What Religions Do Not Believe in God? A Comparative Look at Disbelief

Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic traditions in the world, and belief in one God is its foundational commitment. The question "what religions do not believe in God" has a clear answer from a Jewish perspective: Judaism is emphatically not one of them.

The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) repeatedly treats disbelief or distrust in God as a grave failure. The book of Psalms recounts how the Israelites in the wilderness "believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation" Psalms 78:22 — and this is presented as a catastrophic moral and spiritual lapse, not a neutral option. Similarly, Deuteronomy recalls Israel's failure of faith: "Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God" Deuteronomy 1:32, framing unbelief as a direct act of disobedience.

The Shema — "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4) — is the central creed of Judaism. Maimonides (1135–1204 CE), in his Thirteen Principles of Faith, listed belief in God's existence as the very first and most essential principle. Worship of any other god is explicitly forbidden: "There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god" Psalms 81:9.

Some modern Jewish thinkers, like Mordecai Kaplan (1881–1983), founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, reinterpreted God in naturalistic terms — but even this was controversial and considered a departure from mainstream Jewish theology. Judaism as a tradition is unambiguously theistic.

Christianity is a thoroughly theistic religion — it not only affirms the existence of God but centers its entire theology on the nature of God as Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). It is not a religion that rejects God; quite the opposite.

The New Testament treats disbelief as spiritually dangerous. In John 8:47, Jesus says: "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God" John 8:47, drawing a sharp line between those who belong to God and those who don't. The epistle of James makes a striking rhetorical point: "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" James 2:19 — implying that even demonic beings acknowledge God's existence, making outright atheism a position even lower than that of demons in the Christian worldview.

Paul in Romans 3:3 raises the rhetorical question: "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" Romans 3:3 — answering clearly that human unbelief doesn't diminish God's reality or faithfulness.

There is genuine disagreement within Christianity about how to engage atheism pastorally and apologetically. Thinkers like C.S. Lewis (1898–1963) and Alvin Plantinga (b. 1932) have argued extensively for the rationality of theistic belief. But no mainstream Christian denomination endorses or accommodates atheism as compatible with Christian faith.

Islam is perhaps the most emphatically monotheistic of the three Abrahamic faiths. The Arabic word Islam itself means "submission" — specifically, submission to Allah (God). The first pillar of Islam, the Shahada, is a declaration of belief: "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His messenger." Disbelief in God is the gravest possible sin in Islamic theology, called kufr (unbelief).

The Quran directly addresses those who refuse to believe. Surah 43:88 records the Prophet's lament: "wa qīlihī yā rabbi inna hāʾulāʾi qawmun lā yuʾminūn" — "And his saying: 'O my Lord! Verily these are a people who do not believe'" Quran 43:88. This verse captures the grief over persistent disbelief as a recurring Quranic theme.

Surah 4:65 further emphasizes that true belief requires full submission: those who do not accept divine judgment "lā yuʾminūn" — they do not truly believe Quran 4:65. Islamic scholars like Ibn Kathir (1301–1373 CE) and contemporary scholars like Yusuf al-Qaradawi have written extensively on the nature of iman (faith) and the spiritual consequences of its absence.

It's worth noting that Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, acknowledges that some people do reject God — but it classifies this as a moral and spiritual failure, not a legitimate religious path. Traditions like Buddhism and Jainism, which don't center on a creator God, are categorized differently in Islamic jurisprudence, though there's scholarly disagreement about their exact status.

Judaism is theistic. The Hebrew Bible consistently presupposes God’s reality and rebukes the community when it fails to trust Him—for example, “Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation” (a narrative critique, not an endorsement of unbelief as a doctrine).Psalms 78:22 Likewise, in the wilderness episode, “ye did not believe the LORD your God,” underscoring that unbelief is a fault within the covenant story, not Judaism’s teaching.Deuteronomy 1:32

So, within Judaism, unbelief appears as a recurring human failing inside a thoroughly God-centered faith, not as the religion’s stance.Psalms 78:22Deuteronomy 1:32

Christianity is theistic. Its canon (which includes the Hebrew Bible) echoes Israel’s rebukes for unbelief, such as, “ye did not believe the LORD your God,” highlighting that lack of trust is condemned, not commended.Deuteronomy 1:32 In the New Testament, disputes arise over what truly counts as being “of God,” showing faith’s centrality and the community’s discernment struggle: “This man is not of God... And there was a division among them.”John 9:16

Thus, Christianity doesn’t teach unbelief in God; rather, it evaluates claims and practices by whether they are “of God,” presuming God’s existence throughout.John 9:16Deuteronomy 1:32

Islam is strictly monotheistic (tawḥīd). The Qur’an notes that some profess belief yet “are not believers,” underscoring that mere assertion isn’t genuine faith.Quran 2:8 It also warns that most don’t truly believe in Allah except with compromise—associating partners, which is condemned.Quran 12:106

Therefore, Islam doesn’t endorse unbelief; it distinguishes sincere faith from hypocrisy and syncretism within a resolutely God-centered worldview.Quran 2:8Quran 12:106