What's the difference b/t atheism and agnostic?

Question

Atheist believe there is no God/no existence of a God
Agnostic believe that it's impossible to KNOW that God existence.
Do you think there's a difference in these two definitions or do they pretty much mean the same thing?

Answer 1

I think you're right. As I understand the terms, atheist means a person who does not believe in God. According to his worldview, it is an impossibility that God exists.

An agnostic says there is no way for a human being to know if God exists or not.

Maybe to a believer's standpoint there isn't much difference between the two, but to an atheist or agnostic's standpoint, there might be major differences.

Answer 2

Agnostics are the only group that gets crap from both the atheists *and* the religious.

The religious lump them in with the atheists, and the atheists think they're too chicken to commit.

So yeah, to me, there's a significant difference.

Agnosticism isn't a matter of being lazy or indifferent or hedging one's bets. As far as I'm concerned, it's the only logical stance anyone can take, at least until all the big questions about the universe are definitively answered.

Here's what I mean. I absolutely reject the idea of a personal, anthropomorphic god. I recognize it as a fable dreamed up by ancient people who were trying to make sense of their world. From what we know of the universe today, the idea of a meddlesome, emotionally volatile god who would take such a keen interest in one of billions of planets simply makes no sense. It says more about the people who wrote about him than about the god itself. When it was believed that the Earth was the only planet, and that it existed at the center of the universe, this kind of belief made more sense. Today, it's just childish to hold on to it.

So, in that sense, I'm most certainly an atheist.

However, I also don't presume to have all the answers to the way the universe works. Right now, we know that the universe arose from the explosion of a singularity of super-condensed matter. I have no problem accepting this idea. What nobody can answer, though, is where the singularity came from. And that's why I cannot totally rule out the possibility of some kind of creative force in the universe -- not an old bearded man sitting on a cloud and passing judgment on us, but perhaps something that we have yet to comprehend. Because given our current understanding of the origin of the universe, we're left with two possibilities: Either something is eternal (whether it be energy, a supernatural force, or whatever), or at some point something had to come from nothing. Neither one squares with our current understanding of science. And that is the *only* reason I have to hold out the possibility that something else was involved. What it might be, I have no idea.

So that's why I default to agnostic. It has nothing to do with laziness. It just has to do with not being able to know all the answers ... at least not yet. I think quantum physics may be able to answer these last remaining questions someday. If it does, then I'll be happy declaring myself a full-fledged atheist.

Answer 3

I think there's a difference. I think agnostics just don't know. I don't believe there's any way to prove there's a god, but I don't NOT believe in god... if that makes sense. Most days I just have no clue! Some days I think there's no way there is a god, but other days I think there has to be. I'm generally confused. ;o) I think atheists believe there's no chance that god exists.

So yes, there's a difference between the two.

Answer 4

I always consider Atheism to actually be a religion - they religiously act like assholes to people who ARE religious and DO believe in God. Those 2 groups do not get along because Christians, Muslims, etc. all want to practice their religion daily, like they have for the last thousand years or so. Atheists want to change that and make it illegal. Atheists make a big deal out of what other people do and believe.

Agnostics however, are ultimately atheists that get along with the religious folks. They believe that there MAY or MAY NOT be a God, and that modern day science has no way to prove it either way. They are more like skeptics, than anything. Agnostics do their own thing. If someone wants to practice religion in their presence, well, whatever just do it , they don't care. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. They don't reject OR accept anything. To them, religion is just another subject.

Answer 5

Atheist's do not believe there is a God at all. Agnostic's believe there may be a God but if there is He doesn't care what we do on earth.

I think that Agnostic's are not satisfied with the explanations either way. They are not convinced. I think that they are actually quite different the an Atheist. I think that their motivations are completely different.

Answer 6

Atheists have the courage of their conviction.

I mean what is it with this 'I dont know' rubbish - agnostics strike me as people who've never bothered to think it through - nobody is agnostic about fairies or unicorns or hobgoblins hiding under beds.

All of religion is just hokum - creationism, the geocentric universe, the world being made for man, if god existed why would he make souls? Why would he make an after-life? Its just a stupid childish fable that the fact that so many people believe in this nonsense makes me question whether most humans are sentient at all, in any meaningful sense.

Answer 7

Atheists don’t believe in any higher power what you see is what you get. If we all felt this way the world would truly be a less sympathetic place. Who cares about crime or your fellow man when there is no judgment?

Agnostic people seem to have it figured out. We would be a pretty vane race if we felt that only a select few of us know the one true God. Each religious group claims that their path is the only one true path.
What's wrong believing in a higher power even if we as mere mortals could never truly understand the right path?

Believing in something is better than nothing I guess. It gives our tiny race hope.

Answer 8

They are certainly distinct, but simpleminded people may say they are the same. An atheist is committted to saying that no gods exist, while an agnostic avoids this committment. They do not mean the same thing at all.

Answer 9

There is a difference! The Atheist is saying "I will never own a car, I can't afford one, Cars are bad for the environment, cars only cause trouble, and I don't know how to drive!"

The Agnostic is saying "I really don't know anything about owing a car and I really don't have a use for one Right now!"

Answer 10

An atheist is someone who knaows there isn't a God. An agnostic is someone who is not sure whether there is a God or not.