O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?

There's a discussion re the Why's of atheism over at Vox Day's blog. It got me thinking about whether the question of an afterlife has played a significant role in my theism. I don't think so. Maybe as a child I was scared by thoughts of hell, but I honestly don't believe in eternal punishment anymore. I just don't see the evidence for it in Scripture. I'm also not motivated by thoughts of Heaven. Mansions and streets of gold really don't interest me much.

So why do I believe in God? During the serious crisis of faith that every thoughtful theist experiences at some point, I examined all the info I had at my disposal and decided that God fits the facts better than anything else. All of my reading and experience since then has only strengthened that conviction. Maybe the need for a higher purpose has skewed my judgment. Maybe I'm delusional. But I know I don't worship the God of Abraham for fear of death or hope of Heaven. I worship him because I believe it is the right thing to do.