sent in by Mike

I've been doing some thinking lately about the meaning of life. A pretty heady subject, to be sure. Most xians seem to feel that a life without a god is a life without meaning. But the mindset that life's meaning comes only from subservience to a god figure seems utterly bleak to me. What kind of meaning would my life have if I believed that I was placed on Earth, along with everyone else, to serve the ego of some mysterious supernatural superbeing? Should I be happy to be the plaything of such a god, to be used and abused as he sees fit? Can a life be said to have true meaning if everything is predetermined by an omniscient deity? Wouldn't that just be play-acting?

It strikes me that my life--without any god figures--is actually far more meaningful. I live my life based on decisions that I reach through an intellectual process. I work hard for myself and for those I love. My successes are my own, and I can rightly enjoy them and be proud of them. My failures are also my own, and I can learn from them. The past is behind me, and the future is unwritten. It can be exciting, scary, and rewarding. My life is certainly not perfect, but it's my own.

If the fact that I don't share the xian need to have an invisible friend somehow equates to a lack of meaning in my life, then I'll take meaninglessness any day of the week.

San Antonio
TX
USA
How old were you when you became a christian? 16
How old were you when you ceased being a christian? 40
What churches or organizations or labels have applied to you? Methodist
What labels, if any, would you apply to yourself now? Atheist, freethinker
Why did you become a christian? Really believed it
Why did you de-convert? Did too much research; realized it was bullshit