In my experience someone on the journey, from believing in the god of the bible, to atheism, passes through a number of gates. Initially the person accepts the god of the bible as good and loving. As the person matures they begin to question the morality of the god of the bible.
Next, comes the attempt to justify the conduct of this god. Honesty eventually leads to disenchantment with their god’s morality. When their god becomes untenable to them, the person rejects much of the bible and begins to invent a god that matches up to their standards. They will often explore eastern religion and opt for a different religion that is closer to their ideals.
Many return and try to build a belief system around a gentle Jesus persona. This leads to an elaborate jigsaw of ill fitting pieces gleaned from various sources. Such as personal revelation, selected passages taken from the New Testament, while ignoring the rest of the bible, and guesswork.
Just as the jig-saw appears to be almost complete, it becomes evident that pieces are missing, ill fitting, or entirely wrong. After many years of trying to complete the jigsaw they realize that the whole exercise has been futile, because despite their best efforts it becomes clear that the god of the bible does not exist and never did. They no longer have a god to love, serve, be angry with, ask for help, special treats, or everlasting life. Game over, set and match.