Narcissists avoid places that make them feel shame, inadequate, powerless, or guilt. Nevertheless, they are commonly found in and around churches because they cannot avoid the opportunity to be seen as good, perfect, holy, and powerful. However, narcissists do not usually believe in God although they are quite adept at displaying the opposite. Below are common reasons they struggle to actually believe in God.
The Job Complex
Narcissists struggle with a belief in God because what kind of God would allow them to be raised by unempathetic, critical, abusive, negligent parents? They often wonder “where was God in all of these bad things were happening to me?” Or “How could a God that’s supposed to be so good allow me to experience this much pain, hurt, or abandonment?” Since God ignored them in their time of need, they, in turn, ignore him as well. This means that they neither pray nor talk to him in their time of need or struggle.
The Saviour Complex
A narcissist will credit themselves as being the one that delivered them out of such dire circumstances. In their eyes, they are their own savior. Narcissists don’t believe in God because they cannot believe in anything or anyone that would be higher or more powerful than themselves. This erroneous perception also allows them to maintain their pattern of thinking that they are the answer to everything and everyone.
A Fear Of Judgment
Furthermore, to believe in a higher power means that a narcissist would be subject to that power’s authority over their life as well as judge over their actions. A narcissist knows that judgment will never be in their favor since they do not believe in being honest, acting with integrity, apologizing or asking for forgiveness.
Submission Is For Suckers
To enact any of the aforementioned behaviors would mean that one must submit to someone else. To a narcissist, submission is for the weak, the naive, and the foolish. It is an opportunity to leave oneself unnecessarily open and vulnerable. A narcissist will never submit to anyone else’s will or authority but their own. Why? Because as long as they’re in charge, they get to change the rules ensuring that they win in the end.
The Only Path I Will Follow Is the One That I Will Create
With that being said, narcissists don’t believe in a higher power because it takes a huge amount of unwavering trust and faith to do so. Furthermore, most people struggle with trusting and obeying God even in good times. It is impossible for a narc to believe that when things are not in their favor or even when they receive negative consequences for their sins, God still has their best interest at heart.
A Love Unknown
Lastly, narcissists don’t believe in God because although God sees our sins, he still loves us anyway. Why else would he have given his only begotten Son so unselfishly? Since narcissists do not grow up with parents who love them unconditionally, they struggle to believe that an authority higher than his/her parents would ever accept them as is flaws and all.
Find Out Why A Narcissist Never Apologizes by clicking the link below:
Want to read some of my favorite books on narcissism? Check out these for more insight.
Gaslighting & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery:… by Barlow, Don (amazon.com)