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- What does the term "agnostic" mean? Is this different than an atheist?
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Name : Janet20968, Gender : F, City : Sioux City, State : IA Country : United States,An atheist is someone who does not believe in God, while an agnostic is someone who does believe in God but does not practice any specific religion.User Detail :
Name : eliza25306, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : white/black/native american, Religion : Atheist, Age : 22, City : cincinnati, State : OH Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Webster's defines an agnostic as "One who disclaims any knowledge of God but does not deny the possibility of His existence." Basically, if He doesn't exist, fine. But if He does exist, that's OK, too.User Detail :
Name : Murray C., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 31, City : Halifax, Nova Scotia, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Draftsman, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class,Agnostic generally refers to one who strongly doubts the existence of God, whereas atheist is one who "knows" there is no God. Think of agnostics as needers of proof.User Detail :
Name : Jen30995, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Rochester, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Marketing, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Hi! A+gnostic=agnostic: No knowledge. A+theist=atheist: no theism. (Theism is belief in a personified God.) So, agnostics believe knowledge of God is not possible, atheists believe God does not exist. I think I am agnostic. If God exists, he is by definition greater than me and includes me, so my beliefs about him are kind of beside the point. If he doesn't exist, again, my believing won't make Him exist. Basically though, I just feel like people start getting nasty when they get off on questions like, Does God exist? The result of this line of inquiry seems to me to usually be a lot of attitude and unpleasantness. Trying to be compassionate, patient and just pay my bills occupies most of my energy. I am not good at religion and see little good coming from it, yet I wouldn't go so far as to say God doesn't exist -I don't know! I just know people can be jerks - so I try hard not to be one if possible.User Detail :
Name : Pam R., Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 46, City : Mishawaka, State : IN Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,The dictionary definition of an agnostic is someone who believes it is not possible for us to know whether there is a God, but the term is usually used to mean someone who does not know whether God exists, who neither believes nor disbelieves. An agnostic does not take a position, whereas an atheist believes God does not exist.User Detail :
Name : CP19177, Gender : F, Age : 21, City : Montreal, Quebec, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Religious Studies student,An atheist does not believe there is a God or supreme being. An agnostic believes it is not possible to prove either way that there is or is not a God or supreme being, and even if you assume there is a God, God cannot be fully understood or defined. Some people might think that it qualifies as an "undecided" position, but it is stronger than that. Agnostics allow for the existence of a God, for instance, while atheists do not. It's essentially a "we don't know, so let's not assume anything" stance. Of course, different people who refer to themselves as agnostics will have different opinions.User Detail :
Name : John K., Gender : M, Age : 26, City : Cranford, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : Chemical Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Agnostics do not "strongly doubt" the existence of God or show indifference, as previous answers have suggested. Agnostics believe that nothing is or can be known of the existence of God (i.e. I have absolutely no idea.").User Detail :
Name : Tim M., Religion : Atheist, Age : 22, City : Bagshot, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Education level : Over 4 Years of College,An atheist is a disbeliever; an agnostic is a nonbeliever. For me as an agnostic, the existence or non-existence of a supreme being is an imponderable, and therefore a non-issue. Since the burden of proof in any debate rests with the affirmative, I consider agnosticism to be the intellectually neutral departure point. Agnostics reject the assertion commonly advanced by the faithful that you have to believe in something. In fact, it could be argued that it takes a certain courage to live with the ambiguity of not knowing. Not that believers are less courageous, but their tolerance for ambiguity might be lower. If I believe anything, it's that energy spent attempting to be a kind and moral person contributes more than energy spent ruminating about theological fine points.User Detail :
Name : J. I., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 56, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : Voiceover, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,I say that I am agnostic; however, as I look deeper I find that descriptor not wholly accurate. I do accept the possibility of a god or a higher being, as it is a concept that is beyond the possibility of rationalization one way or the other. However, to accept the possibility of God means devaluing ones own existance, to the extent that your supposing an entity greater than yourself. I propose a will to ignorance; whereby, one rejects God out of the principle to affirm one's existance as something unique and unsurpassable. God as an end in itself must be destroyed. I am an agnostic by letter, but an atheist by principle.User Detail :
Name : Patrick-Wood30437, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 19, City : Toronto, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Research Assistant, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class,
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