You raise a really good point here. I have some wonderful atheists in my world who are good humans, but really do not see any reason to believe in God. They are not antagonistic to God, nor are they closed to any possibility that God exists (as many of them very rationally point out, it cannot be proven, which is why we call Christianity a "faith"), they simply do not feel drawn to God, and find their lives can be lived well without him. They have made peace with their eventual annihilation, and live, in many ways, without the burdens of shame and guilt that some of my Christian friends experience.

I can't help but think that God, if he exists, would love to welcome those who did not see him life to the one beyond. If I am hopeful for that on behalf of those I love, and know God is more loving than I, then it seems I can rest in that hope.

Thanks again for sharing your perspective, and one I know lots of others share.