What is love to an atheist?

I find the OP creepy. Hawking is a human before he's atheist. Are there certain categories of people that do not qualify as human by their definition? *shivers down the spine*

A bird sings and the mountain's silence deepens.

Love is unrelated to religion, silly. It is related to human nature.

Love doesn't come from religion, it is within it sure but religion isn't the reason for people to love. Atheists live normal lives except there's no praying or worshipping or belief in a higher power or powers but we love just the same. Religion doesn't give the ability to love, human nature does

I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. I am grateful for the gifts of intelligence, love, wonder and laughter. You can?t say it wasn?t interesting. My lifetime?s memories are what I have brought home from the trip. I will require them for eternity no more than that little souvenir of the Eiffel Tower I brought home from Paris.

-Roger Ebert

Basically instead of putting all our love towards something that may not exist and has no power over our lives, we instead choose to focus that love on one another and accept that our time here on earth is a brief inconsequential spec on the fabric of time. Once we are able to accept our place in existence, we then have a greater time living in it. Unfortunately I think religion is merely for the weak minded so you will unfortunately never be able to see the way we do, and its unfortunate for you, but also perhaps better. Ignorance is bliss and I wish that I lent more to the blind faith perception than the slightly nihilistic attitude I have. But despite all that I would give my life to the one I love most in a split second, even committing the cardinal sin of suicide if I had to.

I will respect religious people's beliefs, but only in the same way I tolerate an idiot's.

My dog is neither atheist nor religious but I reckon it feels something akin to love for me, my wife and the kids. It certainly looks like it - but we may be kidding ourselves. Does a mother dog love its puppies? Scientists have found in pet's brains the same neurochemicals found in humans when both appear to be experiencing love.

This isn't even an interesting conversation.

A bunch of people believe in some ludicrous fairy tales making completely unprovable and unfalsifiable claims.. and we're supposed to give their opinions respect?

If people want to believe something simply because they *want* it to be true then fine.

Let them die ignorant.

I choose to live in the question rather than the answer.

If you're not sure what this means, then religion is perfect for you.

It's called hormones derived from mechanisms in the chemical brain, you dumb stupid *beep* religious bag of retards.