Relationship with god

Sometimes, believers find it difficult to abandon the idea of god not because they haven't doubted their religion but because they are afraid of losing god himself.

The following is quoted from the RichardDawkins.net forums where a believer explains her stance

For me, however, this has always been about the relationship- which I think I mentioned before. A lot of bad things have happened to me over the course of my life and God has always been the one person who was there with me through it. Sometimes literally the only one. And so to talk with you about Him possibly being fake is a horribly terrifying thought to me. I just don't think a lot of atheists understand how scary it is for people to walk away from something like this, because at least in my case, it means possibly losing my best friend. I could care less if my family looks down on me for questioning my faith and hating me if I walk from it. I have never cared what people think. It's about losing Him.

The link to the original post is here but it requires you to be a member in order to view this part of the forum.

This is an example of misattribution. Just because god isn't real doesn't mean that the feelings aren't real. But they were misattributed. There isn't any god to give you strength, it is you and your inner strength.

The inner strength that was stolen by religion. The idea of god constructed by religious beliefs were attributed certain abilities which, in some cases, is your own.

I found the following reply very "profound-ish"

If God doesn't exist, nothing changes. Nothing will be taken away. The universe will continue to be exactly as it is now - all that will change if you stop believing is how you think about it.

If there is no god, you won't be losing a friend, you'll be realising that he's actually you.

Yes, the relationship with god is actually the you that was lost.

But of course, don't take this comment so far as to thinking that you are actually god. There are other properties which are decorations that were put up by the believers in the past.