An interviewer wanted to know what I have to say to people who "just aren't going to" believe in God.
That sounds more like a statement of intention than a statement of disbelief. There isn't anybody who "just isn't going to" believe in God. If someone as wretchedly far out in the cold and dark as I was could be drawn into faith, anyone can be. But he has to consent.
If instead the interviewer had asked what I might say to someone who was personally convinced that he “just wasn’t going to” believe in God, I might say this.
First, understand your motives. The philosopher Thomas Nagel wrote in his book The Last Word, “I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.”
If Nagel is right, then it isn’t just belief in God that can be a crutch. Nonbelief in God can be a crutch. So keep your mind open. Follow the evidence wherever it leads. Don't stop asking questions. Cultivate friendships not just with other nonbelievers, but also with people who do believe in God. Listen to your mind and your heart.
In the meantime, be open to the possibility of an answer by living as though you did believe in God and you trusted Him. Perform the experiment of praying at though you thought He was listening, of worshipping as though you thought He existed, of asking Him to illuminate your mind as though He wanted to do so, and – this is the hard one – of living as He is said to direct. After all, you’ve already been living as though He isn’t real -- what have you got to lose by trying out living as though He is?
But don’t do these things now and then. Be persistent. Do them all the time. Do them even when you don’t feel like it. See what happens.
This is how you find out whether you really want the answer, or you are just pretending.