Is Atheism different than Agnostic?

Answer 1

Atheism = no god
Agnostic = doesn't take a stand either way - keeps the possibility open for a god and for no god

Answer 2

It can be, but the two are not exclusive to each other. Atheism is the belief that there is no god. Now, there is strong atheism, that thinks you can disprove god (i.e. by the argument from evil, things like that). Weak atheism is a negative disbelief in god. They do not belief in god because they do not have sufficient evidence for god. These people saying that atheists have more faith than christians are incorrect. It would take a lot of faith to say there is no gold in china, but if I say there are no gorillas on mars, that doesn't seem to be a very large leap of faith.

An agnostic is someone who does not know if god exists or not. Weak agnosticism is the belief "I do not know if god exists" while strong agnosticism is "neither do you." Some people are also called Ignostics, who think that you can't decide either way, but that the answer to the question has no bearing on our lives and should thus be Ignored.

But some one can be an agnostic and a weak atheist. They are agnostic because they think it is possible for god to exist and they don't know if he does, but they also have no evidence for his existence, and so have no reason to say that god does exist (since the burden of proof is on the person asserting the positive, in this case it would be the theist.)

Answer 3

Their are gradations of each. An Atheist may insist that there is no God - a belief in a lack (Strong Atheism), or may simply say their is no evidence to support a theistic view, and therefore there is no reason to believe - lack of belief (weak Atheism). Both require a (logical) leap, though weak Atheism is more scientifically grounded.

Agnostics in general say they do not know (lack evidence either way) if God exists. The problem here is that, since at least the time of David Hume, we have known that no form of evidence would suffice to demonstrate the existence of God, and one cannot prove the non-existence of anything, so we are left necessarily uncertain about the general idea of a divine. There is, however, overwhelming evidence against certain forms of Theism, including all three Abrahamic religious views (Judaism, Christianity and Islam).

Answer 4

Agnosticism is the philosophy that the question of the existence of a god or gods cannot be known. Notice the word "known" - agnosticism is about knowledge.

Atheism is about belief. Atheists do not believe in a god or gods.

Knowledge and belief are two different things. At any given time, you either believe or you don't.

I am an agnostic, and I am also an atheist - I hold the philosophy that the existence of a god or gods cannot be known, but I have no evidence of such a being, and I do not believe.

Answer 5

Yes, an atheist does not believe in God, an agnostic says that it is not possible to know of there is a God.

Charles is wrong in saying that an agnostic doesn't care; it's just that an agnostic doesn't know.

Answer 6

Yes. Agnostics are intellectually honest. Atheists are not.
How so? Atheists claim to know the unknowable. Agnostics simply question the unknowable, but allow for the possibility.

Answer 7

Atheism is a proactive non belief in God and Agnostic is not really caring one way or the other.

Answer 8

Yes, an Atheist doesn't believe in a god. An Agnostic isn't sure or believes in a god but not organized religion.

Answer 9

There is no such thing as an atheist. All atheists are in fact agnostic. Sadly, they can't seem to grasp even this simple truth.

Answer 10

Atheist are totally closed to the existence of God and Agnoist are are open just enough to receive proof if it is forthcoming.
Both are more advanced states of consciousness than those who 'believe' in 'believing'!