Life is the greatest luck of all, and we need to be humbled a bit by this discussion.
Life is a complete separation from normal reality, where atoms accumulate to be molecules of a substance at the very best. Rarely does anything exist in more of a capacity than that - the rest is space. So, amassing lots of similar atoms is pretty rare. Molecules are more rare. Substances are even more rare. Sizeable amounts of similar substances are even more rare. The largest planet we know in our solar system - Jupiter - is even more rare than all of that.
Zoom back into the atoms and molecules - When multiple molecules and substances naturally grow and coalesce into something more...we usually call it living. Plants and animals are made of multiple types of these substances that have fused together. These things live. They become...something. But that something is never permanent...so it lives temporarily. Eventually...those atoms separate into smaller pieces and break down again - what we call death; the end of life. Life...is even more rare than Jupiter, but death is guaranteed for every life.
Logically, the process of life is straightforward...but only after so much information is assumed/ignored do we realize that this grouping of atoms and molecules is actually something extremely rare within the universe. Like...RIDICULOUSLY rare. If life can develop in a plant, that's more rare than a large planet. If life can develop into a creature...that's an even more rare than a plant. And if it can develop into a human/thinking being...even more rare than a creature. So, to see things from such a logical perspective...you tend to realize that a lot of "luck" is involved here for us to get to where we are on Earth in the measurable year 2015. Humans are extremely rare/lucky, from what we have been able to tell in this amount of time.
Now, some humans subscribe to a spiritual explanation from experiences/traditions for how we got here on earth in 2015, some subscribe to nothing but a self-centered way of living that simply never ponder on something so abstract as this discussion, and some spend their time selling a subscription for how they believe we got here, to this place, in 2015...with a straight face.
Now, while those aren't the only types of people in the world...I, personally, think it's foolish to be two of those types of people I described. Because the only absolute that every single living person can guarantee is that we are going to die. We are living, we are lucky, but we are not permanent. To live...is to be lucky. Seriously. Absolutely ridiculously lucky. There are an infinite number of reasons that your body/mind's atoms and molecules should NOT have formed in the way that they have........but you're here. Somehow...you're here.
So...what do you do with that luck? I am of the opinion that trying to figure out why we're so lucky is only an attempt to try and shape our luck in looking at the future, and if there is a force out there making all of this happen, I highly doubt that we get to shape that "luck" that the creator force has given us in any sort of way. Even by "praising the force" that makes it happen, I would sincerely doubt that a creator-force would ever consider that "praise" worthy of making any sort of active change to the way that we live, or adding to our "luck" in response to our praise.
Back to the topic - The thing about death is...it's coming. So...if you have a little time to be lucky, why not invest it in your luck and let it ride? Why not enjoy the life, and let death happen when it happens? Cause believe me...it's coming. Even if there is some sort of afterlife, we have no idea how much luck is involved in getting to *that* level of existence, but considering how lucky we had to get to THIS plane of existence, that seems a little "out there" to me. But now we're talking about hypotheticals, because we aren't even certain it's there. That stuff exists outside of how lucky we already are, so it's fun to think about, but it's a terrible investment of life. You have no idea what you're buying...only what you're told you're buying, and the only one who gets held accountable for the belief...is you. How lucky do you really think you are?
Life...is luck inside of a set of molecules. And if you ride your luck by subscribing to the praise of a single God creator force who seems to somehow care about a super-lucky metaphorical spec of sand in a universe of sandy beaches...I mean...I'm not here to tell you how to live, but I think you should take another look at the story. Gain some perspective.
The "deservingness" of religious afterlives astounds me. It's a complete mind-fuck that not only would someone think that their luck (life) was *rightfully* given to them by a creator-force, but WAIT - THERE'S MORE!?!?!! An afterlife, TOO!?!?!?! That's mighty bold. I think we're lucky...but I don't think we're that lucky, and I don't know how anyone can say/believe that we are ACTUALLY that lucky with a straight face.
We're already pretty fuckin' lucky - our video game is on, and it has been running for more than 2015 human years on the console of some God creator force...maybe just use your luck now before the creator-force gets bored with it and shuts it off? OR...ya know...we die. I'm pretty sure this is it. This is not just a bunch of water molecules gathered into a crater to create a lake...this is water, carbon, and oxygen forming into a temporary, living being - something we've never been able to find anywhere else in the millions of planets that we've seen. How much more could we possibly be entitled to?
Do you really think you can influence the afterlife with how lucky you got just to be alive right now?
I wouldn't bet on it. And I'm lucky as fuck.