What if... the Gods do not exist?

I often get asked what it would mean to me if it turns out that the Gods do not exist. It's a valid question from people who are not religious or who are very involved with their own God(s). I've never minded being asked this question because, no matter how sure I am, I have no proof to show, no evidence to present. Everything I have experienced could be part of an elaborate conspiracy theory of my mind and when I die, I could simply be gone.

I think the Gods exist. I have felt Them, I have experienced Them, I have seen the world filled with Divinity. But, if They do not exist, it doesn't really matter. Because it changes nothing. If the Gods do not exist, I will still have had a life which fulfilled me, which was filled with a practice that kept me honest, caring, respectful and kind. I will have been the best person I could be, because I had a reason to be that person. And should there really be nothing there when I die, well, it's not like I will notice, now will I?

This question is also pretty prevalent in the Pagan community itself, although the question is often phrased differently. 'Are the Gods real?', is a good one. I don't know if They are real but I think about it like this; if They are real, you have spent your life doing right by Them. If They are not real, well, it's not like you will have lost anything by honoring Them, now have you? Also, do you really want to take the chance of pissing off beings much more powerful than you or not arranging a good place to head to when you die?

Ultimately, religion is about having faith, about accepting something as truth even though you have no proof. It's a scary thing and yes, sometimes you will feel like an idiot as you stand in front of your shrine or altar, calling out to the air, hoping there is Someone there to hear it. It's all part of the fun, as they say, and perseverance is a requirement. If you do it often enough, if you learn to accept what you pick up with your senses as truth, you'll eventually get there--if a religious life is what you want to have--no matter if the Gods exist or not.