This is refreshing actually. I used to be mormon and am now 95% agnostic (I don't believe in deity being required for an afterlife, but I believe there's a 5-10

This is refreshing actually. I used to be mormon and am now 95% agnostic (I don't believe in deity being required for an afterlife, but I believe there's a 5-10% chance of something else post-death). I actually had given up on the idea of children as we had fertility issues, and I figured I was okay enough without them, but my wife was adamant so we spent everything we had to get our two little boys. Literally I'm 40 with no retirement, but I have two boys 2 and 8 months old. Before I was kind of iffy on children, but I would not trade being a dad for anything... It's an amazing experience and has opened my heart, treated a lot of depression issues, and helped me become a better person overall. There is love and beauty and inspiration without deity and religion. I'm in awe of the universe and science and all we know about it but all we still don't. It just makes me appreciate the fact more that someday I'll die, makes me want to appreciate every moment because as far as we know we're the only intelligent species, and I'm lucky enough to be born here in this day with the technology we have, have a family I adore. As for patriotism, I used to be patriotic back around 2001 when everyone was 'coming together' because 9/11. But I lost that after I got more and more in politics and see only those with big business interests at heart every get anywhere. Issues that affect the masses don't matter to anyone on top. America's done some horrible things like nuking and poisoning their own citizens and covering it all up. My wife's lost two grandparents to downwinder's which is basically cancer caused by being too close to nuclear fallout. Back in the 50's they just were asked to come out and bring their families and have a picnic and watch the bombs fall. The idea of America a democratic nation with we the people for the people as it's motto would be amazing, but that hasn't happened yet, and I don't see it happening for a very long time.