. Perhaps a dance with “the devil you don’t know” and you might find we have a lot in common.

Our personal beliefs are just that – personal. Humans are social creatures and we are concerned for the welfare and well being of those around us. The personal can become very public if we try to “save” each other from ideas we believe are “wrong” or “untrue.” Many religions “salvation” built into them but apparently many atheists and non-believers have their own version too!

It seems to be fashionable in certain segments of society to claim that those who do not believe in a god are also amoral, evil, or worse. That is certainly not how I have lived my own life and it is not how I was taught to approach life by the people who shaped my world view when I was young. Neither promise of “heaven” nor threat of “hell” are necessary to motivate me to do right by my fellow humans. I have found that the doing is reward enough in itself.

Is it necessary to believe in life after death in order to find meaning in this life? This is a question that I answer for myself every day with a resounding “NO!” This life, this extraordinary universe, is more than enough to explore and give my life purpose and meaning. The great adventure of learning how to be in this world is all that I need to find meaning in this life.