What do love and relationships mean to athiests?

Question

I imagine that the ideas and philosiphies are pretty progressive. I am trying to find out new, and working philosophies to life and its main aspects.

All right, I realized I answered the wrong question, made myself look like an idiot.
So, the basis of becoming an athiest is not believing in a god. I personally am an agnostic, and I share most beliefs that athiests do, at least from what I have been reading. Being an agnostic means that, as pertaining to religion, I know, I believe that it is impossible to prove wether there is a god or not. So I have no "faith", no blind following in that sense. But shouldn't this be followed in other areas of my life, that I should see the world as it is, and not need faith?
Now as how this ties to love and relationships, I'll explain.
Love requires faith, and love between two people undoubtedly is a relatioship.
I see that the only true drive, is to survive.
that requires, humans being social, to have faith in one another, else our bodie's health will bend under the stress of lonelyness. Now, that whole that needs to be filled for our health, also takes the form of god and afterlife.

Now athiests have stepped out of this emotional protection of believieng that you have an all loving friend for ever, God. This creates an absence. I imagine that for different athiest, this whole is filled in several varying ways, but the most obvious filler is a lover.
Now most athiests claim to be rational people, and I believe them. so how does this enlightened rationality apear in their lives, other than the absence of a god, or god like figure?
I want to look at love and relationships, and I asked the question without the proper followup of explanation. And out of most of the answers, I got only about one who actually understood me to a certain extent. I hope I can get better answers from this extra explanation.

Answer 1

For many the main relationship, your lover, is a replacement of religion or at least the emotional needs a religion may provide. Like that song by Sting that goes if I ever loose my faith in you, there'll be nothing left for me to loose.

For others its not so extreme but the spouse or significant other is very important since we don't have any imaginary friends to love ourselves with. I think in some ways love is more intense and complex for atheists because there is no reason for inhibitions or restrictions, no roles you must perform, just two people bonding for life, experiencing eachother to the fullest.

The atheists usually doesn't believe in life after death so children and how we raise them are very important because that's your legacy. Usually its your only legacy. Plus its a major source of joy in life.

Answer 2

Love is about how you feel when you want to be closer to someone else. This closer can be defined in many ways. I do not know what this has to do with what you think about God. God exists. The universe did not create itself.

Answer 3

It means the same thing it does to a religous person. Honor and be faithful.

Religon doesn't have ANYTHING to do with being faithful and respectful of your spouse. If you love someone enough to marry them you love them enough to honor and cherish. "Under God" has no part in my relationship.

Answer 4

Pretty much the same as other folks, except our only sense of duty & obligation in the relationship is to each other and whatever children may come.

Answer 5

I would think love and relationships mean to me what they mean to anyone else. I have been in love and in relationships and I have expectations regarding them. I just do not believe in God.

Answer 6

Means the same as it does for everyone else. What does God have to do with anything?

Answer 7

Love is a feeling not a belief.

Answer 8

love and relationships dont have to be reckognized by an establishment to be true for an atheist

Answer 9

Why would you think they differ from anyone elses? How strange.

Answer 10

love is love