God Knows Every Atheist

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” These words from Psalm 14:1 may be some of the most quoted and misunderstood lines in the Psalms. For many believers, they serve as a sharp response to the claim of atheism. But what do they really mean? Are they a dismissal of modern atheists, a theological indictment, or something deeper?

To understand the heart of this verse, we must ask Does God believe in atheists?

First, let’s clear the air. Psalm 14:1 does not imply a lack of intelligence. It’s not about someone being dumb or uneducated. In fact, Scripture affirms that belief in God is not the fruit of high IQ but of spiritual sight. The Hebrew word translated “fool” (nāḇāl) here refers to moral corruption someone who lives as though there is no God, regardless of what they might claim intellectually.

In the ancient world, nearly every culture was religious. False gods abounded, and monotheism stood as a radical truth. Yet the psalmist declares that even amid such spiritual awareness, there were those who lived with no regard for the living God. This kind of godlessness sometimes called "practical atheism" is not about denying God's existence outright but denying His relevance in daily life. And that’s a timeless issue.

The Apostle Paul picks up on this in Romans 1, offering a stunning diagnosis of humanity’s spiritual state. He writes that God’s attributes His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen through creation (Romans 1:20). In other words, nature itself preaches God’s existence every day, to every person. Psalm 19 echoes this “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).

Yet despite this clarity, Paul says, people “suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18). Not because they haven’t seen it but because they don’t want to. This suppression is not always overt. It can be subtle, expressed in ways that seem spiritually neutral or even respectful. But behind every form of atheism, Paul sees a refusal to honor or give thanks to God (Romans 1:21).

What’s remarkable is that Paul states unequivocally, “They knew God” (Romans 1:21). That’s the sobering part. According to the Bible, there are no true atheists in the ultimate sense. There are only people who suppress what they inwardly know to be true. Even those who claim disbelief are, at some level, resisting a God who has made Himself known through creation and conscience.

This suppression can take many forms. Consider five possible ways people deny God today:

1. The non-reality denial–the claim that God simply doesn’t exist.

2. The non-effective denial–acknowledging God exists but believing He doesn’t act in the world.

3. The non-experiential denial–living as though God is irrelevant to one’s daily life.

4. The non-worthy denial–rejecting God not because He isn’t real, but because one finds Him unworthy of devotion.

5. The heretical denial–believing in a distorted version of God so far from the truth that it’s functionally atheism.

Each of these is a different path to the same end: living apart from the true and living God. David calls it “folly,” not because it's intellectually feeble, but because it's spiritually disastrous. Paul calls it “foolishness” that exchanges the glory of the immortal God for images or ideologies (Romans 1:22–23).

And yet, this isn’t a hopeless diagnosis.

The gospel does not treat atheists as beyond reach. On the contrary, it speaks directly into their denial with clarity and compassion. Every person still has that built-in awareness of God though suppressed, it’s not destroyed. The Holy Spirit can awaken it. The same Paul who penned Romans 1 also wrote in Romans 10:13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Everyone.

That includes the hardened skeptic, the defiant rebel, and the one who has long lived as though God doesn’t exist. The door to grace remains open. God is not just a truth to be accepted He is a person to be known. And He invites all people, even those who deny Him, to come and see who He really is in Jesus Christ.

A 2021 Pew Research study revealed that 4% of Americans identify as atheist, yet a much larger percentage live with functional disbelief never acknowledging God in their decisions or values. This practical atheism is often more pervasive and more dangerous because it operates under the radar. But Psalm 14 doesn’t let it go unchecked. It calls it what it is: folly.

So, does God believe in atheists? In one sense, no because He knows that every human heart is wired with knowledge of Him. In another sense, yes because He sees every denial, every rebellion, and still offers mercy. He knows the atheist better than the atheist knows himself. He’s not surprised by disbelief. He’s ready to redeem it.

Let that truth shape how we engage the world. Don’t assume disbelief means disinterest. Don’t mistake silence for absence. Speak to every heart with hope, knowing God is already at work behind the scenes. And above all, remember: there’s no such thing as a soul God cannot awaken.

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