A blogger I follow named Jayne, who posts at A Life Retired, left an interesting comment on my post titled Faith Versus Reason. She wrote, “After reading [that post] and the comments, I am left with a couple questions for all. In absence of faith, what happens after life? What was the purpose for living?”

Let me first say that I’m not in any way an authority on what happens after life or on life’s meaning or purpose. So what I’m expressing herein is nothing more than my personal opinion.

That said, one of the most common arguments I hear about disbelief in God is the idea that without God, life would seem to be utterly devoid of any real meaning or purpose.

From my perspective, a belief in God, in and of itself, is not what gives our lives purpose. We can find purpose within our own lives by achieving good relationships with our families and with other people, with our work, with the groups to which we belong, and with the deeds we do.

As to what happens when our lives end, I believe it’s the same as it was before our lives began. We didn’t exist. I believe that this life we live in this world, in the here and now, is all there is. And when it comes to an end, it’s over and out.

But rather than suggesting that our lives, therefore, have no meaning or serve no purpose, I see it differently. I believe that recognition of this inescapable fate makes our lives and the time that we do have in this world even more meaningful.

But that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.