Keith Devens .com

"What I'm saying is that the common ground you referred to actually only makes sense upon the Christian view of reality."

True in the west, because like it or not as an atheist myself, a dominant influence in our society has been Christianity. If you go to another part of the world you get a totally contrary view on many issues. Personally I always thought Buddhism a decent "reality". Others have what I consider pretty crappy ones but I'm not them.

"Their view of reality is so incoherent and unexplained"
You say that like its a bad thing. My beef with religion is that it ties up all the really hard questions with simple and easy answers that you aren't supposed to question or doubt. It's much harder to be an atheist in that we don't get those nice simple pre-packed answers that comfort you at night, or on your deathbed. We choose the harder rode, personally I think that makes some of us better men then if we just accepted what others told us. Doesn't mean all atheist are good, as many crumble under the pressure.

Morals are that grey area, one of the problems I have is that a book dictates religious morals and often doesn't look at the individual. Look how many Christians did silly things like bash gays, burn witches and all other manner of what I consider to be immoral things. The value of particular religious group is not the value of the book followed but the behavior of the majority of its followers, and of course this changes from decade to decade.

There are plenty of hard questions within Christianity. I think Christianity is much harder in a lot of ways than Atheism is. I'd much rather believe that people who die just cease to exist rather than that some go to hell. I think it's much harder to live life knowing that you have a Holy God to answer to than it is thinking that what you do is important only to yourself. And Christians still have to deal with most of the issues atheists do (having a sense of purpose, deciding right from wrong, living day to day in a harsh world, etc.) And even though we're not supposed to "question or doubt", those are still very real issues Christians have to deal with. I personally think I had things much easier when I was an atheist.

How much more real is regret when you know you're going to live forever, and that things matter for eternity? I still view half of myself as an atheist (when I think I think in terms of both worldviews... I've been on both sides), and I'm pretty convinced being a believer is harder.

Who said atheist didn't worry about what happens after they are dead (obviously they worry before it happens)? The key difference is a religious person worries about their immortal soul a great deal more. I worry about the people I left behind not myself, I'm dead after all. Your perception that atheist = "what you do is important only to yourself" is just plain wrong. If anything I care more about others in the long run (I don't want to come off saintly here, ugh).

How much more real is regret when you know you're forgiven and still loved no matter what? When you know one day your loved ones will join you in heaven. How much harder is it to deal with the fact that this life is all you have and you don't get a second chance, redemption or unconditional love. That every thing must be earned or fought for. That when you die if your right you don't exist, and if your wrong according to some religion's your going to hell or some such bad place.