What are the characteristics of atheism?

Ephesians 2:12You did not know the covenant promises God had made . . . You lived in this world without God and without hope.

Atheists live in ignorance of God. Those who ascribe to intellectual atheism have consciously chosen to live without reference to God. But many also live out a practical atheism. Their lives are lived without any reference to the reality and presence of God, so even though they may claim to believe in God, they still live as though he does not exist.

1 John 4:3If someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

2 John 1:7I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body.

Jude 1:4I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Atheists deny the claims Jesus Christ and his identity as revealed in Scripture. Those who deny the claims of Jesus now will be denied access to eternal life by Jesus at the time of judgment.

Isaiah 32:6Fools speak foolishness and make evil plans. They practice ungodliness and spread false teachings about the Lord.

Jeremiah 5:12, 31“They have lied about the Lord and said, ‘He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine.’ . . . the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?”

Jeremiah 14:14Then the Lord said, “These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. . . . They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.”

Acts 17:18He [Paul] also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”

Romans 1:18God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Atheists deny God’s truth. A sharp line divides what is true and what is not. To deny truth is, by default, to be living a lie, to be living by principles that have no purpose, no clear direction, no foundation that lasts, and no ultimate or eternal future.

Exodus 5:2“Is that so?” retorted Pharaoh. “And who is the Lord? Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.”

2 Kings 18:32-35“Don’t listen to Hezekiah when he tries to mislead you by saying, ‘The Lord will rescue us!’ Have the gods of any other nations ever saved their people from the king of Assyria? . . . What god of any nation has ever been able to save its people from my power? So what makes you think that the Lord can rescue Jerusalem from me?”

Atheists defy God and his message. Picking a fight with the Creator of the universe is not wise.

Isaiah 5:19They even mock God and say, “Hurry up and do something! We want to see what you can do. Let the Holy One of Israel carry out his plan, for we want to know what it is.”

Jeremiah 17:15People scoff at me and say, “What is this ‘message from the Lord’ you talk about? Why don’t your predictions come true?”

2 Peter 3:3-4Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

Atheists deny God’s ability to intervene in human events. To deny that God takes an active interest in this world is the same as saying that God doesn’t care about us or that God is not powerful enough to help us.

Leviticus 19:12“Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.”

Jeremiah 5:2“But even when they are under oath, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ they are still telling lies!”

Ezekiel 43:8“They put their idol altars right next to mine with only a wall between them and me. They defiled my holy name by such detestable sin, so I consumed them in my anger.”

Atheists show contempt for God’s name. Those who profane the name of God are cutting off their only lifeline to eternity.

Job 15:25“For they shake their fists at God, defying the Almighty.”

Psalm 10:3-5They [the wicked] brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the Lord. The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.

Ezekiel 35:13“In saying that, you boasted proudly against me, and I have heard it all!”

Revelation 13:6He [the beast] spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven.

Atheists often boast against God’s name. Ironically, speaking against God’s name is acknowledging that God does, in fact, exist.

Isaiah 26:10Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord’s majesty.

Jeremiah 5:5“So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the Lord and understand God’s laws.” But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains.

Romans 1:28-31Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.

Romans 13:12-13The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living.

Atheists say they are convinced that God does not exist. This worldview can lead to a life of immorality, living for the moment because they have is no hope for a future after death.

Daniel 5:23“You have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!”

Romans 1:25They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise!

Revelation 9:20The people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk!

In denying the existence of God, Atheists tend to lift up and worship created things in God’s place.