Q&A: Atheism = a sin?
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Atheism = a sin?
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Is atheism a sin? Meaning, it’s not idolatry.
And is there a distinction here between atheism after study and inquiry, and atheism simply because that’s what a person is “used to from home”?
Thanks!
Answer
What does “sin” mean? Is an atheist violating a prohibition or neglecting a positive commandment? According to Maimonides there is a positive commandment to believe, but that is an absurd commandment. But the question is meaningless. When it comes to facts, we do not examine whether a person is a sinner or not, but whether he is right or not.
If a person holds mistaken views out of negligence, there is room to argue that he may be held accountable for that.