Most religions propose that love, forgiveness, kindness, and generosity are "divine" manifestations within the human spirit. That they are the "spirit of God" within humanity. And that as such, to follow that theological ideal is to try and become the human expression of those divine traits. And that's what their various religious admonishments and practices are intended to help people do.
Typically, believers see our lives as empty, meaningless, without purpose, and with no reason no to go berserking - robbing, raping, killing.
The secular humanist can pursue any ideals he chooses without the need of a god concept - at least not an external god. The secular humanist fulfills that role himself. I recall when I lived in a rural neighborhood not too many years ago that I would frequently encounter turtles crossing the county roads there - relatively empty roads that had a car going by every few minutes or so. I would always pull over and carry the critter across the road to his apparent destination simply because I wanted to ensure its safety. Nobody was watching, and I did what I did because it was good and right, with no expectation of being praised or rewarded except with the knowledge of having done the right thing. It made feel good to do that - to be a little godlike, or as you say,
divine, and take care of one tiny corner of the universe.
Is that experience available to the person that believes that he is being watched 27/7, his mind being read, and an account of all that he does made for the purpose of rewarding or punishing him?
There is no way for us to know or prove that this theological ideal is true, except to adopt it and live by it and see if it 'works' for us in our lives. (This is faith: this choosing to live according to a hoped for truth, rather than known truth.) And most human beings, when they do this, will find that their experience and understanding of life is greatly improved.
I did that through my twenties. I had been an atheist before, and tried Christianity - like a pair of shoes, to test the fit. I suspended disbelief and immersed myself in the life.
Initially, I experienced a euphoria that I interpreted as the Spirit. Then I moved to another state, and tried multiple other churches, never repeating the experience. I came to understand that I had stumbled onto a very charismatic preacher who was the source of that feeling. Other congregations seemed dead an lifeless. Where was the victory in those churches? Where was the Spirit?
I came to see that the promises were not being kept in this life, and that therefore, there was no reason to believe that there was a god going to keep them in an afterlife, either. Also, I said that I suspended disbelief to give this new worldview a chance to begin to make sense. That never happened. So, I left religion for what I later learned to call
secular humanism. It has served me better than religion did.
It's reasonable. It esteems man rather than demeans him. It calls us to be a part of the world rather than turn from it. It admonishes us to develop the latent potential in ourselves and to enable others to do the same. We actually believe and try to live by the Golden Rule unlike those in the religions that merely give it lip service. It's the basis of the humanist method for deciding moral matters - rational ethics, or reason applied to compassion. We are interested in developing moral and intellectual excellence.
It turns out that those shoes fit better.
And they take that personal experience as their proof that the theological ideal they hoped to be true, is in reality, the truth.
I have concluded the opposite for the reasons just given.
This is a positive possibility that the atheist has rejected without trying, for no good reason, and has thus denied himself.
By leaving Christianity, I denied myself what felt like an inauthentic life. To continue in it would be living a lie, which, if I can borrow from the religious vernacular, would be the greatest sin - the sin against ones own integrity..
It was an excellent choice for me. I have had a very rich and satisfying life outside of religion.
Have you ever lived as a secular humanist? If not, what makes you think that you know what such a life is like or what possibilities are available to the unbeliever? I've lived both lives. As a Christian, I needed more. As a humanist, I have remained content and fulfilled.
Isn't that your measure of what constitutes truth?