How could anyone ever make it in this life without God? I'll tell you.
The question is often asked, everywhere from the pulpits, memes, social media posts, and in conversation with friends. It usually goes something like this: "How could anyone EVER make it without God?! I just don't know what I'd do if I didn't have God!" The spirit behind the question itself implies that there is no logical or cogent answer to this superficially confounding (and rhetorical) inquiry. I suppose those asking forget that there are millions of atheists who do indeed "make it" without belief in a god every single day. "They must be miserable, bitter, and angry!" would seem to be the typical response of most religious individuals, whether the statement is voiced out loud or not. I would know, as I've had the exact thought myself.
I wonder if the religious are prepared to hear the answer, as I'm afraid it might be quite discouraging to them. Not because we atheists are just living it up in pleasure and excess, although I'm sure a good many do. A great many more of us are self-disciplined, moral (yes, I said it.), respectful, caring, genuine, hard-working, honest, empathetic, kind, normal people. In fact, you probably go to church with some of us, and some of us are preaching or leading there. Let that one sink in. (I'll write more about this in another post. Eventually.)
Now, that doesn't mean that we don't struggle. Of course we do. That's part of being a human being living in the world we do. It's a fact of life, and not an indication of spiritual well-being. Everyone struggles in life with a wide array of issues, some more than others, and some handle it better than others, and you see every extreme on both sides of the religious aisle. So, how do we handle the struggles that we face without a belief in a higher being and its perceived assistance to get us through the tough times?
We realize and acknowledge a simple truth: The only being that can intercede on your behalf is you.
That's right. It's on you. So, we do things instead of pray. Oh, sure, we talk to friends, family, mentors, and counselors, but at the end of the day, we know that we have to act if we want to see a change. Obviously, some things are beyond our control. But instead of turning to prayer in moments like that, we offer support where needed, raise awareness of the issue, or at least try not to make the situation worse. Truth be told, however, most situations where religious people say things like "Praying!" and "Holding you up in prayer!", etcetera, the non-religious folks I know will leave a heartfelt comment, extend a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on, or donate time, money, and goods in times when most seem to feel helpless to do anything but petition a deity who already allowed whatever it was to happen in the first place, and who's will is sovereign and who's ways are higher than ours.
What about the sense of wonder that should be instilled in us by looking upon nature? Surely you can't appreciate that without knowing the god who created such beauty and complexity! Actually, I am even more in awe of nature and the heavens knowing that physical and chemical laws govern their operations and that my ability to comprehend them is a product of their workings.
That's the really freeing thing about not having my worldview or daily life limited by a holy book or doctrinal text allegedly inspired by an invisible, intangible god. If I want to know what somethings is, why it is, how it is, I need look no further than the scientific method. The scientific method is the best, most logical way to define truth.
Sometimes you have to just look up in the sky, the colorful atmosphere of gases that surrounds our rocky, scarred, but breathtakingly beautiful planet that is flying through space in it's orbit around our very ordinary star. You have to look up and take it all in, with all your senses, and internalize the fact that you, an intelligent organism, the product of billions of years of evolution, are standing on an ancient chunk of rock suspended in a vast universe with seemingly limitless possibilities and infinite nooks and crannies to peer into and rocks to turn over in the search for knowledge and truth. You can participate in that search.
You don't need a god to do that, and if that doesn't give meaning to life, I don't know what does.
