“The God you don’t believe in? I don’t believe in either.”
That’s what the Lubavitcher Rebbe would say to atheists. And honestly? I think it’s one of the most compassionate and truthful things anyone could say. Because the truth is, a lot of people who say they don’t believe in God… I get it. They’re not rejecting God. They’re rejecting an image of God that was cold, angry, distant—or just didn’t make sense. And maybe that rejection isn’t a failure. Maybe it’s the beginning of something more honest, more real.
Sometimes It’s the “God” That’s the Problem
Over the years, I’ve met so many people who carry guilt or shame over not believing. They feel like they’ve failed. But when they describe the God they think they’re supposed to believe in, I find myself nodding.
A God who’s always watching to catch your mistakes?
A God who only loves you when you’re perfect?
A God who makes you feel unworthy unless you measure up?
I wouldn’t believe in that either.
The Rebbe wasn’t shocked by people’s disbelief—he respected it. He knew that distorted ideas about God could drive people away, not because they didn’t care, but because they did.
Unlearning False Beliefs Can Be a Spiritual Breakthrough
There’s a kind of faith that needs to fall apart so something deeper can emerge. When someone walks away from a false idea of God, they’re not necessarily walking away from truth—they might be walking toward it. Real emunah doesn’t come from fear, guilt, or pressure. It comes from trust. From love. From a sense of connection to something greater and good.
And that kind of relationship begins by letting go of the noise and starting fresh.
