Agnostic meaning that knowledge of a supreme being is impossible, where an athiest just rejects the idea of there being a god. Or am I just splitting hairs?
2006-08-23 17:24:38 · 21 answers · asked by ? 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
as an agnostic, I agree with your observation
and it's not splitting hairs. It's an important distinction.
To say that they're the same is like saying that Muslims and Christians are all the same since they believe in the god of Abraham.
Oh, and it's not true that agnostic means "undecided". I don't know where people get that.
2006-08-23 17:26:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The meaning of "agnostic" is to say "one does not know if there is or isn't a supreme God"...it is not about outright rejection of the idea of God. Where as atheism and atheists believe absolutely that there is no supreme God. Being agnostic, you're open to the fact that there might be, or not be, a God.
2006-08-23 17:30:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I wouldn't say that you are splitting hairs, but you are ignoring fundamental differences in these two concepts.
Would saying that a Baptist is the same as a Lutheran be "just splitting hairs"?
Would saying that a Catholic is the same as a Protestant be "just splitting hairs"?
Would saying that a Sunni is the same a a Shiite be "just splitting hairs"?
I could go on - but I think the answer to each of these questions is "No," irregardless is Catholics and Protestants are both Christains and Sunnis and Shiites are both Muslim.
So why would agnosticism and atheism be the same? Similar? Sure. The same? No. Denial or doubt (agnosticism) is not the same as total rejection (atheism).
And don't you think that the majority of the folks that use these terms know what they mean in using them? Why do you presume to know more than they do?
2006-08-23 18:25:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
To split hairs even further...an agnostic doesn't limit his views to the existence of a supreme being or diety. It is believing only in those things which can be proven.
But yeah, sometimes people who don't agree with religious views use the agnostic's argument to refute religious belief.
It's cool. We all get classified as "unbelievers" anyway.
2006-08-23 17:36:11 · answer #4 · answered by spindoccc 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That was a good comment. Thank you. I'm an ignostic (still a different category, within agnostics) and I agree that many people won't bother to make the difference. When I want a word that covers up for all of us, I say "unbelievers".
2006-08-23 17:31:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The meaning of an atheist is someone who totally does not believe there is a God. An agnostic is someone who is skeptical if there really is a God.
2006-08-23 17:27:02 · answer #6 · answered by MenudoPie 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Agnostic means that you aren't sure there is a God. Athiest is you don't believe that their is a God.
2006-08-23 17:28:25 · answer #7 · answered by fullofsunshine 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
An atheist denies that there is a God. An Agnostic thinks there may or may not be.
2006-08-23 17:30:16 · answer #8 · answered by First Lady 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There are many forms of atheism.
Hard atheism (Atheists) says that there is no spiritual world and no deities.
Soft atheism (Agnostics) says there is no proof of anything spiritual, so there is probably nothing there.
Then there is Apatheism (Secular Humanists) that believe that whether or not there is a God, it doesn't affect our life right now and whatever we do we do to ourselves.
2006-08-23 17:38:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yep, there's a difference between atheist and agnostic. However and agnostic can also just be unsure of god's existence.
2006-08-23 17:26:15 · answer #10 · answered by i luv teh fishes 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋