What are the differences between Strong/Positive Atheism, Weak/Negative Atheism and Agnostic Atheism?

Question

If you can explain it in your own words or even copy and paste it. Thanks.

Answer 1

Strong atheist - active
God does not exist
I believe that God does not exist
A strong atheist may not wish to use the word belief, and will state that God does not exist as fact or knowledge.

Weak atheist - passive
I do not believe that God exists

Agnosticism - about knowledge, not belief

Agnostic theist - I believe that God exists, but have no way of knowing for sure

Agnostic atheist - I do not believe that God exists (or I believe that God does not exist), but I have no way of knowing for sure

Antitheist - There is no God, and it is wrong to believe that there is.

None of these have anything to do with "converting" theists, although an antitheist will view the loss of faith as beneficial to a person.

Answer 2

The differences between atheism and agnostic can be very subtle. Think of a scale of 1-10:
10- Strong Atheism
0- Weak Agnostic

There are different levels across the scale and they blur in the middle.

Answer 3

Strong- Believes there is no God
Weak- Just doubts if there is a God
Agnostic Atheism- Doubts both Atheism AND Theism

Answer 4

I think honesty with themselves... The positive and engaging atheists that I've met were people who didn't use their opinions about religon as a tool to partly inflate their own egos. They've had to defend themselves to christians who judge them , but are able to seperate those individuals and the religion they identify with. Simply, put they have a less tendency to become cynical know it all jackasses. The negative atheist, have nothing to contribute other than harboring resentment and bitterness that they've accumulative for having to constantly defend their beliefs. They are just as susceptible of becoming righteous and close minded, but they are in constant denial and strongly believe that they are shielded by their beliefs as atheists. Their under the false delusion that this alone will automatically keep them objective , discerning and analytical. Very little effort is put into staying as open and unbiased as they like to perceive themselves as being.

Answer 5

In recent years, some atheists have adopted the terms strong and weak atheism to clarify whether they consider their stance one of positive belief (strong atheism) or the mere absence of belief (weak atheism).

Atheism is commonly defined as the positive belief that deities do not exist, or as the deliberate rejection of theism.However, others—including most atheistic philosophers and groups—define atheism as the simple absence of belief in deities (cf. nontheism), thereby designating many agnostics, and people who have never heard of gods, such as newborn children, as atheists as well.

Answer 6

while not nearly as silly a concept as hard/soft polytheism (which is really just polytheism/monotheism) it is bourne of the same mother.

the idea is that "strong" atheism is AGAINST theism.
(in which case it's antitheism, duh.)
http://www.strongatheism.net/

The idea by proponents of "strong" atheism is that atheists who aren't antitheists are "soft atheists" when what they define as soft atheism is just plain agnosticism.

agnostic atheism, another misnomer, is the idea that you don't think there is any god, but you are witholding judgement.
You've got it, folks, it's just AGNOSTICISM.


Silly semantic games. Just like how so many atheists are anti-monotheists, or anti-Christians, not actually "Without god/s"


-Former atheist (real, neither hard nor weak nor agnostic)

Answer 7

Are those Dawkin's terms? I know he rates a persons religion on a scale of 1-7 with 4 being true agnostic.

Answer 8

The positive influence gets a greater charge from Strong/positive atheist creating a wonderful static shower.

Answer 9

Strong Atheist - essentially tries to "convert" theists to atheism.

Weak Atheist - is as sure as is reasonably possible that there is no god, and is willing to defend their position, without really being too bothered that theists disagree.

Agnostic - acknowledges that it is impossible to know whether god exists or not. Can be theists or atheists.

Answer 10

I think a weak atheist is just someone who hasn't been introduced to Christianity, the Native Americans, for example, prior to the influence of the Christian missionaries.

A strong atheist is someone who chooses not to worship any Deity, or someone who considers religion to be of no importance.