Hypothetical Age of Atheism in relation to God's will

[Linux]

Suppose there was an age where everybody on the face of the planet was an atheist. It doesn’t matter why they are atheist, lets just suppose they are. Would that in anyway effect church doctrine? Does the number of people who believe at any particular time have any relevance to the belief that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church?

 

[Qoeleth]

An obvious answer, I suppose, is there would be no Church doctrine if that happened. (I am hoping that these atheists have not joined the Church!)

But seriously, it could never happen, because God created rational beings in order to contemplate Him. Even if it was another form of religion or even quasi-religion, rational beings will always contemplate some transcendental reality, because it is the ‘blue-print’ of their being.

Human will only lose the sense of God when they cease being rational beings, or cease being human.

 

[tonyrey]

Suppose there was an age where everybody on the face of the planet was an atheist. It doesn’t matter why they are atheist, lets just suppose they are. Would that in anyway effect church doctrine? Does the number of people who believe at any particular time have any relevance to the belief that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church?

It is an interesting thought experiment but even if everyone became atheists it wouldn’t mean the gates of hell have prevailed. The Communion of Saints means that the Church is not confined to those who are alive.