How is it possible to be an 'agnostic athiest?

Question

I've seen that as a few people's professed beliefs, and I'm confused as to how that's possible....The definition of agnostic is One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism (the dictionary says it...not me)....GOD BLESS YOU ANYWAYS

(By the way...I know that it isn't possible...that's an oxymoron)

Answer 1

I would agree that I'm not sure you can be both.

My understanding of Agnostic is one who is unconvinced on the existance of a higher being...which would leave it open to their possibly encountering something that convinces them. Basically they don't know one way or the other, so they choose to err on the side of caution and not put their faith in something intangible.

While an Athiest is someone who is adamantly convinced there is no higher power.

One of my favorite lines from the tv show "Northern Exposure" is "I respect Athiests, I think it takes a lot of faith to not believe in God."

I personally beleive in God, while not subscribing to any particular organized religion, and so far this is working out pretty well for me! :)

Take care and God Bless you too! :)

Answer 2

Some people have used the term of agnostic atheist and agnostic theist before.

An agnostic atheist is that who admits he can't state there is no god since he doesn't have all the knowledge of the universe, but takes a position that it's more likely there isn't a god. Sometimes weak atheist (which is a lack of theism instead the denial of a god) is considered some kind of agnostic atheism.

An agnostic theist is that who admits he can't statate there is no god, but that believes it's quite possible there is.

Agnosticism per se, means that you don't know about god and that you consider it's not possible to know wheter such being exists or not. Atheist can be either a lack of belief or positively deny the existence of god, so, there's really a thin line between agnosticism and weak atheism actually meet.

Personally, I consider myself agnostic from a cognitive point of view, that is, after reasoning with the evidence I have, I've conclude I have no evidence for god's existence, but I've concluded as well that I haven't tried and I can't try ALL possible evidences to make a definitive conclusion about the question.

From a pragmatic point of view, I am atheist, that is to say that I live my life assuming there is no god, that a caring and loving and omnipotent god must be obvious and then there is no such thing and that there is no point paying too much attention. (I know believers disagree, but this is a personal statement)

Here you are an Isaac Asimov quote that can give you another answer to your question.

"I am an atheist, out and out. It took me a long time to say it. I've been an atheist for years and years, but somehow I felt it was intellectually unrespectable to say one was an atheist, because it assumed knowledge that one didn't have. Somehow, it was better to say one was a humanist or an agnostic. I finally decided that I'm a creature of emotion as well as of reason. Emotionally, I am an atheist. I don't have the evidence to prove that God doesn't exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn't that I don't want to waste my time." - Isaac Asimov, Free Inquiry (Spring 1982)

Answer 3

At the very least, an agnostic would not discount the possibility of a God, but they may feel that it's sufficiently unknowable as to be something absurd to think about at all. Ostensibly, they would be non-religious/secular but by asking the "agnostic athiest" [sic] whether they believe there may be a deity should separate one from the other. The atheist would say there is no God and the agnostic wouldn't know or discount it, but wouldn't care anyway.

Answer 4

No, it's a confusion of the actual terms definitions.

Agnosticism is a question of Esoteric knowledge, while Atheism is a question of the belief in the existence of a deity.

Consider:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnostic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

"Agnosticism is distinct from, but compatible with, atheism. It is also compatible with theism. This is because agnosticism is a view about knowledge concerning God, whereas theism and atheism are beliefs (or lack thereof) concerning God. For example, it is possible to believe in God but to believe that knowledge about God is not obtainable."

EDIT: Could the people here please tell me the definition of Weak Atheist and Strong Atheist is then?

A good example of Agnostic Atheist would be: "If God existed, he would be unable for any man to know, but his conceptualization is incoherent so it's very unlikely that deities exist."

In this sense I am an Agnostic Weak Atheist.

"Agnostic atheism—the view that God may or may not exist, but that the non-existence of such is more likely. Some agnostic atheists would at least partially base their beliefs on Occam's Razor."

Answer 5

Some others gave you some good answers, to which I would agree. Here is a site you can do more research if you are inclined to do so. Taken from the second link:

"Strong Atheist," or "Positive Atheist," or "Hard Atheist" to refer to a person who asserts that no deity exists.

"Weak Atheist," "Negative Atheist," "Soft Atheist," "Skeptical Atheist" to refer to a person who simply has no belief in a deity because there are no rational grounds that support his/her/their existence.

When I made my recent switch to atheism, I found out that I was actually atheistic-agnostic for all the years I called myself an agnostic. Religious or philosophical thought is so much MORE than just black and white. There is a lot more grey areas than just b/w. :-)

Answer 6

It is not possible. Atheist has no belif in the gods. Agnostic belive there may be gods, but dont really care. Deist belive there are probably gods, but they do not mingle in the affairs of man.

Answer 7

Here's what an agnostic atheist said :

"There are two kinds of atheist. "Soft" atheists do not believe there is a god or gods. "Hard" atheists believe there is not a god or gods." (A soft Atheist is an agnostic athiest.)

Mys: (scratch head) They both sound the same to me, but oh well, you figure it :o))

Answer 8

It is possible... I think it is accepting the fact that you don't know- you don't have answers... you don't feel comfortable w/ blind faith, but still believing that there is a greater power than yourself. Why MUST you categorize yourself strictly as one or the other?

Answer 9

It's not possible to be both. Your either one or the other!!!! And in my opinion, both are incredibly stupid ways to live your life.

Answer 10

It isn't possible, you'd have to be one or the other.