10 Real Reasons Stopped Believing in God (+ How to Respond to Them)
10 Real Reasons People Stopped Believing in God (+How to Respond to Them)
I want to start off by making it clear that there are many reasons why people leave the church, and overall, quit their faith. There are far more outside of just these 10 reasons.
One day, I got really curious and wondered what reasons people give for quitting their belief in God. I myself know what it is like not to believe in God, but I went from extremely lukewarm, to a non-believer, to a believer, not so much the other way around. So I went onto Reddit, as one does, and started scrolling through an ex-Christian thread. I don’t think Reddit is the best platform out there to get information, but when looking for honest and raw opinions, I think it can provide what you are looking for. And I was looking for that. Although it was a long thread, there were about 10 consistent points made by this large group of ex-Christians as to why they left the faith. And so, I wrote them all down and will be sharing them with you in this post. Along with each point, I have found some ways followers of Christ can respond to these arguments.
1. Lack of Evidence
This is not a surprising one, as it was one of my reasons as to why I used to be a non-believer. This is a topic that can be discussed for hours, but there is only one true conclusion:
It is true that, to the modern-day stubborn human mind, there is a lack of evidence. That’s why we call it faith. It’s not something we can physically reach while living on this earth. This is a hard one to respond to, but the best chapter to read in dispute of this argument is Romans 1.
“Fore in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17 ESV)
All beliefs, even if you don’t believe in God, require a large leap of faith. However, even when I wasn’t a believer, there were many things about the design of our world that stuck out to me as peculiar, causing me to rethink whether God wasn’t real. But the truth is, if there were 100% evidence that God was real, then we wouldn’t need faith. And that’s not how God created us to be.
2. Discrepancies in the Bible
Under the ex-Christian thread I saw, this table was posted with the caption of “major contradictions in the Bible.”
And so I had to see for myself and compare most of these verses before I got to the point of feeling like I was being pranked. In all honesty, if you are not a believer, of course, it’s easy to say that these verses contradict themselves. But let’s look at the first example.
“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:5 ESV)
Versus
“For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge.” (Proverbs 6:34 ESV)
The claim being made with these two verses is that they contradict God’s jealousy. However, Proverbs 6:34 is talking about man, and you can not apply the same emotions to God as you do to man. In Exodus 20:5, God is warning us about worshipping other false gods. Proverbs 6 is a warning against adultery, and the jealousy men have when another man sleeps with their wife, in some cases causing acts of revenge. Although jealousy is not encouraged by the Bible for God’s followers, Proverbs 6:34 is not a verse warning us against jealousy, but a warning that it can occur when adultery is committed. This is not the same form of jealousy described in Exodus 20:5 because of the fact that a man’s jealousy is simply not the same as God’s jealousy.
You will find that a lot of these “contradictions” are not really contradicting anything, but proving the Bible even further.
3. You Have No Autonomy Over Anything you Own
I think this is an interesting reason as to why someone wouldn’t believe in the Lord. Basically, the implication of this is that faith is all about power and control. People don’t own the houses they live in, their money, their job, etc. I fully agree that this is true; we do not own any of these things. Let’s take the house you live in. That house was built by humans who use materials such as wood, concrete, glass, etc. Now, you can own the house you live in, but do you own that land?Let’s say you do.. But you really don’t, because the government can use that land if it needs it for public use, speaking in terms of the US Constitution.
Point is: Everything you own is temporary.
But the house, the humans who built it, the materials used, and the land it sits on were all created by God.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”(Genesis 1:1 ESV)
So while it is true that you have no autonomy over anything you own, it is not the same thing as a government regulating how much money you make, and the property you are allowed to buy and sell. God created the air that we breathe, and everything we own is because of Him.
Hypothetically, you have a child, and you decide you want to build a playhouse for them. You can take away that playhouse at any moment from them, because you built it yourself and gave it to them as a gift. That doesn’t mean you have to, but it confirms the fact that, at the end of the day, it belongs to you.
God is the same way. He created all things, so naturally they all belong to him. To circle back to the point of it being just about power and control, if God really wanted that, He would have gotten it. If it were about power and control, we wouldn’t have free will, and we as followers of Christ wouldn’t willingly give our lives in devotion to Him.
4. The Existence of a God Makes No Sense
If you don’t believe in God, or a being that created the universe, you either believe in two things: the universe has always existed, and therefore needs no reason to be created, or the universe spawned into existence. All of these things, once again, require a large leap of faith, and plenty of people can agree that the latter two make no sense either. In fact, the existence of a God makes more sense.
The universe, as far as we know, follows the laws of nature. But God does not have to obey these laws. It’s harder to believe (scientifically, historically, all of the above) that something can come from nothing.
Again, I go back to Romans 1. That’s why we have faith.
5. If you Are Born a Certain Way, Why Should You Have to Go to Hell?
Asking this tells me that there is a clear misinterpretation or ignorance of what the Bible says. Because it clearly states that we are ALL born in sin.
“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalms 51:5 ESV)
And this goes past sexual orientation; this includes the lies, hate, lust, pride, so much more. Once again, we are all born in sin. The solution to this universal problem of sin is, and will always be, Jesus.
Many fail to realize what it means when it is said that Jesus washes sin away. Sin doesn’t just disappear overnight because we want it to. Sin is washed away because we rely on Him. You can not rid yourself of sin; only God can do that. And the moment you truly lay your life down and trust in Him, you will find that you will now live righteously for Him in so many ways.
But before God’s eyes, we will always be sinners. Even when we lay our lives down, life is not a linear experience; there will be times when we are tempted and fall into sin. But that is why God is a merciful God who doesn’t call us by our sins, but calls us by our name instead. And that is all because of the price Jesus paid on the cross.
This is why we say “hate the sin, and not the sinner.” As Christians, it’s our responsibility not to endorse any sin. Because sin is what separates us from God. But even Christians battle with sin every day, and we acknowledge that we are sinners. So, the argument that because someone is born with a sexual orientation that goes against God’s word, that they are automatically doomed to eternal damnation with no workaround is simply untrue, and not what the Bible preaches. This is not a real reason to turn away from God; it is the easy way out, because God Himself said that following Him would not be easy.
6. God is an Angry Narcissist
Those who make this argument, I assume, know about what occurs in the Old Testament, such as the floods in Genesis or the conquests in Joshua. However, these are acts of justice. God is ridding the world of its evil. One of the most common arguments against the belief in God is that if there is such a God that exists, why does he allow evil to happen? But when he rids the world of its evil in the Old Testament, he’s now just an angry, violent God?
Throughout the Bible, humans who reject Him and do harm receive punishment. This includes the New Testament, but rather more emphasis on spiritual life versus death. God is a just and righteous God. But when He shows us His righteousness, all of a sudden, that’s not acceptable to many non-believers, including my past self. How can you claim with full confidence that, because evil in this world happens all the time, God doesn’t exist? Yet, the consequences of this evil are clearly stated in His word, because He is a God of justice. But once again, God’s punishment of evil is “unjust” to the non-believer.
To address God being a narcissist, if the reasoning behind that is that He calls us to worship and obey Him, then that reasoning would be true. But a narcissist has the need for admiration. God does not need our worship or praise. To call God a narcissist is to once again apply human emotions and behaviors to Him. Narcissistic tendencies include a lack of empathy, an inflated self-image, envy, and more. God is none of these things. He created the earth that we walk on, so yes, He calls us to praise Him for His goodness, but again, He doesn’t need it.
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” ( Acts 17:24-25 ESV)
7. The Bible has Been Used to Support Genocide, Colonialism, Racism, Sexism, and More
No one can argue that there have been and are people who commit acts of hate and justify them by the word of God. However, it is a fact that these people are not following the true word of God.
With the New Testament, God has called us to fight spiritual warfare by spreading the gospel.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12 ESV)
A mother can tell her son not to be afraid to use his voice and that it is okay to stand up for himself. But if that son goes and hits another kid simply because they cut in line in the name of “standing up for himself”, that is not okay, and not the lesson his mother was trying to teach him.
But God explicitly tells us not to fight spiritual warfare through violence and hate, so those who go against this word are sinning against His command. To add, Jesus defeated His enemies through His death on the cross, not by slaughtering them.
Turning away from God because people have used the Bible to support their hateful agendas is another easy way out. The Bible tells us to be aware of a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Following these people is one way to ignore God’s word, but turning away from God completely because of the existence of these false prophets is another. According to the Bible, it is clear that these people will always exist, but using that fact as a way to justify avoiding God is living in a lie.
8. Why Did God Have to Send Jesus to Die for Our Sins? Couldn’t He Just Change that Rule?
Out of all of these points, this is definitely one of my favorites. Not because I agree with it, of course, but because I think it’s a very smart question to ask.
Yes, God can change the ruling. He can just make us sinless creatures who worship Him no matter what. But as many Christians will tell you, and I know this is repetitive, but He gave us free will. He wants us to come back to Him willingly, and lay our lives down for Him, not because that’s all we know how to do, but because we know that is the best thing we can do for ourselves. It’s not something we do instinctually, but something we have to really fight for and think about doing.
In order to stay fit and be healthy, we have to set aside time and find a way to exercise. We have the instinct to stay alive, and we know what it takes to do that. We understand that not exercising can cut many years off our lives, but the act of exercising is not an instinctual habit. You have to deliberately plan this unnecessary act of physical activity, which is why there are people who don’t stay in shape, because it is actually instinctual to avoid unnecessary exercise. But at the same time, we have survival instincts. And we know that exercise is important for a longer, healthier lifespan.
As God’s children, we know that living a life in sin and doubting His plan is causing us hurt. We have the instinct to not live in that pain, but the act of laying down our lives for Him is deliberate and not easy. But that is what He wants for us, He wants us to lean on Him for support as we grow in our faith (which oftentimes includes learning some hard, needed lessons).
He could just change that rule and make it so it is an instinctual habit to live by the word. But He wanted us to deliberately seek Him out of choice and as a means for our spiritual survival, not because it is instilled in us.
Additionally, our God is the only God who came down to earth as a man and experienced brutal suffering as a man from mankind. I know that’s a lot of “man’s” but the point I’m trying to emphasize is that He really paid the ultimate sacrifice. It’s correct, He didn’t have to die for our sins, but He wanted us more. And the only way for mankind to be reunited with Him is through true repentance and cleansing of our sins. But as we have found, humans can not achieve that on our own, which is why He paid the price for us. That is what unconditional love is at its truest and most powerful form.
9. What About the People on Desolate Islands Who Have No Access to the Outside World?
This is also a very valid point to bring up. It’s not an easy question to answer, but the Bible does say this:
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14 ESV)
With this, as a believer, I have full confidence that everyone will get a chance to see God’s truth by the end times. The book of Revelation makes it very clear that humans will get many chances to submit to the word, and even when our time is nearly up, the Lord is still a merciful God.
With regards to the book of Revelation, it is made even clearer how important it is for us to fulfill our duty as followers of Christ, which is to spread the gospel. I do believe that the Lord works in ways we will never fully grasp, so I have faith that He has His ways of guiding those people back to Him.
The truth is, there are just some things we as Christians just aren’t for certain, and aren’t supposed to know. For example, what the seventh thunder said in Revelations, we will never know until it happens. In my opinion, this point can fall into that category, because I do think that it’s truly up to God’s plan, and no one can really answer it with full confidence.
I do know what our responsibility is as Christians, and that we need to do our best to spread the good news while we can.
10. No Hate like Christian Love
This point is similar to the point made about the Bible being used to support harmful acts, so I won’t add on too much. (Just kidding)
My heart goes out to those who are affected negatively by those who call themselves Christians. But as said before, if you look at that person’s character, actions, and/or words coming out of their mouth, and compare them to the full word of God (not just a verse taken out of context), then I can guarantee you they don’t align.
“A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:18-20 ESV)
A diseased tree applies to those who know God’s word, but willfully oppose it, even those who claim to be followers of Christ. This verse is about authenticity and the genuineness of those who label themselves Christian. Jesus is stating that the fruits of our spirit will show, and that if we are genuine followers of God, we will be living proof. The point is not to prove yourself, but to bear witness to God’s presence by who you are and are growing into.
The sum of a person’s actions is their fruit. Therefore, you will recognize God’s presence within someone by their fruits and not just what they label themselves as. The label of being “Christian” has been used as a term of praise. It is accepted that if you claim to be Christian, then you assumingly have to be Biblically good. While I do think this is true to a certain extent, I think we have also lent ourselves into a situation where people who meet those who are Christian but “don’t act it” now have a warped view of Christians as a whole.
Although I can recognize this and can sympathize with those who have had bad experiences with Christians, it’s not a reason for turning away from the faith I can validate. If all or even a percentage of why you turn away from God is because of people who say they are believers but don’t show it, then that is a reason backed by emotion, and not logic. Being a follower of Christ is not about the people that come with it on this earth; it is about reuniting with God. The person you marry on this planet will not be your spouse in heaven. So why would other humans, who, according to the Bible, are not perfect and were born in sin, keep you from Jesus, who can cleanse your sin because of His true perfection?
I know that was a lengthy question at the end there, but it needs to be asked! I genuinely wish someone had asked me that when I was a non-believer.
Conclusion
I understand that this was a long one, but in my opinion, it’s our responsibility as believers to understand why people turn away from our God; that way, we can find the best ways to help them. Which is why I pray that someone who is on the fence (or even far from the fence) about God sees this post and is possibly able to view things in a different light.