Some times I wish I believed in a god, so I'd have someone to get pissed at.
One of the things about my atheism that I've noticed is that often it forces me to take responsibility, even against my own desire, for all of the problems of my life. Ultimately it mekes me a better person but can be extremely uncomfortable a lot of the time, and I've noticed people shy away from declaring themselves atheists, continuing to hold on to belief in a god, simply so they can keep the comfort of some external force of agency being responsible, blamable, for the bad things that happen to them.
You nailed it. I do like that what I make of life is up to me, and I know it.
Yes. John Lennon wrote in a song, "God is a concept by which we measure our pain." I think this is truly insightful. God or equivalent is something we can create to have an external reference to vent our frustration and anger. It's a natural thing for specks like us on a ball in space to do, to point "up" and either literally or figuratively shake our fist in frustration, to blame, or to look for salvation or something else. Religionists do this and believe it's true. That's their delusion. A true atheist can't; we know it's a falsehood, and knowing this it cannot bring any solace. I think that makes us realists. Yes, God is a CONCEPT by which we measure our pain. A human concept. And, paraphrasing Lennon, God is also a concept by which we define our ignorance. That's why humans, when they didn't understand something, would say "God did it" until science showed otherwise. The tragedy is that many people still think like this.
There are outside forces that can affect us negatively. Someone could burn down our house. As a atheist I am comforted knowing it was some crazy person and that God who supposedly loves me did not simply allow it to happen.
It is extremely sad In my opinion that in this enlightened day and age hat there are so many who cling desperately to notion that they cannot take responsibility for their own and the redressing of such actions to those they may have wronged but instead believe that by praying to some Invisible and Imaginary Sky Being that everything will be set right for both parties.
As was once said by a Philosopher from way back, "He who can take whatever steps, personally, it needs to accept and atone for the wrongs he has done is a far, far greater man than one expects a God/s to do the job on his behalf." Sadly the identity of that Philosopher escapes for the moment otherwise I'd be only too proud to give Credit where Credit is truly due.
My life was much, much more carefree when I thought that there was a God in control. I seriously had the lowest blood pressure many nurses had seen (for someone who wasn't having a medical emergency). My stress levels were so much lower back then.