Many reject God because of how God is portrayed by others according to the Bible or because their understanding of God clashes with common moral sense. In fact, some declare their biblical interpretations a mystery or beyond human comprehension because their views of God clash with their own moral expectations. A God who is evil is surely not worth believing in.
God must be perfect thus not evil.
Most parents don’t ask to be worshipped. We sense such a request requires perfect character. Most sense God ask us to live totally unselfishly, but how can God make such a request unless God is perfectly unselfish? Jesus, who represented God here on earth, made statements like: “Be perfect, therefore as your heavenly Parent is perfect” (Mt. 5:48). God claims to be perfect and must think we know what perfection is or such statements are meaningless.
God and human perfection must be one in the same.
It makes sense that a good God would ask us to be perfect like them. What earthly creator – parent – doesn’t wish their child to imitate their moral successes and avoid their moral failures. If God’s perfection is different than human perfection, we can’t know such desires since God doesn’t communicate audibly. The Bible never suggests there are two “perfect” standards. God and human perfection are exactly the same.
How can we know what godly/human moral perfection is unless God communicates?
If you believe evil exist, you believe in morality. Who hasn’t felt moral outrage? Who doesn’t feel from time to time we “ought” to have acted differently? Such moral inclinations can be how a Creator communicates to us what is good. We just seem to know if an action is moral or immoral. This explains a universal desire to treat others like we want to be treated. I am convinced most can agree on major characteristics of a morally perfect friend, parent, or God.
Any book, such as the Bible, cannot be our sole source for God’s view of morality. Literature is subject to interpretation, thus why biblical scholars frequently disagree on the meaning of the same passage. If one’s understanding of the Bible contradicts moral intuitions, something must be up. Evil can result when we claim we can only know good through a book – even if believing such a book is the Word of God – because we often claim our interpretations is the truth about God.
What if moral intuitions clash?
There is universal agreement on most moral matters such as murdering or stealing. A test for morality is whether you wish to be treated in the same way you treat others. Terrorists are wrong because they do not wish for our religious beliefs to be imposed on them. Just as we know it is wrong to steal because we do not wish to be stolen from. Moral intuitions differences can lead to discussions; interpretations seem to lead to control in God’s name. Only terrorists don’t know that true religion doesn’t seek to be served by serve. We may not agree what a perfect parent or God would do in each situation, but we may agree on many attributes.
Why does it matter that God is perfect?
God is likely the kind of God you imagined a good God would be like. A perfect God is quick to forgive and begin anew than be consumed with anger for self-righteous reasons. It is not possible a perfect God is homophobic. Every moral fiber in our body thinks a loving God can’t condemn gays when they can no more choose who they love than straights can. Parents and others often only condemn homosexuals against their intuitions because of supposed correct interpretations of a Book. Reject unloving portrayals of God. God is like the God we all hope for – morally perfect humanly-speaking. Most of us will admit we fall short and need help in striving to be closer to our ideal self. The role-models you have had or what you have heard about God may not be true. If you have thought that there may be a God, I am convinced you will not regret pursuing more of a connection with your Creator than regretting having a closer relationship with your partner, children, or friends. God’s love is the love we deep down desire to show others consistently.
What God May Really Be Like - Misbeliefs About God 