Agnostics and Athiests
By Myrrdin
@Myrrdin (3599)
Canada
December 4, 2007 8:25am CST
I am an agnostic, but most religious people place me in the same category as atheists because I do not follow any religious doctrine. I thought I'd write this to clear up the differences a little.
Agnostic means without knowledge. It comes from greek word gnostic which translates as knowledge, and the prefix :a" which means without. This does not mean that I am ignorant of religious beliefs, but rather that I don't know the truth about god. Moreover, for me personally, I believe that true knowledge of god is inherently unknowable. I do believe in a god, I just don't believe in the god of the Bible or any other religious book. To me a truly benevolent omniscient and omnipotent god would not need to dictate his laws to the people, but rather ingrain them with the law in their very make up. Furthermore a omniscient and omnipotent god would not worry what you called him or how you worshiped, as long as you led a just and moral life you would be granted access to heaven if such a thing exists at all. God would not make ou pass through all these fancy rites of passage in order to enter heaven, you would be accepted. As such an unbaptised baby would not end up in pergatory but rather heaven since they are innocent. A benevolent omniscient and omnipotent god would not care if you were straight or homosexual as long as you led your life morally.
So now I know some religious persons are reading this and saying, well how do you know what is moral if god does not tell you. I answer, what makes you think he hasn't. Everyone knows it is wrong to kill someone without just cause, we don't need the ten commandments to tell us this, we know it in our hearts. Organized religion served its purpose, but by its very nature it corrupts any divinity it touches simply because it is man's interpretation of said divinity.
I have no doubt there is a god, however I also have no doubt that no single religion holds the truth of who or what that god is or wants.
3 people like this
7 responses
@marmalaide (470)
•
4 Dec 07
If you have no doubt there is a god, you are a theist. Or possibly a deist. Theists are just people who believe in a deity, regardless of any other beliefs they might or might not have. Deists believe that although God created the world initially, he does not play an active role in how it functions now.
An agnostic is generally considered to be someone who does not know whether or not there even IS a god and does not have any particular conviction one way or the other. It is not usually considered to be someone like you who thinks that the truth ABOUT God is unknowable but takes it for granted that a deity exists. Most Christians would probably agree that we can never truly know the mind of God.
But hey, you can call yourself whatever you like. I am just saying, that is the commonly accepted use of the term, and if you are calling yourself an agnostic it is no wonder people are getting confused. I would say the difference between an agnostic and an atheist is, an agnostic is a passive UNbeliever but an atheist is an active DISbeliever.
1 person likes this
@Myrrdin (3599)
• Canada
6 Dec 07
Not entirely true, agnosticism covers a whole range and the first agnositics such as Sir Issac Newton believed that the truth of god was unknowable. Newton was a Christian leaning agnostic, the term theist or deists are both terms describing a person who is religious regardless of religion, Christians for example are both theists and deists, everyone who is religious is a theist and/or deist.
As I stated Agnosticism covers a range of those who are unsure if god even exists at all ie. Atheist leaning agnostics to those who think the bible is basically right but that the details are just muddled my human influence Christian leaning Agnostics. Of course it isn't just a scale from one end to another all religions have their agnostic leaning members.
It may be a common misconception that an agnostic is basically a passive atheist, but it is a misconception none the less.
@marmalaide (470)
•
7 Dec 07
I don't think many Christians would be happy to be defined as deists by the dictionary definition of the word since they generally believe that God IS at work in the world carrying out miracles etc.
Of course one can be a religious agnostic. You can believe in God while admitting you are uncertain whether he exists because such proof is impossible. But the fact that you have NO DOUBT that there is a god means that you are not in that category. You are a theist who believes that the precise nature of God (as opposed to his existence) is unknowable. It is a perfectly respectable position and you should not be ashamed of calling it by its proper name!
While it is entirely up to you whether you choose to disregard the definitions given in official sources, you may find it difficult to have debates with people if you persist in making up your own meanings for commonly used terms. Language is a social and communal system, so the words we use mean what they mean according to general consensus.
@marmalaide (470)
•
7 Dec 07
Also, I should add, that language changes over time so even if your definition of agnosticism worked in the seventeenth century, it just doesn't mean that in the modern world. It is like if I were to call you silly and gay, you might take offence, and me saying that I was using the words in their orginal medieval sense of holy and happy would not make a whole lot of difference to that!
@uzzielvismanos (60)
• Philippines
5 Dec 07
if you are an agnostic then you are an atheists. i do believe in that. but why is it that you had no doubt there is God? Who is your GOD?
@Myrrdin (3599)
• Canada
6 Dec 07
An agnostic is definitely not an atheist. I have no doubt of a god existing because of the very existence of the universe to me it only makes sense. As to who my god is, I believe I already stated that the basic truths of god are inherently unknowable. The god I believe exists likely has no name, for what reason would he have to have one?
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
4 Dec 07
Of course you know that I'm neither atheist or agnostic, and that I do believe in very specific Gods, if you've read many of my posts around here. So why am I poking my head into your discussion? :P
To congratulate you of course, on your wonderful clarification here. I already knew the difference between atheists and agnostics, but I don't think I could have spelled it out this well. Thanks for sharing! :)
@miracleworld (201)
• India
5 Dec 07
i dont believe in any religion....but i do belive that thee is a almighty in this wierd world anyway be some where else ...in the universe
Regards
Harry
@Monkeyrose (2840)
• Canada
5 Dec 07
While I know an atheist is a person who believes there is no higher being or god, I had a different understanding of agnostic. I had always thought agnostic was someone who says god could or could not exsist.
Honestly the god you seem to be saying that you don't believe in is the christian one. There are many other gods and higher beings. I personally believe in more of an energy life flow.
However sometimes it is difficult to put our religions in categories. I call myself wiccan but I do not follow all the rules, nor do I really believe in spells in the same sense that many witches do.
@zhongzay (4)
• China
5 Dec 07
I don't believe there is a god in our world,and I don't know why people believe god or other deites so much.I say this doesn't oppse people who are deites,I just want to say what I am thinking.But some times,you have to think about whether there is a man who we call "god".For example,when something which is strang happen on us,and we can't explain it.
@smwilliams (647)
• United States
4 Dec 07
I could not have said it better! I was raised in generations of a Methodist family which by no means is a strict religion. However as I got older I questioned so many things about religion and churches. I know that there is a God yes....And I dont believe that I have to go to church every Sunday to appreciate what God has given me in my life. I can go outside and see how beautiful it is and just be Thankful for the opportunity to be living and breathing. I can see how wonderful my children are and be Thankful for them...Who is to say what is right and wrong? And as far as I am concerned the Bible was written by humans...not God himself/herself. I know what is right and I know what is wrong and everyone has that instilled into them, but According to the church...God is loving and caring and the vengeful and mad the next....Who wouldnt be confused?
Thanks for discussing this topic!
