I recently wrote about this subject but I wanted to expand. I will add to as I become aware of other reasons why we reject God. People often don’t believe in God or don’t want anything to do with God because they can’t make sense of a loving God and the world as it is.
First, let’s debunk the reason assumed why most people reject God. Many argue that the Bible argues that God’s is obvious in creation and to reject such intuitions is rebellion (Romans 1). Actually, biblical writers often wrote about people believing there was a God but refusing God’s moral message. Don’t rule yourself out as spiritual-minded. Rebelling against God is desiring and believing in selfishness over unselfishness in relationships. Is that really you?
We may not seek out God more because of supposed, required beliefs to be spiritual.
Many suggest certain beliefs are necessary to be accepted by God. Which supposed, required beliefs do you accept since there are thousands of different beliefs as to what God wants? Is a loving God really going to leave to chance what beliefs we are supposed to believe? Spirituality surely is as simply as considering help from God in being more the person you deep down desire to be by treating others like you want to be treated. Is a reasonable God going to freak out if that is your core belief?
We may not seek God out more because we believe what others says about God.
We can only be as close to God as our mental images of God allow. We may not pursue God more because we assume others’ beliefs about God are true, or God is like the poor role models we have had who claim to represent God. The God often portrayed by others condemns gay people, favors men over women despite the history of men abusing power, and created Hell to throw people in after death if they don’t discover the right beliefs before death. This can’t possibly be God!
We may not seek God out because of unanswered prayers. Does God really care?
Pray is not easy to understand. God cannot be a lover of freedom and answer all our prayers. We may want our partner to change but that is their choice. I don’t know why so few prayers of healing aren’t answered. Some miracles may happen because of very skilled physicians but that doesn’t mean lack of physical healing is because of the Doctor and certainly not due to lack of faith. I can only speculate that some prayers can possibly be answered because freedom is not thwarted in major ways. I do know our language can be harmful when claiming God’s grace saved a life in an accident. What about other lives? Such language can understandably lead to unbelief.
We may not seek God out because of so much evil in the world.
If God truly existed, they would surely prevent more evil. The majority of evil in the world results from the freedom to make moral choices. A world without reasonable freedom is not a world that can genuinely love. Forced love is an oxymoron. The world would surely look very different if people always treated others like they wanted to be treated, and good people did not turn a blind eye to evil they could intervene. Natural disaster cannot be explained as a result of free moral choices, but a free world does explain a lot of evil and God’s lack of interference.
We may not seek God out more because of the Bible’s rendering of God.
Many don’t read the Bible and who could blame them if they assume the writers always portrayed what God was really like. OT prophets often commanded the killing of women and children in the name of God when war may have been necessary. We do not have to assume God somehow unexplainably controlled impressions recorded by the writers, even if their views of God were more influence by culture than reality. It does seem that as biblical history unfolded God had breakthroughs in persuading writers to a more correct view of God. We can also determine what God is like and good from evil from common universal moral intuitions. Such intuitions can be how a Creator communicates to us. God didn’t intend the Bible to be the only source of truth about God. God inspiring the writing of the Bible can mean God encourage the recording of God’s beginnings with humans so we can get to know God better.
We may not seek God out more because of false expectations of what God requires.
No loving parent tells their child they must act or be certain ways to earn their love. Parents love their children regardless. Perfect parents only advise their children to act in ways in their best interest in the long-run. You don’t have to stop drinking to be loved by God. You don’t have to stop fornicating to be loved by God. Consider what actions are in your best interest and those you have relationships with. That is God’s guidance but not for acceptance.
You may not seek God out because of rituals that supposedly have to be followed.
God doesn’t demand you seek to convert others to your beliefs. Having more of a connection with God doesn’t mean you have a hidden agenda with others in your interactions. God certainly isn’t in the business of telling people they are going to Hell if they don’t believe certain things. God doesn’t command you go to religious meetings regularly or pray a certain way or time. Go to a church, synagogue, or mosque if that is where you are encouraged and able to encourage others in making for a better world or find encouragement in other settings.
God only desires that we love ourselves and others to the fullest, but God is not going to coerce you into such actions.
God’s expectations aren’t that you must believe certain events in the Bible that you may have difficulty believing. Just seek out relationships that encourage spiritually striving to be a better partner, parent, friend, and neighbor. If you are inclined to believe a caring Creator exist, trust God for faith and encouragement in loving others to the fullest in becoming more the person you deep down desire to be.
What God May Really Be Like - Misbeliefs About God 