and if you're not sure whether this is a God or not, does that fall under anything?
2006-11-25 08:47:31 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
i meant to say there is a God, not this is a God.
2006-11-25 08:49:53 · update #1
Agnosticism is a philosophy about knowledge. An agnostic says that the question of the existence of a god is unknown and unknowable.
An atheist does not believe in a god or gods. They do not have to say, "There is no possible way that there's a god," they simply have to not believe there is.
They can lack a belief in a god or gods as well. Babies, for instance, have no belief until they are taught to believe.
I am an agnostic atheist. I say, "that the question of the existence of a god is unknown and unknowable," but I also say, "Even so, I have no belief in a god or gods," reason being that just because you can't know whether something exists doesn't mean you have to believe in it.
Possibility of existence does not = likelihood of existence.
There are people that call themselves agnostic, and that is their right. It is not for me to say what they are or how they think. But in my own journey, I find that you either believe or you don't. If you believe, you are a theist/deist/etc. If you do not believe, you are an atheist. You can be either and be agnostic too.
2006-11-25 08:51:31 · answer #1 · answered by Snark 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dinner guests of Charles Darwin once said to him that an atheist is simply an agnostic who's more aggressive, and that an agnostic was a more polite version of an atheist. There's probably something to that, as the distinction can be hard to explain.
I was an agnostic once, a serious one, for maybe about ten years, perhaps longer. I had studied religious texts, and was well acquainted with the sciences. As a result of all my inquiry, I did not feel I could know whether there was a God, and that there was really no way for me to find out for sure. I would never have used that atheist formula about "lacking belief" in a God. I did not know whether there was one or not.
But an atheist will say at least that they "lack belief in a god or gods." An atheist can be even more positive in this assertion, and this position is often called strong atheism or positive atheism. They assert that it can certainly be said that no god exists.
So I suppose you could say an agnostic is a person of less certainty and conviction than an atheist.
2006-11-25 08:55:23 · answer #2 · answered by evolver 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yeah, that falls under agnostic. Agnostics still reserve the fact that God may exist, there is just not enough physical proof to prove it. So we say that it's possible, but it is also possible that it is all just a myth. Remember, most myths are just religions that no one believes anymore, and whether people believe it or not, everyone is basically an agnostic, be it consciously or subconsciously. No one can actually tell you that they have proof one way or the other.
2006-11-25 08:52:21 · answer #3 · answered by LONGINUS 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Agnostic originates from the word gnosis,or knowledge. agnostic literally means without knowledge. The agnostics believe that there is a god, but you can't know him. Atheist originates from theos, meaning God. Atheist literally means without God. They believe there is no God. If you aren't sure, you need to make sure.
Eternity is a long time. would you take a chance with "not sure"?
2006-11-25 08:54:46 · answer #4 · answered by Levi G 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Agnostics believe there isn't enough evidence to believe or disbelieve in God, so it's an "I don't know" position.
Atheism is the belief that God does not exist, or the lack of belief in a God.
2006-11-25 08:50:03 · answer #5 · answered by Nowhere Man 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Agnosticism is simply the position that "I cant currently discern whether theres a God or not".
Atheists are the other side of the same coin, they say "I see no reason to accept the existance of a God".
2006-11-25 08:51:21 · answer #6 · answered by Thoughtful Tristan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Agnostic = Not sure if there's a God/Generally spiritual but no God.
Atheist = No God.
2006-11-25 08:50:00 · answer #7 · answered by lady_s_hazy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Here is a video answering just that question.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ncCNwbb5Jc
Agnostic coined by Thomas Huxley in the 1860's I think. Comes from the Greek word gnosis(to know) and with the "a" in front makes it mean literally "without knowledge."
Atheism comes from the Greek theos(god) theism meaning belief in god with the "a" in front makes it "without god belief."
I am an agnostic atheist. They aren't exclusive terms..one deals with knowledge the other deals with belief.
2006-11-25 08:50:14 · answer #8 · answered by AiW 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Agnostic mean "not know" (a = negative , gnoso = know)
Agnostic means "without God" (a = negative, theo = God)
So, Agnostic would be the word that names one who is undecided..
2006-11-25 09:19:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
an atheist nows the is no god a agnostic is placeing a 50/50 bet that the is and the isnot a god
2006-11-25 08:51:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋