The question was posed at a website I visit frequently.
I believe in myself, I (try to) respect other people and I value the planet I'm living on. I do not feel a need to know how life began or what happens after we die. Neither of these questions really matter in day-to-day living. I believe in common sense, in trying to judge people for who they are rather that "what" they are, in giving change to someone who asks for it on the subway, in trying to live life so that when it is near the end I will have few regrets.
If I was compelled to answer the question: what happens to us after we die?...I would say: nothing. It's comforting to think we will see our loved ones again in some after-life but that seems an illusion. I do not believe in life-after-death but I do believe that we can be kept 'alive' as long as people whose lives we were involved in remember us.
Sometimes I feel I have lived before because of the strong emotional responses I have when reading about people, places and things from the past. If reincarnation is real, I will be happy to live again.
I was raised in a very religious family and many of the ideas instilled in me at have an early age stuck with me. But I came to realize that while much of what religion teaches us (Methodist, in my case) is very good and meaningful, one needn't believe in some unseen deity to lead (or try to lead) a decent life. That said, I have done things I'm not proud of but - that's life: it's a learning experience.
There are many days when I feel what I would call 'spiritual' and think maybe there IS some omnipotent being watching over us but then I realize it's simply the beauty of nature or some feeling of an intangible link with other people that I'm experiencing, not 'god'.
I am often moved by the music and works of art which the world's religions have inspired. Verdi's REQUIEM for example makes me feel compellingly attuned to the mystery of death. I sometimes find the simple faith of others to be extremely moving. However I do not feel one needs to be religious to appreciate such things.
The worst thing about the 'classic' religions: they divide people. People have killed, tortured and imprisoned one another throughout written history simply because of differing beliefs in something that is basically unreal. That is truly tragic.
I feel that the real key to peace on Earth isn't in having everyone joined in the same belief-system but in the simple connections we can make with other people across religious, racial, sexual, generational and language barriers. Rather than fighting, maiming or taunting others who don't share our beliefs, let's have a beer together or play soccer, or take dance class together or learn one another's favorite song. We will find that our differences fade as we explore the common ground of humanity.