2007-03-19 07:10:07 · 28 answers · asked by Alex S 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Atheists would say "There is NO god" and that is that.
An agnostic is open to the possibility that there is a god, but thinks there is no way to prove one way or the other.
2007-03-19 07:14:14 · answer #1 · answered by Nasubi 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Atheists do not believe in gods. Agnostics do not believe it is possible to prove the existence or non-existence of gods. It is possible and common to be both an agnostic and an atheist or an agnostic and a theist.
2007-03-19 14:15:07 · answer #2 · answered by The Truth 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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.
2007-03-19 14:14:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Not as easy as you imply. First, there's not a single definition of Atheist. The usual is simply one who has no belief in God(s). But another breakdown calls that a Weak Atheist, while a Strong Atheist is more certain - (s)he believes there is/are no God(s). (Most people I know are Strong Atheists, though in normal conversation don't bother to qualify the term.)
An Agnostic believes it is impossible to prove the existence of God(s), or the lack of existence of God(s).
2007-03-19 14:12:20 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The agnostic doesn't believe there is a God. The atheist goes further in believing there is no God.
2007-03-19 14:13:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Agnostics feel that they do not have enough example to prove god does not exist. Atheists believe that it is illogical for a god to exist and god is created by people.
2007-03-19 14:16:08 · answer #6 · answered by ShanShui 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is certain that there is no God. An agnostic is more inclined to think that God cannot be known.
2007-03-19 14:13:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atheists are 100% convinced that there is no god.
Agnostics do not belong to any specific religion, but haven't ruled out the possibility that a higher power exists.
2007-03-19 14:17:13 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
An Atheist does not believe in God whatsoever, were as an Agnostic does believe in God but says that we cannot know Him, or that as far as we are concerned is "unknowable"
2007-03-19 14:13:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
A- theist = doesn't subscribe to the Theory of God.
A- gnostic = doesn't subscribe to the Gnostic Faith or Organized Religion like Christianity or Islam and does not, at the same time, deny the existence or otherwise of God.
Cheers!
ST
2007-03-19 14:13:48 · answer #10 · answered by In Memory of Simon Templar 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋