What are some of the many ways in which theists try to explain why their god doesn't appear to exist?

Question

There seems to be no limit to the number of ways in which theists try to make excuses for why their god does not seem to exist. For example, if you ask them why he doesn't protect people from evil, they say their god cannot interfere with free will. If you ask them why prayers are not answered, they say their god is too busy, or the answer was "No", or he knows better than you what you need. Young Earthers will tell you that the Earth was created to look exactly like it's 4.5 billion years old, even though it's really only 6,000 years old. Theists will tell you that you have a soul, even though every conceivable part of what makes us human is demonstrably biological in nature. Theists will tell you that you can see reasons to believe that a god exists, but only if you already believe that a god exists.

Any others?

Theists seem to be able to imagine any number of reasons as to why gods don't appear to exist, except the most glaringly obvious one of all:

Gods don't exist.

Answer 1

The two I heard most often when I was going to church as a child were:

"God works in mysterious ways we cannot understand."

and,

"Some things we are not supposed to know."

Which made me wonder why he bothered inspiring a book or "calling" people to preach. If we aren't supposed to know, why bother telling us anything?

Maybe I've been an atheist all my life and just didn't realize it. It sounded pretty lame then, it sounds really lame now.

Answer 2

Humans are creatures with amazingly beautiful imaginations. I find it poignantly sad that such a gift is used to defend a mechanism that is there simply to assuage our fears. Just think of all that would be possible were that energy to be put into achieving other ends.

But the virulent nature of religion lies in the fact that God cannot be proved. The idea of God is supernatural, meaning it has nothing to do with the natural world. That creates a convenient out for any number of discrepancies in theistic belief.

Answer 3

"Theists seem to be able to imagine any number of reasons as to why gods don't appear to exist, except the most glaringly obvious one of all:

Gods don't exist."

I love you.

Answer 4

how about this, why are scientist still trying to find intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? why are humans the dominant species on earth? why are we here? do you really beleive it is all just a great big accident? look around you everything is in perfect order its all layed out in front of us to serve humans why is that?.. because GOD made it that way..

Answer 5

dont be so close minded

first off God helps those who help themselves

god doesnt do everything for people who want to do nothing and leave everything in his hands

why is it when bad things happen people come to god and accuse him of not existing but when things are going in thier favor they dont have any appreiciation toward God at all

Answer 6

Wow nice theory. You seem to be a heartless, pessimistic person, who is desperate to find answers to questions you have allready answered for yourself. I presume you dont believe in love either, do you? Because love is not just biological.

Ill pray for you.

Answer 7

It's hard for some people to make that final leap of reason, remember one has to already be reasonable to accept reason over unreason.

Answer 8

Religion is just too complicated. Who knows what to believe? I don't. I think SOMETHING exists. I just don't know what.

Answer 9

Because you cant "prove" with man made devices that he does exist.

Answer 10

Amen to that (pardon the pun)