“Not atheistic” means that you‘re not in the class of people who don’t believe in any god - so you’re a theist, you believe in at least one god. Most agnostic atheists are VERY close to be certain. So I’m honest. All Rights Reserved. The term atheist opens up the can of worms between “soft atheists” (who simply lack a belief in God) and “hard atheists” (who actively assert God doesn’t exist), and is freighted with so much societal baggage that I’ve been loath to claim it. Nothing planned just now, but, well, I don’t control such things! (It seems to me that you’ve rightly ruled out not only the Christian god, but any god that could be both omnipotent and well-disposed toward us.) This site is a haven for those who are pushing back against the norm, and a place for believers of gods to have their beliefs exposed as false should they want to try their hand at confronting us. Thanks for referring me here. Agnosticism deals with knowledge. I too have seen the war waged between agnostics and atheists, with atheists happy with nothing other than forcing self-professed agnostics to a complete denial of any gods in any way whatsoever. I gather that, given your admirably conceived and expressed response to the problem of evil (here and especially in God’s Problem), any existent “spiritual power/intelligence” would have to be either A) malevolent toward us and all sentient beings in this world, B) unable to control events and conditions in this world (e.g., perhaps like a cosmic bungler, unable to fix what it botched when it set the world going) or C) entirely unconcerned about this world (like Epicurus’ gods). vs All comments will be moderated by the post author before release. 149,412 visitors' top results Created June 2011. quizony.com Â© . If you think you answered incorrectly, you can always go back to any question and change your answer. There is no real difference. Maybe the creator is something in all living things cells, maybe it's a ball of energy out in space that creates matter, maybe the creator exist in a different dimension. Aeolus and Zephyrus have been banished to the archives of legend and/or myth. Some have argued that because so many people report having had “religious experiences”, photisms, voices, etc., that constitutes proof that there is a divine being. I suppose if you applied the same hyper-literal approach to “agnostic” it would simply mean “not a gnostic”, which would describe pretty much everyone today! An atheist lacks faith in God, believes there is no god, or lacks awareness of gods.An agnostic either believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a god or is noncommittal on the issue.The difference may seem small, but atheism and agnosticism are actually vastly different worldviews. A Fund-Raising Webinar: What Can We Really Know about the Birth of Jesus?? Yet, it is as you say. In this sense, agnosticism is the tenet that it simply is not possible, _in_principle_, to know whether there is a god. Therefore, in regard to the Olympic gods, speaking to a purely philosophical audience, I would say that I am an Agnostic. There is a big difference between these two things. All well and good. Very good answer. By continuing, you agree to Quizony's Privacy Policy and Cookie use. Dr Ehrman, I am an atheist and a secular humanist and do my best to follow the Ten Commitments. The atheist does not believe there is a God, the agnostic isn't sure if he believes in God. Please ask only one question per comment posted. An intresting artical I found see below A good deal of people consider themselves to be agnostics. They demonstrate to us what we can become and what we can accomplish if we simply choose to. I don't really have a religion, I don't go to church, and I believe the big bang theory is a very possible way the world could have been created, and I support the idea of it. I’ll be trying to wrap my mind around that. The distinction between those two words is almost purely rhetorical, and it is much more about politics. I require evidence to allow a level of certainty analogous to the burden of proof in criminal cases in the United States-beyond a reasonable doubt. Interesting. But at this point, however, the lecturer added as an aside, saying (quote): Think you know where you stand on the religious spectrum? Hey I have a quick question. 3 Comments. Since I became a Rationalist I have found that there is still considerable scope in the world for the practical importance of a rationalist outlook, not only in matters of geology, but in all sorts of practical matters, such as divorce and birth control, and a question which has come up quite recently, artificial insemination, where bishops tell us that something is gravely sinful, but it is only gravely sinful because there is some text in the Bible about it. So, if you don't believe in God, but don't claim certainty, you are an agnostic atheist. I think people who get worked up about labels need to realize there are more important issues in the world. My own personal position is that, while I do not like the term “atheist” as a label (we don’t use the label non-alchemist or non-astrologist), I place myself very close to the “no-god” end of the spectrum because of how I view the burden of proving an idea. But the standard for me is very high. Where do you stand on the spectrum. Ross championed agnosticism in opposition to the atheism of Charles Bradlaugh as an open-ended spiritual exploration. Think you know where you stand on the religious spectrum? ), I guess if we wanted to summarize these two views the distinction would be something like: But there is the more technical (and I believe both more original and more interesting) meaning of the term that ties deeply into its epistemological roots. Why don’t you believe in Jesus? I know it doesn’t matter but when people ask I want to make sure my definition is correct. Credit and Debit Cards Processed: Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, AmericanExpress, Diners Club, JCB, UnionPay, ApplePay, and GooglePay. https://www.patreon.com/confrontingignorance Video produced by Confronting Ignorance. By this definition I would actually be an agnostic atheist. If so, you choose “atheist.”, I’m glad *you* thought it was hilarious ! According to Wikipedia’s definition of agnostic atheism, “Agnostic atheism, also called atheistic agnosticism, is a philosophical position that encompasses both atheism and agnosticism. I was spoke with Lawrence Krauss and he will be on Colbert shortly but he seemed a tad nervous about his upcoming interview for his book. I do find it funny that internet community of non-religious often get caught up on these labels. How does organized religion make you feel? Agnostic atheism is a philosophical position that encompasses both atheism and agnosticism.Agnostic atheists are atheistic because they do not hold a belief in the existence of any deity, and are agnostic because they claim that the existence of a deity is either unknowable in principle or currently unknown in fact.. Post; Browse. I thought you did a good job on both of your appearances. I think another possibility is that we simply cannot detect the greater pattern…. Please keep your comments relevant to the issues discussed in the post. Atheists are against all religion; agnostics are accepting of religion. No, I don’t believe in Jesus; I think he was completely human, and was later transformed into something more…. Am I Agnostic or Atheist? I like your definitions based on “faith” and “knowledge.” I, too, have been having trouble putting my thoughts on this in a box. I personally do not care one way or another. However even though I personally don't believe in a God I don't aggressively deny the existence of one as others atheist seem to do. Take this quiz to see where you stand with your faith. I have been getting this question a lot, and so I’ve decided to try to explain my position a bit more fully here in this post. Which, I suppose, was my point. This test is not based on any scientific study whatsoever. The agnostic atheist may be contrasted with the agnostic theist, who does believe that one or more deities exist but claims that the existence or nonexistence of such is unknown or cannot be known.” Although you just say you’re an agnostic, I believe you more fit the pattern of the agnostic theist. Could it be that you don’t believe the Christian God exists, but are open to the possibility that some kind of higher power exists (this is my perspective) and this is why you call yourself agnostic? If so, you choose “agnostic.” Do you want to build a bridge to your Christian friends and colleagues just so you can carry a battering ram to their castle gate? More specifically that the answers to such questions are, virtually by definition, beyond the scope of human knowledge.. (This is typified in many brands of philosophy –for example Christian Existentialism, most notably in the works of Kierkegaard– where the acceptance of god is considered possible only as an explicit act of faith, and never of knowledge. But no, the modern term was not invented in relation to ancient Gnosticism. Do not think about the answers too long. Agnostic atheism is a philosophical position that encompasses both atheism and agnosticism. It is not gravely sinful because it does anybody harm, and that is … I’ve wrestled with what to call myself for the past few years since my Pentecostal faith (followed by a more fuzzy general Christian faith) have unraveled. Do you think that you have to go to church in order to be a good person? Well, roughly speaking it’s right. This is one of the clearest dissections of the two terms I’ve come across. Am I atheist or agnostic? Belief in god/s is something that is a very heated thing these days? But I do believe in a scientific form of creator. My dictionary informs me that an ATHEIST is “Someone who denies the existence of god,”* while an AGNOSTIC is “A person who claims that they cannot have true knowledge about the existence of God (but does not deny that God might exist)”. I get on with my life on earth and am indifferent to the Universe I see the work of the Creator and his presence in everything If you would like to ask a question, simply ask it in your comment. called the “Gnostics”. But surely there is no indication that the term “agnostic” is in any way associated with or derived from the first century beliefs of the “Gnostics”, is there?). I'm the biggest non believer in a god in the whole wide world but consider myself an agnostic. What Does It Even Mean to Have an “Original” of An Ancient Writing? “This is where we get the term ‘agnostic’.”, This can’t possibly be correct can it? Now we see that wind is molecules of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and atoms of argon in motion, exerting pressure on whatever surface they encounter. Well said. It would have to be over wine. Atheists are in some degree agnostics for the reason you described here. 4 from 485 votes. After spending 37 years as a believer, I am now a firm agnostic, but I am still having a hard time crossing over to become an atheist. That seems kind narrow to me. Or have you ever questioned your faith and/or belief in God? I think the problem is that we have no access to “the wisdom of God” except through our own brains — there’s no other way! I prefer to identify myself as a SKEPTIC; i.e., “Someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs” (spec., orthodox Judeo-Christian beliefs). Bertrand Russell Good post, thanks for sharing. what does “God” mean? Do We Have Paul’s Original Letter to the Philippians? Agnostic-atheists cannot simplify their self-designation as “atheist” for the chic value because it is inaccurate to do so. (Well, I did *kind* of enjoy them; but it’s a challenge, knowing that no matter what you say, you’re going to get *zinged*.) – “I *can’t* know if there’s a god.”. An agnostic atheist doesn't believe in any gods while an agnostic theist believes in the existence of at least one god. Questions. Thanks. If the question is do I believe in the literal existence of Yahweh and/or his eternal son Jesus, then I am certainly an atheist. Women   |  Men   |  Couples   |  Adults   |  Kids   |  Living   |  Health   |  Career   |  Animals   |  Entertainment   |  Food   |  Personality   |  Technology   |  Sport   |  Travel, Home  |  Advertise  |  Contact  |  About  |  Privacy Policy  |  Cookie Policy. It has puzzled me before what you meant by being an agnostic…especially after I heard you say that you don’t believe in God. “God” isn’t a word so it can’t be framed into a question of belief, disbelief or doubt. Ok to be honest I'm just writing random stuff here because I'm required to by GoToQuiz. Or how about the thought of attending church on Sundays? Are You Atheist, Agnostic, Pantheist, Deist, Pagan or what? “Agnostic” is a qualifier to the theist/atheist label. I see it as also a question of knowledge. Very well said Bart. Are you an atheist, agnostic or believer? I've always labeled myself an agnostic, but it's not clearly defined.. Could you tell me what I am, based on my beliefs? Take this quiz to see where you stand with your faith. BUT in an infinite universe I cannot rule out the possibility (however small) that their may be one. An “Agnostic” is someone who does *not* know (e.g., about whether there is a God). But until recently I have started to question whether or not I would be considered an Atheist or Agnostic. Your final result may surprise you. I see no evidence of a personal and loving God and that has made me an agnostic. You can’t reasonably be 100% certain that there is no Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! But if God can be defined more broadly, either as any kind of universal intelligence or even a nebulous “force” (in which case I’m still waiting on my lightsaber), then I have to honestly cop to agnostic.