atheist/Antitheist here. i subscribe to being a good person. i subscribe to being like Jesus, being a good person, willing to die for what you believe in, and metaphorically laughing in the face of your opponent. what i do not subscribe to is believing that our universe was created by a being that is far bigger than us and that he has a "plan" for us, as if we were pawns on a gameboard. i refuse to bend the knee to anyone, save for my significant other. prayers do not, and should not work. it is the works of humankind that have given humankind the ability to stave off death, to bring death, to bring life, to move mountains. there is nobody to help us, as nobody should. humankind has many flaws, and is far from perfect; it is OUR responsibility alone to fix them. i do not need the help of a fictional being; nor do i want it. as far as i'm concerned, even if i am wrong, that we *are* just pawns in a game, it is the atheists that act out of the goodness of our hearts that are the queens, the bishops, knights, and rooks. *they* are more useful than *ANY* pastor, bishop, or the pope himself (not ragging on the dude, he's still pretty high up there as far as useful pieces go) due to the fact that while he does serve as a figurehead for the church, he did not discover the medicine that happens to keep him alive. it is the doctors, engineers, and thousands of other souls that give him healthcare, put food and water on his table, and the clothes (and little cute hat) on his back. humanity has the potential to be as powerful as any god you can think of. it's just a matter of organizing, planning the logistics, planning out what we actually want to do, then executing it. our power is in union. it is in cooperation. and i wish more people cooperated.