Having faith, in a general sense, means nothing other than believing that human life has a point. Atheists deride the religious for caring about the afterlife, but they are mistaken. The focus is this life, and the kind of universe we live in ultimately. Those with faith believe there is an underlying design and purpose to this life, and that the values that can be derived from reflecting on man's concerns as a rational and social animal are objective, not merely hypothetical. They believe that each of us matters, and that it matters how we comport ourselves throughout our lives, as we are meant to uphold goodness and decency in our little corner of the world. And they believe that they are helped by God, as they do their part, to improve their lot and the lot of their communities.
Atheism means nothing less than that nothing really matters, and all our goals and values are arbitrary, and ultimately futile.
Agnosticism means merely that one cannot make up one's mind if human life is meaningful. |
