I watched a small town Fourth of July parade today. One church had a pickup truck float with a boom box playing "Awesome God." I wondered what an atheist float would feature.
Non-theists don't have any obvious benefits to offer. We can't promise a happy life that lasts forever. We can't even offer pot luck dinners. Our biggest attraction is an endless universe of questions and a perspective that encourages us to freely pursue satisfactory answers to them.
I miss the pleasure of singing in church and the social events churches provide. But I'm learning to live without them. To me, the ring of truth is far more thrilling than waving flags, and even more satisfying than apple pie.