I’m a life-long atheist/religious skeptic. I use the word ‘atheist’ as more of a functional descriptor, less a literal one. I enjoyed reading this, it’s very thoughtful and rational. I’d offer the following thought as someone who’s never believed: ‘god’ and ‘afterlife’ may not be mutually inclusive. If we let go of the need to use ‘god’ as the bedrock on which our ideas of the universe rest, then there are a whole lot of interesting possibilities to ponder!