Our very Earthly trial

If the religious had their way, we'd all be indoctrinated into worshipping away our very existence. Surely, there is more to life to wasting the only chance you've been given? Oh wait sorry, there are more chances but this one now is the most important, or something.

Most religious defences exist in the form of "But how can you explain the miracle of life?!", or other similar proclamations about infinite permutations of impossibility without divine intervention. There is a VERY simple answer: If things didn't happen this way, we wouldn't exist. As I am sure it has happened in the many passages of previous infinity (before the big bang) and will continue to happen in the eternal future, brushes of life only come within agonising whiskers of existence.

There can only be one premise for the justification of religion: that our existence on this very unfortunate planet is nothing more than a trial. A test of loyalty and devotion; an opportunity to prove that given the chance at this life, we should spend it in pursuit of happiness in the next. Of course, this implies that any other attempts to 'live' are an exact defiance of our prescribed purpose. This has always fascinated me.

If we were all created in God's will, accepting that circumstances beyond our control will play a crucial hand in our behaviour, we will be judged as if we had started out from perfection. All the children born into crime, violence, neglect, starvation and poverty will be judged as harshly as those born sucking on the proverbial silver spoon. If you haven't followed my train of thought here, I'm venturing into the realm of "sin". A starving person stealing food is a sin. A misguided person resorting to a life of crime and violence, murdering people, is a sin. Even the child-molester must attribute at least some of his circumstance to God. We are all God's children. So here's my question:

Why the trial? Why not start in heaven, perfect in God's image? Where everyone could be equal and equally happy?

What kind of God would justify the pain of the thousands of children who will die today, from causes beyond their means? Or is their suffering a simple way to pass the test? For those toddlers who die of starvation, will they be whisked away to heaven? Is their suffering a mere price to pay for the easy route to salvation? Are they the lucky ones?

It is one thing that our passing the test should surely be done without influence, it is quite another that I have all manner of religious custodians telling me what I can and cannot do in this trial of mine. I cannot eat pork, I cannot drink, I cannot love who I choose to love, I cannot do anything which could stray poor, fragile little minds so easily, lest I ruin their cute attempt at salvation!

And then, if you actually take the time to look around you, you will see that wherever there is religion, there is hatred. There is judgement. There is anger, and jealousy, and bitterness, and intolerance, and blind denial. In fact, were it not for religion, I suggest that our time on this planet could be completely peaceful, without war and violence and bigotry, and a place where people appreciated that life is sacred, and that love is everything.

I live every minute of my life with an emphasis on enjoying every moment I have, for I am willing to wager that this is not some sort of pointless test, I believe that this is my only chance; and I am going to make sure I cherish every aspect of it. Ironically, I am going to live my life the way an omnipotent being would have hoped I would, had I indeed been given the opportunity on this beautiful planet of ours.

And perhaps, who knows, at the end of this trial, an Atheist might even have a higher score than you.