What is your definition of an Agnostic and Atheist?

Question

No wiki cut and pastes please. What in your mind is the definition and difference between the two?

Answer 1

Many people do not know the difference between the two terms atheist and agnostic and use them interchangeably.


Agnostics are skeptical. They are pretty neutral on religion. Agnostics think that it is pretty much impossible to ever prove or disprove the existence of a God/deity, so they choose not to practice religion without the "proof". They don't believe in God, but they don't deny the existence of God either.
A = Without, gnostic= knowledge.
So agnostics are "without knowledge". They are in the middle--they can't believe in God but are still open to the idea that he may exist.
"Agnostic" is a word that can also be used to describe any situation where you feel "I don't know".




Atheists on the other hand, simply do not believe God.
A= Without, theism = belief of God.



Example of a conversation between a Christian, an atheist, and an agnostic.
Christian: God loves everyone!
Agnostic: Prove it.
Atheist: God does not exist.
Agnostic: Prove it.

So agnostics are really not all that similar to atheists...

Answer 2

Looks like the gambit all saying the same
the ones who believe leave out some thing key to belief in a God and that is we define him / her (her for the PC police) as we see this to be. But in doing so we confine God or as atheist think no God. We can never know the thought of or reason only what we believe to be. God and yes there is God can not be put in a box. And if we are ever given the chance to understand some of what is it can never be all there is.
Agnostic is the open to all aspects with out faith that it can or can not be and the Atheist has faith that their is no faith which in and of itself is a religion just like Global warming nut jobs.
1. Sin to do wrong or ( Can not do wrong)
2. repent ( repent to whom?)
3. alter your actions ( do not confine your action)
As you may see the two are the same from different sides of the coin but one see only one side and the other will not turn the coin over.

Some thing to ponder in your mind as there is what we call God as even for those that only believe in evaluation some thing / one had to cook this all up as there is a start to every thing and nothing can come from nothing.

Answer 3

Well agnostic would be someone who thinkg God "might" exist but that no actual religion has it right.

Atheists believe that there is no evidence of a God existing and that the universe can exist without God (doesn't need to have been created or ruled by God).

I'm stuck somewhere between the two...

Answer 4

Agnostic: that's my place that neither god's existence nor his non-existence could be shown. Atheist: i choose to no longer have self assurance in a deity of any variety. Theist: I actually have a theory in a god. Atheists faill into a minimum of three categories. some atheists are agnostics and have self assurance that god's existence won't be able to be shown and subsequently they gained't have self assurance in god. some atheists safeguard that god's nonexistence has been shown (or that the term "god" is incomprehensible or inherently contradictory and for this reason god can't exist). some atheists have self assurance that it would desire to possibly be attainable to instruct that god exists (sometime, someway), yet considering the fact that they understand no such evidence, they don't have self assurance in a god. Technically, you could desire to be an agnostic theist, "god's existence won't be able to be shown, yet i choose to have self assurance he exists", however the term is in lots of circumstances no longer used that way. it may be like asserting a three 365 days previous does not approve of ways Obama has been working the rustic. Yeah, technically he does not (he has no concept who Obama is, so how would desire to he?), yet that's not how we in lots of circumstances use the term "does not approve".

Answer 5

Barring evidence, Atheists refuse to believe in gods. Agnostics allow for the possibility.

Answer 6

Under their early definitions in greek they actually would be the SAME. The early definiton of an atheist was simply a person that didn't have a set doctrine or religion---similarily to what we call agnostics today but could and would also cover the atheist defintion of today.

In both cases, its simply that they cannot see the defined god form(s) of a particular religon within their realities.

Answer 7

Atheist are people who do not believe in the existance of God but don't deny it either. This term is often confused with Anti-theist in which these people oppose God. Athiests believe that God is there if he only shows himself to them. In other words, Athiests choose to believe on what they see... they are not believers.

Agnostic people do not directly believe in religion. But they do believe that there is a greater deity out there who did as many other religions expplain:creation, origins, and etc...
They believe this as support to their uncertainties of other religions.

The difference between the two is that Athiests are willing to operate with God. Agnostics are not.

Hope that answered your question.

Answer 8

An agnostic neither believes nor disbelieves in God or a higher power. Rather they are waiting to see evidence as to the existence of God. An atheist, however, does not believe in God or any higher power.

Answer 9

Agnostics think that neither theists nor atheists have enough proof to prove or disprove the other.
Atheists are positive that an intelligent creator does not exist.

Answer 10

Agnostic: "gnostic" comes from the word "gnosis" which means "knowledge", so an agnostic is a person who would affirm that Knowledge about God or any higher power is impossible.. They are people who would answer : "I don't know" to any question regarding spirituality or metaphysics..

Atheist: A person who affirms that God or any god doesn't exist.