The Space in Between

Religious people often ask me where I get my joy and fulfillment in life if I don’t believe in God.  SMH -____- 
oh, I dont know, how about from family, friends, good health, the fact that I’m easily pleased, good food, shelter, good music, a great education, and a desire to make other people more happy and free in any work that I do.  Unfortunately, my mother doesn’t understand how I could live a fulfilling life without Jesus.  It sounds depressing and bleak to her.  She tried to summarize my response to her by saying, “So your joy comes from worldly materials,” or some crap like that.  She tried to trap me into confirming my answer as a negative one.  I hesitated after she said this because asking such a question pushes the responder to feel guilty for possibly saying, “yes.”  I didn’t say anything but I should have said, “yes, my joy and fulfillment in life comes from this world, the only world we have.  And, it doesn’t come from an unproven, self subsisting idea to perpetuate happiness from delusions.” I’m sure I could keep myself happy by creating an idea as fallacious as christianity, but I couldn’t keep myself to believe something that I don’t believe to be true.  Anything else that might come from outside this reality is speculation.  I came from this world, therefore, all I need to be happy comes from this world.  Christianity and god come from this world too, but theists will tell you otherwise.