This is a question I have considered recently. Is it actually possible for someone to be completely convinced that God doesn't exist? I believe the answer is a resounding yes, though not in contradiction to scripture. Allow me to explain how I got to this conclusion.seer wrote:Is there such a thing as an "honest atheist?" Of does scripture suggest that every man has enough proof of God through the witness creation or moral conscience?
We know that the scripture talks about the evidence for God being made plain to us here on earth so that we are without excuse. (Romans 1) However, does this mean we couldn't be deceived into thinking God didn't exist? I don't believe so. In other words, I believe that it is very possible for someone to be deceived into thinking they know for certain that God doesn't exist.
How might this happen? Well, all sins are related, and, in a sense, at the heart of every sin is a lie. For example, if I was to be disrespectful and talk back to my parents, it would be because I bought the lie that God isn't in control and that he didn't keep my parents in authority over me for a good reason. If I was to, say, steal some food from a store, it might be because I bought the lie that God won't provide all my needs. Does this mean that I really don't believe God is in control, or that he can provide my needs? Not necessarily. I may believe these things in an ultimate sense, but temporarily I deceived myself and bought into a lie, rather than believed God and his word.
Another example might be that of a magician. People know that coins don't just disappear into thin air. However, a magician with really good slight of hand might perhaps convince, or persuade someone into thinking that making a coin disappear might actually be a possibility. These are rough examples, but I believe you can see the point I'm trying to make. Namely, that we can be deceived into believing a lie, even when "deep down" we know the truth.
I believe this is precisely the case with Atheists. The truth about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them. However, there are some very clever lies out there which cause people to deny what they know for certain, and buy into a lie. Our job as followers of Christ is to use God's word to cut through the lies and reveal to these Atheists that they actually do know that God exists.
I hope that answers the question!