Ancient Times
Historians including Lucien Febvre agree atheism in its modern sense did not exist before the end of the seventeenth century. However, as governmental authority rested on the notion of divine right, it was threatened by those who denied the existence of the local god. Philosophers such as Plato argued that atheism (as we understand it today) was a danger to society and should be punished as a crime. Those labeled as atheist, which included early Christians and Muslims, were as a result targeted for legal persecution.
Read more about this topic: Discrimination Against Atheists
Famous quotes related to ancient times:
“In ancient times—’twas no great loss—
They hung the thief upon the cross:
But now, alas!—I say’t with grief—
They hang the cross upon the thief.”
—Anonymous. ‘On a Nomination to the Legion of Honour,’ from Aubrey Stewart’s English Epigrams and Epitaphs (1897)