> Ethics matter.
> I don't believe there's any life after this one...
> I don't believe that faith is an out, or that you can apologize or donate your way out of past behaviors.
Why would it matter if there is no life after this one? If there is no life after this one, maybe you should just "get over it".
Otherwise I think laws wouldn't exist.
Because some (most?) of us are empathetic and compassionate people. We care about others and hurt when they hurt. We want to live in a just society and want to leave behind a just society for others after us.
The fact that it requires „training your conscience“ to „trample on the lives of others“ suggests that such an outlook is not a default state of being.
Even though life can be cruel, there seems to be an overarching goodness built into the universe that benefits those who float in its current.
Because for as long as we are capable of caring, we should care that other people have to live with the consequences of our actions.
But that's my question: if there is no afterlife, why?
The answers so far are a little snark, however this topic has been debated for a long time and most of the pro/cons can be listed rather easily.