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Twenty years ago I more identified with the agnostic and/or atheistic viewpoint. Since then, over the last four to five years I've been practicing Zen / Chan Buddhism which does not dwell on the concept of God / No God. The Zen position is that this question can not be productive and so it is not necessary to have your mind spin in circles trying to find the answer.
I wanted to jump into this thread to make the observation that Buddhism directly looks at the human condition; emotions; compassion; wonder and how you can live your life to minimize problems while being fully aware of these conditions and problems that occur in every human life.
So the central question in this thread seems misplaced, as I don't think the atheistic view is meant to "fill a void" after you leave behind the concept of God. It's just the opposite position of the person who believes in God. You cannot remove emotions -- they are part of being alive.
Alan
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