Many atheists carry a theological crutch. Most are unaware of it. And, if you show it to them, most will deny it’s there.
It is the silent belief that, should they ever change their mind about God, God will always be there for them.
One of the great comforts of being an atheist is the assumption that if one day the skies parted and God appeared and said “thou shalt choose,” thou could choose God then. Or perhaps later in life, on your deathbed, or at some distant time in the future when you find yourself looking for something more – you could choose what’s behind “Door #2” then. Until then, atheists feel free to spend their Sabbaths partying or at the beach or at that quiet, new hipster brunch place down the street (before it’s overrun by hipster wannabes).
This is the atheist’s backup plan. A theological crutch. The belief that, should you ever decide to open “Door #2,” God will always be there waiting for you with open arms. It is a belief built on an assumption about the character of God: that He is more of a sap than any ex-boyfriend or girlfriend you have ever dumped, and He will gladly spend all of eternity waiting patiently behind Door #2 in the hopes that you will someday open it.
But what if there was a consequence to not believing in God? What if you opened Door #2 and God was no longer there?
What if God stopped believing in you?
