The starkness of the contrast between those two lives was painful, Katie. 

I have many relatives who do not believe in God and I always wonder what keeps them going.  How could they not despair especially as they get older and only death is in their future?  And, even more importantly, why would they choose to continue to believe in that darkness rather than the light of love who is our God?  Wouldn’t it bring much more peace to believe in God even if it were not true rather than stare into the void of nothingness which is the alternative?

Lauretta, I think the sincere atheist who disbelieves because tragedy and chaos are so much to the forefront of his/her mind, might reflect on the root of their very sincerity and courage in faceing the darkness. Does not that very sincerity and courage speak of a transcendence that Christians call God?

My sense is that there are basically two kinds of unbelievers, with every shade of difference between them also represented.  There are those who live largely superficial, unreflective lives—who simply absorb the prevailing ideas of the culture around them without giving them much thought.  They are irreligious because they find religion distasteful—odd and unnecessary.  Then there are those who are persuaded that religion is based on errors and illusions.  These ones are compensated for the loss of the consolations of faith by the sense of strength and courage, maturity and independence that comes from “facing facts”, as they think they do.