 As governmental authority rested on the notion of divine right, it was threatened by those who denied the existence of the local god.Those labeled as atheist, including early Christians and Muslims, were as a result targeted for legal persecution.During the early modern period, the term "atheist" was used as an insult and applied to a broad range of people, including those who held opposing theological beliefs, as well as those who had committed suicide, immoral or self-indulgent people, and even opponents of the belief in witchcraft.