2006-09-01 16:52:28 · 18 answers · asked by louie 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Agnosticism is a concept, not a religion. It is a belief related to the existence or non-existence of God.
An agnostic is a person who feels that God's existence can neither be proved nor disproved, on the basis of current evidence. Agnostics note that some theologians and philosophers have tried to to prove, for millennia, that God exists. Others have attempted to prove that God does not exist. Agnostics feel that neither side has convincingly succeeded at their task.
Are they Theists? No, because Agnostics do not believe in a God, or a Goddess, or in multiple Gods, or multiple Goddesses or in a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses.
However, some Agnostics consider themselves to be Atheists. That is because the term "Atheist" has two slightly different meanings:
A person who positively believes that no God(s) or Goddess(es) exists. E. Haldeman-Julius suggests that "The atheist perceives that history, in every branch of science, in the plainly observable realities of life and in the processes of common sense there is no place for the picture of a God; the idea doesn't fit in with a calmly reasoned and realistic view of life. The atheist, therefore denies the assumptions of theism because they are mere assumptions and are not proved; whereas the contrary evidences, against the idea of theism, are overwhelming." 1 This is the definition of Atheism used by most Christians, other Theists, and dictionaries of the English language.
A person who has no belief in a God or Goddess. Just as a newborn has no concept of a deity, some adults also have no such belief. The term "Atheist" is derived from the Greek words "a" which means "without" and "Theos" which means "God." A person can be a non-Theist by simply lacking a belief in God without actively denying God's existence. This is the definition of Atheism used by many Atheists. They use the term "strong Atheist" to refer to a person who denies the existence of one or more deities.
Some Agnostics feel that their beliefs match the second definition, and thus consider themselves to be both Atheist and an Agnostic. Such confusion is common in the field of religion. We have found 17 definitions for the term "Witch," eight for "cult," and six for the "Pagan." -- all different. A lack of clear, unambiguous definitions for religious terms is responsible for a great deal of confusion and hatred. It makes dialog between Agnostics and Theists very difficult.
An agnostic usually holds the question of the existence of God open, pending the arrival of more evidence. They are willing to change their belief if some solid evidence or logical proof is found in the future. However, some have taken the position that there is no logical way in which the existence or the non-existence of a deity can be proven.
Blessings )O(
2006-09-01 16:56:07 · answer #1 · answered by Epona Willow 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Agnosticism is the philosophical view that the value of certain claims as truth—particularly theological claims regarding the existence of God, gods, or deities—are unknown, inherently unknowable, or incoherent, and therefore, irrelevant to life. The term and the related agnostic were coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869, and are also used to describe those who are unconvinced or noncommittal about the existence of deities as well as other matters of religion. The word agnostic comes from the Greek a (without) and gnosis (knowledge). Agnosticism is not to be confused with a view specifically opposing the doctrine of gnosis and Gnosticism—these are religious concepts that are not generally related to agnosticism.
2006-09-01 16:58:33 · answer #2 · answered by kickinupfunf 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think 1337 got it exactly right, but let me give myself as an example, since I am both atheist and agnosic.
I am an atheist with respect to the God described in the Hebrew Bible (the book Christians call the Old Testament). I am fully convinced that book is just ancient myths and nothing more.
However, if you can ignore the Bible, and just consider the possibility of a God who is the supernatural creator of the universe, then I have to admit I am agnostic. I don't know whether there is such a God, and furthermore, I suspect that it is simply unknowable.
2006-09-01 17:36:24 · answer #3 · answered by Jim L 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Agnostic isn't a religion. It can mean one of two things:
1. Someone who believes that the nature of gods is unknowable.
2. Someone who isn't sure about the existence of gods.
The second definition is used most often, but the first one is a better definition.
2006-09-01 16:57:12 · answer #4 · answered by 1337 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An agnostic can be thought of like a person from Missouri, the "show me state". In other words, they don't believe anything until it is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt (although there are many deathbed conversions among this group). They are not a religion, in fact would probably be insulted by that. Also, please use spell check, honey. It's not fun to try to decipher your meanings trying to be 'with it' on the computer. Thanks.
2006-09-01 17:02:29 · answer #5 · answered by swarr2001 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An agnostic is undecided on what he believes. He isn't an atheist (non-theist, doesn't believe in God) but he's also not a Christian.
The word agnostic comes from the Greek a (without) and gnosis (knowledge).
2006-09-01 16:55:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The story is told of a farmer in a Midwestern state who had a strong disdain for “religious” things. As he plowed his field on Sunday morning, he would shake his fist at the church people who passed by on their way to worship. October came and the farmer had his finest crop ever—the best in the entire county. When the harvest was complete, he placed an advertisement in the local paper which belittled the Christians for their faith in God. Near the end of his diatribe he wrote, “Faith in God must not mean much if someone like me can prosper.”
The response from the Christians in the community was quiet and polite. In the next edition of the town paper, a small ad appeared. It read simply, “God doesn’t always settle His accounts in October.”
William E. Brown in Making Sense of Your Faith
2006-09-01 17:12:45 · answer #7 · answered by Heart 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's not a religion. An agnostic is someone who doesn't know whether or not God exists. An atheist, on the other hand, is smart enough to know that there's no such animal.
2006-09-01 16:58:30 · answer #8 · answered by The Bird 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An agnostic is a person who believes it is impossible to determine whether there is a god or not. But agnosticism is not a religion. It's a philosophy.
2006-09-01 17:06:44 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Agnosticism, the unreligion. The whole point of being agnostic is you don't believe in religion, you might believe in god but you are not about to try to define the undefinable
2006-09-01 16:56:39 · answer #10 · answered by corvuequis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋