10 things non-believers are tired of hearing from believers

Most non-believers aren’t tired of religion itself, but rather, they’re tired of hearing the exact same lines again and again.

The moral question

Some people struggle to understand where non-believers get their morals from. They’ll ask, ‘Without God, where do you get your morals?’ like it’s a valid question. It’s not. We’re all born with an understanding of things like empathy and fairness.

Sure, religion makes it a little easier to create rules around them. But non-believers think you don’t need it. You can have good values and not believe in God. It’s as simple as that. So, they’re tired of believers talking about it like it’s not true.

A familiar ending

Yes, believers mean well when they say, ‘I’ll pray for you.’ But it’s not how non-believers hear it. They can’t stand it when people use that saying after a discussion about politics or life choices. Why? Because it doesn’t sound supportive.

It just comes across like you’re trying to shut the other person down. You’re judging them for not agreeing with you. Worst of all, you’re giving them advice they didn’t ask for. That creates distance. Non-believers hate it.

Not there yet

There are those who turn other people’s non-belief into a phase. No, they don’t care you’ve always thought that way. They’ll tell you, ‘You just haven’t found God yet.’ They think your beliefs are only temporary. Sure.

A lot of believers have already grown up in the church. They might’ve spent years trying to believe. But then, they walked away. That’s okay. It’s their life, after all, and maybe they don’t want to look for God anymore. Why is that such a bad thing?

The hidden answer

Here’s one that’s guaranteed to annoy non-believers. They can’t stand it when you say, ‘Deep down, you know it’s true.’ It completely ignores the explanation part. It also ignores their feelings. You’re assuming you know everything about them and their beliefs.

But you don’t know. They could’ve spent years thinking about religion and reached this conclusion. It’s pretty irritating hearing someone say this. After all, it makes it sound like you know them better than they know themselves. How rude.

Give it time

Let’s get one thing straight. Non-belief has nothing to do with your age. You could be a college student or a retiree and still not believe in God. But believers don’t get that. They’ll say, ‘You’ll change your mind when you’re older’ with a completely straight face.

It’s quite dismissive, honestly. It feels like you’re telling the other person, ‘Cute opinion, talk to me in ten years.’ Nobody wants to hear something like that.

A plan already written

People with faith usually feel comforted after they hear, ‘God has a plan for you.’ Non-believers don’t. It hurts to hear that after a breakup or losing your job. Why? Because it sounds like your own choices are being pushed to the side.

It’s all about God’s plan instead, now. Hearing that there’s apparently a plan doesn’t make the pain hurt any less. It doesn’t make the situation any easier. For many non-believers, it sounds like a whole load of nothing, really.

The proof trap

Time for an absolute classic one now. It’s, ‘You can’t prove God doesn’t exist.’ It happens so frequently that a few non-believers can predict it before it comes. That’s not a good thing. What makes the saying annoying is the certainty.

There’s no way you can be so sure that God exists. It’s one of those things you just can’t prove. But that’s not all. Most philosophers agree that the person making the claim is supposed to provide the proof. It’s not for the person saying, ‘I’m not convinced.’

The science line

Believers are usually pretty confident with this one. They’ll point to things like DNA and quantum physics. Then, they’ll say, ‘See? Science proves God.’ It doesn’t. Non-believers know that, but a lot of believers haven’t got the message.

Science doesn’t work like that. No, it’s something that tests natural explanations. It helps us understand gravity, cells, stars, atoms, and so much more. But the lab test for God? That doesn’t exist yet.

The quoted answer

Picture this. Two people are having a conversation, and it gets real interesting. But then one of them says, ‘Well, the Bible says.’ They think they’ve just played the strongest card in the deck. Non-believers don’t agree.

After all, they don’t treat the Bible like a final authority. They really don’t care what it has to say about things. So save your breath if you’re trying to convince them. The truth is, it’s not going to happen.

The lazy explanation

Saying ‘You just want to sin’ is pretty mean. It’s one of those sayings that skips the conversation and goes straight to the motive. The person saying it doesn’t care to get to know the other person. Instead, they’re making stereotypes.

Plenty of non-believers live good and moral lives. They’re not choosing to believe, either. It’s something that they simply don’t do, and they hate people making these sorts of claims. It’s not fair. 

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.