In a StumbleUpon review of a post on this site, zackster89 gave the following description of atheism:

atheism, the believe that we come from nothing, are nothing and will go to nothing. pretty bleak once you look at it as a whole.

Let’s take a step back here for a minute. Zackster clearly believes that atheism is a bleak position to take, but what is his point? Obviously – or at least it should be obvious – that has nothing to do with the validity or reasonablness of atheism. It could be true that there are no gods and no afterlife and that could, in some people’s opinion, be the bleakest sort of reality they could imagine, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is true. It seems to me that, for whatever reason, some people just don’t get this. And these are probably the same people who put a lot of stock in the life-changing emotional experiences of converting to Christianity.

Here are some important points to remember, Zackster:

1) Whether or not something is true does not depend on whether or not you like it.

2) Reality does not necessarily conform to those beliefs that make you the most happy and comfortable.

Finally, of course, is atheism as bleak as Zackster characterizes it to be? Do we believe that we came from nothing? Of course not. We have a rich and fascinating evolutionary history. The universe itself has an even longer and even more fascinating history that we are only now beginning, since the last century, to fully comprehend. We did not come from nothing. On the contrary, many religious believers and creationists who do not accept evolution actually do believe that God literally created us from nothing.

Are we nothing? That doesn’t make any sense. Perhaps Zackster means that we have no purpose in the overal scheme of things. So what? Does that prevent us from making our own purpsose for ourselves?

And finally, do we go to nothing? Ultimately, perhaps, yes, as our species, our planet, and our solar system are only temporary fixtures. In the more immediate sense, however, while our bodies return to the dust of the ground (it seems that the second creation account in the Bible is at least a bit more sensible in this regards, claiming that we were made from the dust of the ground rather than by fiat), we do have a chance to leave something behind to benefit future generations that will live and die. How we wish to do that is entirely up to us.

Isn’t that more uplifting than being told that our lives are meant to worship and serve our Creator-God? And that after we die and go to heaven we get to – gasp – worship and praise Him for the rest of eternity? Count me out.