I know that one of them doesn't believe in God.....or maybe niether of them believe in God......
Help!
2007-03-12 08:06:34 · 28 answers · asked by Cuteness 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The term 'agnostic' was coined by Thomas Huxley and it refers quite simply to a person who holds the view that it is wrong to assert the truth of a proposition without logically satisfactory evidence.
So, an agnostic would say that it's wrong to say "God exists" or "No gods exist" without the argument or evidence to back it up. Moreover, the agnostic would say that it's immoral for a person to tell someone else that they *ought* to believe in the existence of a god or gods without providing logically satisfactory evidence to support that claim.
A 'theist' is defined as someone who believes in the existence of a god or gods, so an atheist is anyone who is not a theist.
So you can be agnostic and also an atheist, or agnostic and a theist, or not agnostic and an atheist, or not agnostic and a theist.
2007-03-12 08:18:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The answer is already here. I'll just add that neither one needs to be capitalized; you can write "atheist" and "agnostic" as ordinary nouns or "atheistic" and "agnostic" as adjectives.
Many atheists strongly state that there is no God as though such a thing were scientifically provable. Indeed, in the normal, physical, scientifically measureable world, there is no physical being that matches the classic description of what God would be. In those terms, an atheist can say without fear of contradiction that there is no God. If you are trying to identify which sort of person does not believe in God, it is the atheist.
To be agnostic means to admit that there are things that cannot be known with certainty. People who are religiously agnostic get put down for this perfectly reasonable point-of-view; for merely saying that there may or may not be a God. Basically, an agnostic refuses to fight about something that cannot be known. Some people like to fight. Some people who enjoy fighting are atheists. Some are religionists. It is the argumentative, confrontational (and unreasonable) people of the world who are the ones who put people down for agnosticism.
That's a short primer about who other people are. Your job is to know who YOU are.
2007-03-12 08:27:41 · answer #2 · answered by anyone 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I see you have received many answers. I have read many definitions, etc. To me, it all comes down to: An atheist does not believe in God at all. An agnostic is waiting to be shown there is a God.
Technically an atheist would be a person who has actually studied scripture and talked to others and has come to the conclusion that there is no God. And an agnostic doubts the existence of God.
2007-03-12 08:15:13 · answer #3 · answered by Patti C 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An Atheist is basically someone who does not believe in the existence of God(s).
An Agnostic is basically someone who believes that the fact of whether or not there is a God is unknown and/or unprovable. An Agnostic believes that the truth about whether or not there is a God or gods is beyond our comprehension as human beings.
2007-03-12 08:33:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atheists believe that there is no God.
Agnostics state that they don't have enough evidence to base a belief on God either way. Agnostics just don't know.
2007-03-12 08:10:27 · answer #5 · answered by ɹɐǝɟsuɐs Blessed Cheese Maker 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Atheist believe in having proof for their belief, if there is no proof then it's not real until proven otherwise. (It's false until proven otherwise)
Agnostics believe that once a question occurs until there is an answer the question is still up in the air. (Don't make a decision until all facts are known, not false and not true)
2007-03-12 08:18:33 · answer #6 · answered by Magus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atheists don't believe in god's existence while Agnostics don't know if there is a god or not or they just don't care if there is a god.
2007-03-12 08:09:56 · answer #7 · answered by millajovovichsboyfriend 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is sure that god doesn't exist. An agnostic believes that one can't be sure either way.
2007-03-12 08:11:06 · answer #8 · answered by The Resurrectionist 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Here is how I see it.
Atheist's have faith that there is no God(s)
Agnostics have no faith in God(s)
For you theists - when I use the word faith , I am not using the one that you use. You know the one that you use that also means truth and knowledge.
2007-03-12 08:17:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atheists think there is no God but Agnostics think there could or could not be
2007-03-12 08:10:43 · answer #10 · answered by gitsliveon24 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋