Atheists during Bible times???

[DRDS]

I have a intriguing question that popped into my mind not too long ago and I thought I would ask around and see if you all have looked into the issue any. You know the popular verse in the Psalms that almost all Christians use to describe what atheists are or what God's viewpoint of atheists are. Psalm 14:1 "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God".

It goes on to say more, but this phrase is used quite often and for good reason, to describe atheists. But it makes me wonder, was David or even God talking through David really talking about atheists in the sense of the modern,scientific, skeptical, and even cynical atheists we know of today? My main question is, were there atheists back during the times of the Old and New Testaments?

One group who kinda sounds like what would be closest to modern day atheists that I can think of right off is the Sadducees and that's mostly because not that they didn't believe in God (I assume most or all of them did) it's just that they believed in no resurrection of the dead, once you are dead (just like in the atheist worldview) you go into a state of nonexistence where you stay for eternity, aka you become worm food.

But again, were there actually people who existed even in the middle east during Bible times who indeed claimed that there was no God? Now granted, if there were, I assume they were few and they were not nearly as skilled as today's atheists are. I'm kinda thinking they were just mere crackpots going around saying "there is no God" kinda like the people who go around today saying the earth is flat, or there was no moon landing or that Elvis is still alive.


But if any of you all know any specifics of those kind of people that David was directly referring to feel free to contribute. I guess there is also the possibility that God was allowing David to see into the future at that mess we are dealing with now. But I'm still unsure. But anyway, thanks for your time. God bless.

[Katabole]

Hi DRDS.

You can understand the passage more in depth in Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1 with knowledge of the word "fool".

http://www.sacrednamebible.com/kjvstrongs/index2.htm

According to Strong's concordance: Fool

5036
nabal
naw-bawl'
from 'nabel' (5034); stupid; wicked (especially impious):-- fool(-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.

5034
nabel
naw-bale'
a primitive root; to wilt; generally, to fall away, fail, faint; figuratively, to be foolish or (morally) wicked; causatively, to despise, disgrace:--disgrace, dishounour, lightly esteem, fade (away, - ing), fall (down, -ling, off), do foolishly, come to nought, X surely, make vile, wither.

A different word is used for "ungodly" or wicked as for example, Psalm 1:4

Ungodly:
7563
rasha`
raw-shaw'
from 'rasha`' (7561); morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person:--+ condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.

7561
rasha`
raw-shah'
a primitive root; to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by implication, to disturb, violate:--condemn, make trouble, vex, be (commit, deal, depart, do) wicked(-ly, -ness).

The ungodly aren't saying in their heart (mind) that there is no God. Only the fool. The ungodly probably don't even think about God that much; even at all. The fool comes to a realization through human reasoning about God and makes a choice then utters a statement: There is no God.

Scripture seems to make clear that once someone knows about God and turns away from it, that they are worse off than those who never believed:

2Pet 2:20 (KJV) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

There may have been many atheists during Bible times, that is why the Bible mentions the ungodly or wicked. Culturally speaking, it would probably be easier to remain part of a tribe in those times, even if you didn't believe, because if you didn't follow the deity of a tribe, you would have been an outcast and become a vagabond.

Yes, the Sadducees are interesting. They were of the mindset that once you died you entered the great nothing because when you ask the dead what happens after death they say nothing. In modern day Judaism, I believe Judaism is entirely Pharisaical. That is, they all believe in life after death. The Sadducees seem to disappear from history in the first century. I wonder if that had anything to do with Paul's preaching found in Acts?

Esau, Jacob's brother is a good example of an atheist I believe. He discounted his inheritance as nothing. Maybe that's part of the reason why God claims to have hated him before he was even born.

Doeg the Edomite, in 1Samuel and Psalms is a good example of one as well. David wrote a psalm about him. Psalm 52. Whether he was a cold blooded assassin or sociopath, it is unknown whether or not it resulted from atheism.

But there have always been those who'll claim that belief in God comes from a misuse of reason. If reason had no purpose, we can't very well be accused of misuing it.

[Murray]

They worshipped pagan gods and Idols more than practicing athiesm, When they say non-believer they are more referring to pagans I believe.