Agnostic / sceptic / atheist... can people tell the difference?

Question

Personnally, I consider myself a sceptical atheist.

An agnostic is a person who cannot decide whether they believe in God or not and has not made decision about their belief.
An atheist is a person who believes there is no God.
A Sceptic is a person who believes that we can never KNOW anything with certainty.

To say I am agnostic because I cannot KNOW there is no God is incorrect. It is like fairies at the bottom of the garden: I cannot PROVE there are no invisible fairies there, but I do not believe in them. This makes me a sceptical (because I admit that I do not KNOW FOR CERTAIN) a-fairyist (person who doesn't believe in fairies.

In this sense I am no more agnostic about my belief in God as I am about my belief in fairies. So I class myself as an atheist. I strongly believe there is no God, but I cannot disprove it. This doesn't make me agnostic, it makes me a sceptic.

Has this cleared aything up, or changed the way anybody thinks about their own beliefs?

Answer 1

im an atheist

i cannot know with 100% certainty that invisible pink unicorns dont exist, but still i choose to believe that they dont exist

similarly for god

Answer 2

Technically, an agnostic is a person who believes it's impossible for humans to ever know one way or the other whether God exists. But most people use the word to mean "I can't decide personally."

But going by the technical and original definition of agnosticism, all agnostics are atheists and all atheists are agnostics.

Answer 3

Skeptical atheism is kind of tied to agnosticism. Agnostics don't know what to believe because they cannot prove the exist of God nor can they prove he doesn't exist. Agnosticism does consider other properties in addition that Skepticism doesn't, but I wouldn't say they are different things. I'd say Skepticism is an arm in respect to a full body.

Answer 4

Agnosticism (Greek: ?- a-, without + ?????? gn?sis, expertise; after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the fact value of specific claims — quite metaphysical claims concerning to theology, afterlife or the lifestyles of God, gods, deities, or maybe appropriate fact — is unknown or, counting on the form of agnosticism, inherently unknowable. Demographic study amenities often checklist agnostics contained in the comparable type as atheists and non-non secular human beings[a million], using 'agnostic' contained in the greater moderen experience of 'noncommittal'[2]. although, it is deceptive given the lifestyles of agnostic theists, who perceive themselves as the two agnostics contained in the unique experience and followers of a particular faith. Philosophers and thinkers who've written approximately agnosticism comprise Thomas Henry Huxley, Robert G. Ingersoll, and Bertrand Russell. non secular pupils who wrote approximately agnosticism are Peter Kreeft, Blaise Pascal and Joseph Ratzinger, later elected as Pope Benedict XVI. Atheism, as an specific place, the two affirms the nonexistence of gods[a million] or rejects theism.[2] whilst defined greater extensively, atheism is the absence of theory in deities,[3] although referred to as nontheism.[4] besides the fact that atheism is in lots of situations equated with irreligion, some non secular philosophies, jointly with Jainism, secular theology and a few varieties of Buddhism jointly with Theravada do no longer comprise theory in a private god as a suggestion of the religion. Many self-defined atheists are skeptical of all supernatural beings and cite a loss of empirical info for the lifestyles of deities. Others argue for atheism on philosophical, social or historic grounds. besides the fact that many self-defined atheists tend in the direction of secular philosophies jointly with humanism[5] and naturalism,[6] there is not any one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere.[7] The term atheism originated as a pejorative epithet utilized to everyone or theory in conflict with generic faith.[8] With the unfold of freethought, scientific skepticism, and grievance of religion, the term began to hold jointly a greater particular meaning and has been increasingly greater used as a self-description by potential of atheists.

Answer 5

Well, I'm happy that you've got yourself all figured out, while the rest of humanity is still stumbling around trying to understand what it's all about, Alfie.

Answer 6

I would like to think that people know the difference, however a lot of people don't have the capacity to take in such concepts.

Answer 7

To believe simply means to "hold as true".

There is an element of hope in the word "believe" because we believe something in order to achieve something. When you say you "strongly believe there is no God", you are saying that in order to achieve something that you hope to achieve, you must hold that God doesn't exist. That something that you hope to achieve is your independence from God.

I believe, i.e. hold as true, that God exists because I have a hope of knowing my Creator; others believe that God doesn't exist so they can hope to live their lives apart from His authority and judgment.

Answer 8

I prefer to approach things, as Dawkins describes it, as an "agnostic at heart, but atheist in practice."

Answer 9

I am an Atheist completely like the fanatics in religion I need no proof to back up my beliefs, I have been for an atheist for many years.

Answer 10

Yes, this highlights how different my views are from the doctrinal approach of modern Atheism.