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What is the difference between agnostic and atheist?

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Agnosticism is the view that the existence of God is impossible to be known or proven. The word “agnostic” essential means “without knowledge.” Agnosticism is a more intellectually honest form of atheism. Atheism claims that God does not exist – an improvable position. Agnosticism argues that God’s existence cannot be proven or unproven – that it is impossible to know whether God exists. In this concept, agnosticism is correct. God’s existence cannot be empirically proven or disproven.

    Source(s): Recommended Resource: Hard Questions, Real Answers by William Lane Craig.
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Atheism is simply the disbelief in any and every gods. Agnosticism is the concept which states that the existence of any and every gods is unknowable. One can be an Agnostic Atheists which means they don't believe any god or gods exist but they don't know for sure that any god or god don't exist. One can be an Agnostic Theist or Agnostic Deist which means that they believe that a god or gods exist but they don't know for sure that they do exist. Then there are Agnostics who are in between Agnostic Theists/Agnostic Deists and Agnostic Atheists who feel that the existence or non existence of any god or gods is simply unknowable.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnosticism

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Atheists reject the idea of a god. Agnostics aren't so sure, but are turned off by the idea of the Abrahamic God. Plus the term "spiritual" has deeper meaning for them.

    In the end, we're all one race. Humans, after all. I suppose we'll find out the truth soon enough. I also suppose the truth will be much more fascinating than we can imagine.

  • 1 decade ago

    A agnostic is a doubter,maybe there is, maybe there isn't a God etc. An atheist believes there is NO God with a good amount of certainty.

  • 1 decade ago

    atheist believe there is no god or anything. what you see is what you get type of thing. agnostic is generally undecided. they might believe in something just now sure or it doesn't conform to any accepted religions.

  • 1 decade ago

    Basically speaking, atheists do not believe in God at all.

    Agnostics may believe in God, but think that he doesn't care about us or that He is an impersonal force impossible of getting to know.

    Something like that...

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