the abandonment of God

That  phrase is incomplete. Is God the object? or the possessor? current or past?

This is an important metaphysical question, the relation of man and God. We know we exist, what of God? And then if He is, how do we define Him?

There is a growing population that is not involved with God. For many that are God believing, it is difficult to understand. For they are sometimes surrounded by family, and congregation that are co-religionists, and often co-culturalists. It is a bit unexpected in finding that someone is not. For their friends, and relatives that are not, it is just as if they are only lax, or inactive. Of course, many have periods of doubt, and lost belief; but they have the frame, the ground. Many saints had dry periods.

Now, there are people who grew up in non-religious households. To them the lack of framing is not odd. It was absent throughout. Still, some can understand the construction.

Why i brought this up, is viewing people on youtube. I came to youtube to see/listen to songs. Over time, i see people have used it as a vehicle of public confession. Many are performing, but confess anyway in an aside, and without being asked. These few (and they are mostly women) that i viewed much of their pieces, nonchalantly state as a non-sequitar, "O, by the way, i don't believe in God". Now, none of these have been obnoxious, or evangelical about it. Why share this? It is out of context. I presume they are compelled to make a voluntary admission. After hearing several people make the announcements, i think some are sad about it. They are not proud. Some rationally can not come to belief.

Watching one comedienne through a series of episodes in, i think, just in one she said, she did not believe. She speaks about several people in her circle, a subgroup thereof display religious behaviour. She is most skeptical about acquaintances whom try to trick her into participation. [Now, i will go beyond just this, to a general statement. I have encountered, myself, such individuals and groups. And i find them almost despicable. They employ strategies of evangelisation, that are 'cons'. Trickery towards theism is disgusting. Jesus is strong and valid enough, that he does not need people to lie for him.] In another episode she has a cross in a necklace. There is a little dissonance.

This comedienne, she, is obviously depressed over everything at some points of her life. She is an honest observer of her own suffering. Humor is truthful. I have to believe she feels painfully abandoned. It is not that God does not exist, but he is conspicuously absent, perhaps willfully.

Now, some say, we find God in others. Now, when one encounters supposedly religious people, some professionally so, and see that God is not present in them, it is easy to suspect that absence is universal. Some people do not come to religion, because they are pushed away, often by those supposed religious.

I see a longing for God. We read, and are told that He desires us. Comprehension finds indifference, and absence. These people are not atheists [in the sense of being against God], they are not really agnostics [postulating unknowability], they are without God. 'Godless' is often used as a damning sobriquet. Here* it is more proper as a term of despair, and should not be used disparagingly, but woefully.
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*This is different for those that are proud and happy to be godless, and there are evangelists of atheism.