Who were the founders of atheism?

Answer 1

Atheism was not started, since it is merely a lack of belief.

The more interesting question, I think, is how religions started. There have always been atheists, because there have always been people who said: "wait.. that god you're talking about.. this seems a bit odd and doesn't really make sense."

So the above is accurate: nobody started atheism. Somebody started religion. Atheism, as Richard Dawkins said, is merely the noises which reasonable people make when confronted by the claims of rleigion.

It's a bit like asking who started the opposition to the KKK. The opposition was always there, in anyone who was a reasonable human being and who hadn't been brainwashed.

Answer 2

The one of the earliest authors known to make 'atheist-like' statements was Epicurus, a Greek philosopher. He posed his riddle, the Problem of Evil, as early as the 3rd century:

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?"

However, the first modern atheist is a title for which there are multiple contenders - Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was widely accused of being an atheist, but denied it voraciously; David Hume (1711-1776) denied being an atheist though he was openly critical of organized religion. These men were naturally reluctant to say they were atheists in a time where the British Blasphemy Acts could throw disbelievers in jail for proclaiming atheism - acts that were not repealed under 1967.

The first openly admitted atheist author in Western civilization was Paul-Henri Thiry, Baron d'Holbach, a French aristocrat, who's book The System of Nature was publish posthumously and is known as the first openly atheist text.

For a good overview of the subject, the BBC produced a documentary called Atheism: The Rough History of Disbelief.

Answer 3

Atheism started because some people examined the beliefs of religion and thought that science explained facts better.

Atheists believe that science has provided more evidence towards our existence than The Bible and that the events in the bible are easily discredited by science.

Atheist beliefs come from thousands of years of exploration, experimentation questioning and fact gathering. While religious beliefs come from a book that has been edited hundreds and hundreds of times by various people, particularly men to gain patriarchal domination over women.

Maybe the bible did have SOME truth in it, in the eyes of Atheists, but the modern bible today has been edited so many times that it has discredited itself.

Atheists will tell you that if the bible is true because it is written in a book, then by that same logic, Harry Potter is also true.

There are many Christians and Catholics who do believe in their religion and do practice their religion, but at the same time question some of the events in the bible, such as creationism. Many modern Christians are beginning to believe in evolution over creationism, for example, just because there is more proof, but they are not Atheist because they still believe in their god.

Answer 4

Prior to the first theistic beliefs, because, by definition, they held no beleif in any god and are defined as atheists. But, atheism implies that there is theism, so the first atheist did not come around until the first theists.

Answer 5

Atheism is the lack of belief in a God or gods. Because there weren't humans billions of years ago atheism was the ruling religion because there weren't any others. Atheism can't have a founder as it is a religion of denial.