But it doesn't say God's likeness was manifested, it says GOD was manifested. Also have to take many other scriptures into account, of course. And the reason the scriptures are saying it "tactfully" is because it's a matter to be revealed to the heart, not the carnal mind in the fleshly realm of "knowledge".
Their natural mind is hardened.
You will never change that.
But they feed off of Christians giving it a try.
It shows them we don't believe what the scriptures say ourselves.
1 Corinthians 2:
14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
15The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.
16“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.