Atheism and the Response to It
Atheism and the Response to It
Atheism is the first and greatest of all sins — the mother of sins. From it springs a multitude of other transgressions that are almost impossible to count.
Atheism comes in two forms:
- The first denies the existence of God.
- The second rejects or mocks God, refusing to acknowledge Him.
Those who reject God may do so for sensual or economic reasons.
Those who reject Him for sensual reasons see God’s commandments as obstacles that prevent them from indulging in certain sinful pleasures. Their slogan is: “It is better that God does not exist — so that I may exist!” meaning: so that I may live as I wish, free from divine commandments that restrain me.
Such people mockingly say: “You claim that God is in heaven? Let Him stay there! Let Him have heaven and leave us the earth — we have nothing to do with Him, nor He with us.”
Those who reject God for economic reasons claim that He dwells in an ivory tower, indifferent to the affairs of the world, not establishing justice or equality upon the earth.
They argue: on earth, some live in poverty and hunger, lacking even the necessities of life, while others live in luxury and abundance, having far more than they need — and yet God sees all this and does nothing!
These atheists founded atheistic socialism, claiming that under their system all people share equally in the goods of the earth. They abolished private ownership of land and property — people may live in buildings but not own them; they may cultivate the land but not possess it.
In their propaganda, they mocked faith, saying to the peasant: “Do you want a cow? Ask God for it. If He doesn’t give it to you, ask Stalin or Lenin — and you will receive it!” Then they would add sarcastically, “So what is the point of believing in God?”
But in practice, people can never be equal in income or wealth, for they are not equal in mind, intelligence, diligence, or productivity.
If a group of people starts out with equal wealth, some will increase it through wisdom, honesty, and hard work — while others will lose it through laziness or wastefulness. Thus, those who began as equals will end up unequal — and rightly so, for God rewards each person according to his works. Unless we reduce humanity to machines with no thought or will, inequality is inevitable.
Even if land were distributed equally, some would invest their share wisely in industry and prosper more than others. True equality, therefore, is impossible to sustain.
We cannot suppress the gifted and the industrious just to make them equal to the idle or the careless under the pretext of achieving equality.
Likewise, we reject the libertines who deny God to gain freedom for their indulgence. For such “freedom” only leads to corruption without restraint. God desires what is good for humanity — not the false “good” found in sin. He grants true freedom — a freedom that is disciplined and does not harm its possessor or others.
Those who rejected God to “enjoy their existence” did not find true joy; rather, they fell into moral decay, perversion, and lost the noble image of humanity.
And if they reject God because of His commandments — will they also reject the state because of its laws, or reject society because of its systems and rules, claiming that all these restrict their existence? Will they say, “It is better that there be no laws, no ethics, no order — only us!”?
Those who deny the very existence of God are led thereby into many other sins.
They deny the afterlife, and therefore the resurrection, for who but God has the power to raise the dead? Denying God, they deny eternal life, reward and punishment, heaven and hell — and thus they live without purpose or fear of the consequences of sin.
They deny the existence of the spiritual realm — of angels and invisible powers. Consequently, they also reject the intercession of the righteous and the prayers of the saints.
They do not believe in prayer at all, for to whom would one pray? Prayer is directed to God — and since they do not believe in Him, they lose prayer, hymns, and every spiritual practice.
In rejecting God, they also reject divine revelation and the Holy Scriptures, and therefore disregard the commandments, living without moral obligation.
So how do we respond to their unbelief?
1. The Question of Existence
There are existing things — this cannot be denied. So, who brought them into being?
There is inanimate nature — mountains, rivers, seas, the earth itself. There are heavenly bodies — the sun, moon, planets, stars, galaxies, comets. There are living creatures — humans, animals, birds, fish, insects, plants, and trees.
Who created all this?
There must be an all-powerful Being who brought it into existence. Who is He?
Some atheists answer: “Nature.” But what is “nature”? What power does it have? Is it the lifeless matter of rocks and elements? How can that which has no life produce living beings? That is impossible — for one cannot give what one does not have.
Did living beings create the rest of nature? That too is absurd. So who created the universe?
We believers answer: God.
If atheists have another answer, let them state it — and let us examine it.
If the problem of existence itself is an unsolved riddle for the atheist, then the problem of life is an even greater mystery.
All the knowledge and inventions of humanity cannot explain the origin of life. Where did it come from? And if life departs, how can it return — if at all? Not only in man, but even in the simplest living cell — in a single drop of living plasma.
The life of an ant walking on the ground is a riddle to the atheist: from where did its life come? The bee, gathering nectar and making honey with astonishing order — who gave it this life, this energy, this wisdom?
If life includes intelligence and creativity, as in humanity, the question becomes even more profound: what is its source?
Life on earth had a beginning — how did it begin?
Science teaches that the earth was once part of a fiery nebula, a mass of molten matter too hot to support life. Later, its crust cooled, though its core remains molten, still sending out volcanoes and geysers. So where did life come from on this once-lifeless planet?
The atheist has no answer.
Some offer wild guesses and baseless theories, but the fact remains: even the simplest form of life testifies to the existence of a Creator — God, who alone has the power to give life.
2. The Power of Human Invention
Some atheists boast of humanity’s power to invent — yet human power is limited.
Indeed, our age has produced astonishing inventions that display the brilliance of the human mind — but that mind itself is a gift from God. Moreover, all human inventions work with existing materials; they are acts of manufacture, not creation. Only God can create — for even the materials themselves are His creation.
Do atheists claim that matter is eternal? If so, how can what is weak and changeable be eternal? Matter can be molded, divided, and destroyed — weakness cannot coexist with eternity.
If matter had a beginning, then it was created — and its origin remains an unsolved mystery to the atheist.
Even where the human intellect shows great skill, God has allowed mysteries to remain beyond its reach — incurable diseases, unsolved problems, limits the mind cannot cross.
3. The Order of the Universe
Another powerful evidence for God’s existence is the marvelous order found throughout the universe.
This order proves that there is One who designed it — and who could that be but God?
One Greek philosopher called God “the Great Architect.”
If you saw a pile of stones lying randomly, you might think chance placed them there. But if you saw a building of several floors, with doors, windows, and balconies — you would know a builder and an architect were behind it.
So it is with the universe.
Look at the perfect harmony between the heavenly bodies and the earth:
The earth’s rotation creates day and night; its orbit around the sun brings the four seasons; its relation to the moon produces the lunar phases — all with precise, unchanging order.
Because of this, ancient theological schools studied astronomy — for it testifies to the Creator.
Consider also the intricate relationships between wind, heat, and air pressure, and how these control weather patterns — the rains, the droughts, the seasons of heat and cold. Farmers can plant and harvest according to this divine order.
Can such a vast, delicate system exist without a Designer? Of course not. There must be a supreme, wise Power who arranged all things — God.
4. The Design of the Human Body
The human body itself is a miracle of order and wisdom. The study of anatomy and physiology is in itself a testimony to the Creator.
Consider the brain — its structure and functions: its centers for sight, hearing, speech, and movement; its roles in memory, understanding, and reasoning. The entire scientific world stands in awe before this one organ. If it is damaged, no human power can restore it.
Think also of the heart, liver, nervous system, circulatory system, digestive system, and the marvel of embryonic development in the womb.
The same intricate design appears in the bodies of animals, birds, and even insects — all evidence of a wise, all-knowing Creator.
5. The Innate Belief in God
Finally, belief in God is universal. Even the child is born with an innate awareness of a higher Being. Across religions and cultures, though the names of God differ, faith in a Creator remains constant.
Atheism, on the other hand, arises from exceptional causes — psychological, social, or moral — and often, from the deception of the devil.
Thus, atheism is not a product of sound reasoning, but a deviation from the natural logic and intuition placed by God in every human heart.
