People who don’t believe in God may appear mentally and physically strong—until they face a serious health issue or reach old age. When health begins to deteriorate, especially with age, they eventually encounter physical problems they can’t manage. At that point, they often can’t bear the pain.
If they are affected by a serious illness, the pain becomes overwhelming. Logical thinking has its limits—it can’t help them when the situation is beyond their control. Naturally, when they can’t manage on their own, they start seeking help from others.
But even others are only human and have limited ability to help. When nothing seems to work and things spiral out of control, they begin to look for something beyond—some kind of external power. That’s when they begin to pray. They seek a power outside themselves to heal their suffering or help them through it.
This power may take the form of Shiva, Allah, Jesus, or any other divine figure. At that moment, they start to believe in a higher power, even if they don’t openly admit it. Ego often stops them from expressing it, but deep down, they know they’re turning to something greater than themselves.
They may not call it God, but in moments of unbearable pain and helplessness, they silently pray to a higher force. When both body and mind are overwhelmed, they need something—someone—to help them heal, to give them relief, or simply to give them strength.
That’s where God enters. So, in my opinion, nobody can remain a complete atheist forever. It’s extremely rare. No matter what people claim, I believe that at some point in their lives—usually in moments of deep suffering or helplessness—they end up praying to something. And that “something” is what I call God.
When the pain is too much to bear, they instinctively cry out, “Please, someone help me.” That someone they are calling out to, even if nameless or formless, is what we refer to as God. In that moment, they may not consciously call it God, but the act of pleading for help reveals their need for a higher power.
Eventually, they come to terms with the existence of all the gods humanity believes in. They begin to pray—though often quietly, without revealing it—because their ego resists open admission. Yet the “someone” they pray to keeps helping. That someone is God.
In essence, it’s all about hope. When they say, “Someone help me,” they’re placing their hope in a force beyond themselves. That hope, that desperate call for healing and relief, is what we call God.
