As an atheist, my argument is never whether or not there is a God, but instead, what would I be willing to risk in order to stand up for what it is I truly believe in? In other words, I have my own unique beliefs, and they do not include God or Jesus (picking a deity out of a hat I suppose). I am not to judge my own life. I'll let the Cosmos do that and I will live to the best and most honest of my ability. If the Cosmos are God, and God decides that my deeds do not deem me fit for a reward, then so be it. More simply put? I would rather be punished for what I believe than be rewarded for what someone else believes. That could lead to another mini-rant about accepting each other for our differences rather than this spiritual hierarchy that "non-believers" are unfairly pushed to the bottom of just because our life experiences were different than "believers".
EDIT: And I've always had a genuine curiosity of the idea that God is like our unconditionally loving father. My uconditionally loving father didn't send me to hell for fornicating before marriage and not apologizing to him... do you see where my quandry is? I just don't see why the punishment has be as swift and important as the reward? Should the reward be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow (heaven) or the rainbow itself (life)?
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