Summary

The article discusses the misconception among some Christians that nonbelievers are actively rebelling against God, arguing that one cannot rebel against an entity they do not believe exists, and emphasizing the lack of empirical evidence for God's existence and influence.

Abstract

The author addresses a common misunderstanding among certain Christians who believe that nonbelievers are willfully rejecting God. The article emphasizes that nonbelief is not an act of rebellion but a lack of belief due to the absence of convincing evidence for God's existence. It highlights the author's personal journey from belief to nonbelief, influenced by the maturation of their understanding of the world and the lack of verifiable impact from divine intervention, such as the inefficacy of intercessory prayer as demonstrated in a study sponsored by the Templeton Foundation. The author contends that if God truly wants to be acknowledged, He should reveal Himself in a manner that is comprehensible and compelling, and until such evidence is presented, accusations of rebellion by believers are unfounded and may reflect ignorance or malice.

Opinions

Nonbelievers cannot be accused of rebelling against a deity they do not acknowledge.
The existence of God should be evident if He desires belief, suggesting divine hiddenness is a barrier to faith.
The author's skepticism is rooted in the lack of empirical evidence for God's influence, as seen in the ineffectiveness of intercessory prayer in a scientific study.
The article suggests that the responsibility to demonstrate God's existence lies with those who claim it, not with nonbelievers.
The author implies that Christians who accuse nonbelievers of rebellion without providing proof of God's existence are displaying a lack of understanding or potentially ill intent.
Personal growth and increased knowledge have led the author to question and ultimately reject the existence of the Biblical God.

Nonbelievers Don’t Choose to Reject God

For some reason, lots of Christians have trouble understanding it

Today I received yet another “caring” and “compassionate” comment from a concerned Christian. This guy says his “life assignment is to teach God’s every Word and train leaders for godly influence..”

Since he will likely send similar comments to other non-Christians (after all, it’s his life assignment), I think it is worth writing an article discussing why devout Christians like him should NOT go around telling nonbelievers that they are rebelling against God.

You’ve made a choice to rebel against Him and your end will be like those you feel sorry whom God destroyed. — Hirwa G. Israel, Nov. 26, 2022

Let me say it out loud.

You can’t rebel against someone whom you don’t think exists.

I don’t believe in Zeus, so I don’t care what Zeus’ believers have to say about Zeus. I don’t follow his commandments or moral mandates if he issues them. Does that mean I actively rebel against Zeus?

No.

Do Christians feel that by virtue of believing the Christain God as the only God, they are rebelling against all other gods and goddesses?

No.

If God wants me to believe and trust in Him, the least He can do is show himself to me in ways that I can understand, so I am compelled to accept His existence.

Then, and only by then, can I start thinking about following Him or rejecting Him.

It’s God’s Fault That I Don’t Believe He Exists

The problem lies in divine hiddenness

medium.com

It’s common sense.

Yes, I once believed God existed, but that was when my mind was still immature. As I grew older and learned more things, I naturally adjusted my understanding of this world, including religion. I am no longer convinced that the God of the Bible exists. The Bible was written by people, churches were built by people, and creeds were established by people. It’s all people. God is nowhere to be seen; His impact is nowhere to be found.

Christians can talk about His omnipotence and omniscience all day long, and write huge volumes discussing His attributes, but at the end of the day, no study has confirmed intercessory prayer makes any difference.

The prayer study sponsored by Templeton Foundation even found a small negative (but statistically insignificant) effect for patients who were informed that some people were praying for them.

The study observed 1,800 patients who went into heart surgery. They were divided into three groups. The first group was informed that there may or may not be people praying for them, and some Christians were asked to pray for them daily for 14 days. The second group was also told the same thing as the first group, but the researchers assigned no one to pray for them. The third group was informed that people would be praying for their surgery and recovery, and Christians were assigned to pray for them.

The result was that 51% of the first group and 52% of the second group suffered complications after the surgery. In the third group, the complication rate was 59%.

Apparently, if you hate someone and wish they don’t get better from an illness they are suffering, you can tell them you are praying for them.

Now, tell me how I am supposed to believe that Christian God exists if there is no sign of His influence in this world?

Christians, if you want to accuse non-believers of rebelling against God, at least prove to them that God exists. Otherwise, you are just displaying your ignorance and possibly malice.

If Jesus Appears to Me, This Is What I Will Do

Nothing dramatic, just what a regular person would do