What keeps an Agnostic from being a Theist (or is that the same thing?)?
2007-11-27 01:48:27 · 36 answers · asked by MrMyers 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The answer to your second question is the ability to think critically and rationally.
The answer to your first question is, simply put, guts.
2007-11-27 01:50:55 · answer #1 · answered by bamidélé 4 · 5⤊ 5⤋
Agnostics are open to the possibility of god, atheists are not. Some agnostics are theists, just not all.
2007-11-27 01:58:56 · answer #2 · answered by ☼ɣɐʃʃɜƾ ɰɐɽɨɲɜɽɨƾ♀ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Agnostics are not the same thing as Theists. Agnostics doubt the existence of a God and Theists do not. I'm sure others have already written this. Atheists believe in absolutely nothing and they're sure of it.
2007-11-27 01:53:34 · answer #3 · answered by Yogini 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The term 'agnostic' was coined by Thomas Huxley and it refers 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.
Therefore 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.
2007-11-27 01:53:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I *AM* an agnostic, but I would think one thing would be a reaction to the number of people who try to "convert" atheists with really bad reasoning.
There must also be some comfort in thinking you KNOW the answer.
I have yet to find someone who says they feel comfortable NOT knowing. There are some agnostics who simply don't think about it, but I don't know of any that actively take comfort in not knowing.
2007-11-27 01:51:29 · answer #5 · answered by Elana 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I still haven't a clue.
I get called called 'atheist' because I have no personal belief in a deity or deities.
I don't deny the possibility of one/them, just don't have any good evidence for it and consider it most likely that all the ones to date are made up and adapted from primal sun gods and nature gods but with more human ego involved and subsequently anthropically challenged...
I think it could be possible to have evidence of one if it existed, so therefore am not agnostic by definition either.
I give up!
What am I? Labels are useful sometimes, but not often..
2007-11-27 01:55:53 · answer #6 · answered by Bajingo 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am an atheist. In my opinion, there is insufficient empirical evidence to support the hypothesis of a god or gods. That explains why I am not an Agnostic.
I cannot speak for an Agnostic. I assume they have researched as have I and have reduced their findings to a concise statement.
2007-11-27 01:56:39 · answer #7 · answered by What? Me Worry? 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
simple....its basically that some individuals can see both sides of the equation and maybe want to beleive in a higher being or power, yet they are conditioned to think otherwise or they have been raised to beleive that god exists, but they find it hard to understand or embrace chrisianity as it is today. for the atheists, there is absolutely NO truth in what they have learnt, nor have they ever been shown anything to prove otherwise, apart from a book that has simply dictated for many years how life was evolved....they just don't see that it could be so simple, plus, the theory of evolution has been taught in schools for many years and that has always contradicted what the bible has stated. the percentage of believers is very low in comparison to those who actually believe, and they have probably been brainwashed into thinking that they are unable to think for themselves and have given too much credit to someone they have never met for the reason they 'feel' so blessed. good for them, but i can assure you that from what i have learnt, the bible has way too many contradictions and lack of true meaning (which is open to many forms of interpretation) therefore, it severely lacks credibility, yet we have an enormous amount of evidence to prove otherwise. people just to believe in something and if god does it for them..that's wonderful, only if it truly makes them a more righteous person and they don't hide under the guise of christianty to lead a more sinister life.
2007-11-27 02:04:35 · answer #8 · answered by leolady0765 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am an agnostic. But I still don't believe in god(s).
Agnostic means nothing more than uncertainty as to the nature/existence of deities. I'm also agnostic towards unicorns.
2007-11-27 01:52:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
For many the answer is unfortunately is arrogance. Atheists, when faced by lack of proof, decide that there is no higher authority, which allows them to behave solely in their own interests.
Agnostics base their attitude on logic - they don't have absolute proof so they admit they just don't know.
2007-11-27 02:03:42 · answer #10 · answered by Velouria 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
an atheist doesn't believe in the existence of a god. he's stubborn, and doesn't listen to any beliefs that could possibly change his mind.
a theist believes in one.
an agnostic is just not sure.. he's just a really confused person.. so confused he can't decide on what to believe or not.
2007-11-27 01:56:50 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋