Originally Posted by JeffLV

I can possibly understand the need to find meaning, and therefore to resort to god. What I don't understand is why that means the Christian story of god is the correct one.

That aside, however, I still don't see how a "meaning" even with god is any more meaningful than without god. We have one alternative, the atheist one if you will:

dust to dust

And we have the "godly" version, eternal life:

....???? eternal life? Maybe I misunderstand, but to me eternal life seems no better than eternal death. An eternity of what? Worshiping? Golf? Beer and Parties? My understanding of an eternity is no better than death.

In addition, a lack of an ability to "make sense of things" does not institute a valid reason to accept just one possible story and call it fact. I accept that the Christian view is possible, and to that degree I have hope, but I don't put all my eggs in one basket. If there is a god, I believe he gave us a rational, skeptical mind for a reason. That learning to think for yourself and understand the meaning behind books such as the bible is the purpose of life, not merely the faithful following of it just to make your life make sense.

My meaning comes from pondering the endless possibilities and figuring things out. I believe this is just as likely to be the purpose god gave us for life as unquestioning faith. In fact, if god is rational, I believe he appreciates rational inquiry and skepticism. But this is only because I’m agnostic, not atheist. I don’t know what the atheists might say is their purpose.