Actually, I don't really see the point of the question "How do you get by without God?" Frankly I think the question itself automatically raises a defense mechanism because it conveys judgment and a lack of understanding right from the get-go. It's not really inviting a conversation so much as a speech about why you SHOULD believe in a God or Gods. So, bad question. Moving on.

I don't usually ask atheists why they are the way they are anymore. Most often it's because I know the story. Either someone values facts and data and, since one can't prove God(s), decides it isn't real, or else someone witnesses/hears about/has a terrible experience that convinces them God must not be real because otherwise why would terrible things happen. I would venture to say about 8 times out of 10 it is one of the two or both. On top of that, I'm not an atheist, and though many of them REALLY don't like to admit it, they can get just as touchy about the subject as the religious right. Yes, many atheists deliver their fair share of close-mindedness, too. It goes both ways.

If I ask anyone why they believe in something, I don't want a speech about why they believe what they do AND why what I believe is stupid. I ask people what they believe because I want to have a discussion about it and learn more about the people I meet.

So no, I'm not going to ask someone how they don't get by without God, even though I myself believe in God. We each do the things we do for our own reasons. If someone wants to hear my story, great, I will share it. But I am not going to act like I need to force everyone into that group. And I don't really want people to do so to me, either. I get just as annoyed when someone asks me, "Why do you need to believe in God?" I don't have to explain myself. You do your thing, I do mine, and if at some point we want to get together and discuss it, that's cool, too.