T J

I'd like to know what people's thoughts are on Marcus Aurelius' stance on religion (~100 AD). This is one of my favorite quotes, and is a large factor that drove me away from religion.

"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."

Can any believers rationally refute the argument?

Supposedly atheists are a small minority in America. Recently I've been visiting a few religious discussions online (mostly here and youtube) and they are almost completely dominated by atheists.

I'm hoping this is a good sign. Are the younger generations much more atheist? Or are atheists more computer savvy? Or is my sample just biased?

If existence is on an infinite timeline, you will spend just as much time in a life before your birth as you will after your death.

Even if you believe the timeline did not always exist, the best scientific estimates still say the universe was here 13.7 billion years before you were born.

Why should I worry about an eternal life after my death, when I have already spent an eternity (or near it) before my birth?