I am an atheist. I went to church when I was young, went to a parochial school for two years, was baptized, confirmed, and married (at 18) in a Lutheran church. Throughout it all, I never felt any sense that God was real. It was nice for the most part, the catechism was rote, and if I found glory at all, it was in the art and the music.

I still love hymns. I love candlelight services on Christmas Eve. I love the first four books of the New Testament. But I love all of that as someone who loves good art and good fiction.

We can be spiritual without believing in a god or claiming a religion. When I look at a spectacular sunset I can marvel at it without wondering how it got there. When I think of death (I’m 82 now), I find more comfort in the life I’ve lived and the people I’ve known than I do in hoping I’ll see my loved ones again.

I think, if anything, we Atheists might savor our lives even more, believing this is all there is. We tend to be realists, not cynics. We don’t expect miracles and aren’t surprised when there are none. We value ethics and morals, and most of us, I think, are liberal in our political and social practices.

Our beliefs may be different than yours, but that’s okay as long as our differences don’t tear us apart. We live on and care about this planet and the people inhabiting it. That should be enough.