I just happened to meet someone who claims to be an atheist, and the reason she says for her dislike for God is, "Religion restricts me from being what I wish to be." Her grandfather happened to be a committed Christian, whom everyone in society respected, but his family only felt restricted by his values in life and now, since he is dead, the family is falling apart. Unfortunately, she is a stubborn journalist and nothing but praying to God can help her.

Most Atheists Do Not Know What Atheism Really Means

Many youngsters catch the fever that's in the air calling themselves atheists, though they do not believe in any of its reasonings. They are just confused, like many believers too are. So, these self-proclaimed atheists do not have a reason why they deny God or hate God. Ask them why they deny or hate God, and they will give you a thousand unrelated statements, attempting only to escape the question. They deserve sympathy and are in need of some good counselling and guidance in life.

Lovers of Vile Pleasures

The Word of God attributes the reason for such hatred for God to their worldly desires which tend to separate man from God. And having more haters of God around is a sign of the last days.

"Men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." (2 Timothy 3:2-4)

Deep Sorrow and Grief

Just like the affected people who respond ungratefully towards the organisation that paid them well so far, but due to the recession had to lay them off, when things are not alright, when there is bereavement and people undergo unbearable pain, sorrow and grief, in a fit of anger, they complain with hatred towards God. Especially at the death of a dear one, the immediate response of people are in despair and hopelessness, against God. St.Paul was careful in writing to the Thessalonians concerning this:

"I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 4:13,14)

So also we see Job's wife in the Old Testament responding to the plight of her husband, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9). How wonderful was Job in holding on to God, "Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin against God. He was blessed!

Bad Testimony of Some Godly People

There are some who do not seek God, but seek people of God. They judge God by the people who serve Him. They are critics searching for faults in the faithful and searching for wolves among the sheep. It's indeed a sorry state of the Church that there are wolves in sheep-skin and shepherd-skin within the fold. When a Christian commits a fraud, the devil hastes to brings it to limelight and the criticism that arises becomes the reason for many people to leave God. Instead of hating their evil deeds, people hate those people and their God.

Blinded by the Wonders of Science

Some get so fascinated by science that they take a trough of water and form ripples comparing it with the great and mighty oceans and reason through logic that they have created a mini ocean. They look at similarities between their own faces and the apes to conclude that they should be somehow related and end up accepting them as their ancestors. And when the lightning and thunder fall straight beside them, they scream and because they cannot understand what they heard, would shout at God in despair. They keep asking and reasoning, and professing to be wise, they become fools (Romans 1:22). Instead of admitting their limitations, they become angry with God.

Fools Are They

The Word of God througout its content has given one name to those who either hate God or deny His existence: fools.

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. (Psalm 14:1; 53:1)

"Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools." (Romans 1:21-22)

Selflessness and Godliness Go Hand in Hand

The world appreciates one who is selfless, calling his deeds as sacrificial. But a truly selfless man will automatically draw near to God. It is the selfish ones who think themselves to be wise, when they foolishly ask, "If there is a god, ask him to prove himself..." Well, they fail to understand that God Almighty has better things to prove, and they think that the universe including God, is centred around them whereas it is not.

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:3-5)

Though some people may seem to be selfless yet not believing God, their folly will someday be revealed. You can be either a lover of self or a lover of God.

Haters of God Know the Righteous Judgment of God

St.Paul writes wonderfully to the Romans the following verses stating the reason why they leave God and how much painfully God had to give them up, having given them the freewill to choose:

"Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man; and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." (Romans 1:22-32)

The day will dawn when the Truth would be revealed. Though you may tell a thousand logically good looking reasons today, that day will have one undeniable judgment.

Let me give you one suggestion, dear hater of God! If what you believe were right and what the Bible says were wrong, all that I lose is a few years and a lot of filthy sinful 'so-called' pleasures of this world. But if what the Bible says comes out to be true and what you believed turned out false, you lose life eternally. Now you decide what is to be done. My prayer, dear reader, is that the Spirit of God should enlighten your mind and lead you to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ!

God bless!