Don't just say, "A religion". Explain please.
2006-12-02 04:27:06 · 22 answers · asked by Sexy_Bunny 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I love getting thumbs down for my question. I am technically an Anglican, but my parents became Atheists when I was young. I have only really had any insight into Atheism and no other religions, (although I do have a Bible, which I have yet to read). I don't even have anyone in my life that talks about religion. They are all into science. Sorry for asking a genuine question.
2006-12-02 04:42:00 · update #1
It means that they are indifferent (terrible word choice, I know) about whether or not a deity exists. They often reason that there is no way to tell, which is true (if you don't consider the Bible scientific proof, which the government supposidely doesn't), because, while there is no proof that a deity exists, there is no proof that one doesn't exist, and even if you reason that atheism does not explain where we came from and something needed to create us, something also would have needed to create the deity, right?
2006-12-02 04:34:25 · answer #1 · answered by MF 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Agnosticism is about knowledge. If you cannot claim to know for sure if any gods exist or not, you are an agnostic. This is separate from belief. Just as either you do or do not know for sure (there are no other options), you do or do not have a belief in some sort of god (there is no middle ground).
People who do not know for sure either do believe anyway (perhaps because of faith) or don't bother believing (perhaps precisely because they don't and can't know). The former are agnostic theists (Maimonedes, medieval Jewish theologian, was a famous agnostic theist). The latter are agnostic atheists (most atheists are also agnostics)
2006-12-02 04:48:06 · answer #2 · answered by John S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Agnosticism (from the Greek a, meaning "without" and gnosis, "knowledge", translating to unknowable) is the philosophical view that the truth value of certain claims — particularly theological claims regarding metaphysics, afterlife or the existence of God, god(s), or deities — is unknown or (possibly) inherently unknowable. Some agnostics take a stronger view that the concept of a deity is incoherent, thus meaningless and irrelevant to life. The term is used to describe those who are unconvinced or noncommittal about the existence of deities as well as about other matters of religion. Early Christian church leaders used the Greek word gnosis (knowledge) to describe "spiritual knowledge". "Agnostic" came from the union of it to the Greek / Latin prefix a, and was originally coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869 to describe his philosophy. Agnosticism is not to be confused with religious views opposing the doctrine of gnosis and Gnosticism— these are religious concepts that are not generally related to agnosticism.
Cited from Wikipedia.com
2006-12-02 04:31:40 · answer #3 · answered by justinr1819 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An agnostic is someone who has no strongly defined religious beliefs, especially with direct relation to God. They aren't quite atheists; they usually believe there IS some kind of a God, but that's about it. They don't feel that he is truly interested in humans or has any personal qualities, and that it doesn't really matter whether or not we try to worship him or do what's right. It's basically a detached, inactive form of spirituality.
2006-12-02 04:40:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Agnostic is stating that you do not know if God exists, and you cannot bring yourself to state to which oyu say he does or does not exist. You are "on the fence" and you do not dismiss the points put forward by both religion and atheism. you may wish to decide at some point in the future but for now you are content in your not knowing, OR you may always wish to remain in this state and do not see anything wrong with it.
2006-12-02 04:30:28 · answer #5 · answered by jleslie4585 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An Agnostic is an Atheist that doesn't have the guts to say it,haha.
Agnostics say that they are not sure if there is a God or not,
Atheists say that there is no God.The Bible says "The fool has said in his heart,there is no God".
A in the Greek means anti or against.Theos is God.
So - A - Theos or Theist means against God.
2006-12-02 04:41:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Agnostics argue that it is pointless to discuss or debate the existence or otherwise of God. It serves no useful purpose. No result will ever come out of it. Instead it is wise to address oneself with immediate problems of life and try to solve the problems which will provide immediate succor to mankind. Buddha famously took this line. He said there is so much poverty, sickness, death due to old age, it is better to address these problems rather than waste discussing and debating God. Jains also take this line.
2006-12-02 04:34:29 · answer #7 · answered by openpsychy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An Agnostic has no knowledge of the existance of God. Many are actually atheists, in my opinion. I think to be an Agnostic, is to think that maybe there is a God, and maybe not.
2006-12-02 04:31:42 · answer #8 · answered by Gorgeoustxwoman2013 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting! I just looked this word up in the dictionary today :) The dictionary says: someone who does not know, or believes that it is impossible to know, whether a god exists. This is all I know.
What I really really like to know is 'Why are people thumbing down your question?'
Peace
2006-12-02 04:45:06 · answer #9 · answered by daliaadel 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It literally means "without knowledge". It means the person thinks it's impossible either for them or for everyone to possess definitive knowledge regarding the existence of deities.
Some believe regardless of this stance, some are nonbelievers, some refuse to make any decision given their limited knowledge.
2006-12-02 04:30:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋