And I should imagine that this is equally true of the soul, Callicles; when a man is stripped of the body, all the natural or acquired affections of the soul are laid open to view.  -- Socrates

Those who reject God don’t reject gods in general.  Each of them makes something else his god.

Some, of course, make gods of cruel causes such as fascism, communism, and Islamic terrorism, but it seems that far more pursue the gods of pleasure, wealth, power, sex, or being thought well of by others.

Could it be that people in that larger category are seeking gods that don’t ask anything of them?  Maybe that is what they think they are doing.  But every god but the true God is a slavedriver and taskmaster, a god of the lash.

Consider just the god of the hedonists.  Think of all you must sacrifice to give pleasure your unconditional loyalty.  Think of all the things you must give up.  Think of all the longings you must uproot.  Think of all the nerves you must kill.