If we consider a hypothetical situation in which atheists suddenly begin to acknowledge the existence of God, several levels of consequences can be distinguished – philosophical, cultural, and social.

The Rebirth of Belief: A New Perspective on Atheism

If we consider a hypothetical situation in which atheists suddenly begin to acknowledge the existence of God, several levels of consequences can be distinguished – philosophical, cultural, and social.

On one hand, such a change could lead to a reevaluation of traditional religious concepts. For example, as noted in one source, if one were to argue that “faith in God does not and cannot signify a conviction in the ‘existence’ of any particular entity,” then this acknowledgment might be interpreted not so much as a transition to traditional theology, but rather as a possible renewal of one’s view of the supernatural.

The author ponders: “But what if that ‘otherworldly’ supra-being actually represents merely an elegant variant of a celestial ancestor?

What if faith in God does not and cannot signify a conviction in the ‘existence’ of some entity… even though it once seemed to be a break with the whole teaching of the Bible?” (source: link txt).

On the other hand, the acknowledgment of God’s existence among those previously inclined toward atheism might not lead to the formation of a new religion. As noted in another source, people might only believe in God in a deistic sense – seeing in Him the first cause that explains the existence of the material world. Such faith does not entail the formation of a full-fledged religious system, since there is a lack of personal awareness of a relationship with this God:
“In a person’s mind, they may believe in God, but only deistically, that is, by acknowledging the existence of Divinity as a first cause… Such faith leads to no religion.” (source: link txt).

Thus, if atheists were to begin acknowledging God, the consequences could be varied. On one hand, there would be a reevaluation and perhaps a redefinition of the concept of God, wherein acknowledgment might not go hand in hand with a transition to traditional religious institutions or doctrines. On the other hand, this change in worldview could provoke broad discussions and even conflicts between proponents of established religious systems and new interpreters of faith, which, in turn, would affect the social and cultural spheres.

Supporting citation(s):
“But what if that ‘otherworldly’ supra-being actually represents merely an elegant variant of a celestial ancestor? What if faith in God does not and cannot signify a conviction in the ‘existence’ of some entity, even if it be a higher entity that somehow exists or not, akin to the notion of life on Mars? What if atheists are right, but in reality it does not signal the end of Christianity or a renunciation of Christianity, as the departure from the ideas of ‘the lofty God’ (even though at one time it may have seemed like a break with all the teaching of the Bible) did not signify?” (source: link txt)

“In a person’s mind, they may believe in God, but only deistically, that is, by acknowledging the existence of Divinity as a first cause which satisfies the explanation for the existence of the material world. Such faith leads to no religion. For the emergence of a religion it is necessary not only to acknowledge the existence of God, but also to have a conscious personal connection with God in one’s own life. Otherwise, a person may have only the ghost of a religion, and nothing more.” (source: link txt)