  The idea that our knowledge is based on the reception of images from outside us is employed in Democritus' discussion of the gods, wherein it is clear that our knowledge of the gods comes from eidôla or giant films of atoms with the characteristics we attribute to the gods, although Democritus denies that they are immortal.  Some scholars take this to be a deflationary attack on traditional theology as based on mere images (Barnes 1982, pp. 456–61), but others suppose that the theory posits that these eidôla are really living beings (Taylor 1999a, pp. 211–6).  Although atomism is often identified as an atheist doctrine in later times, it is not clear whether this is really Democritus' view.