Am I Agnostic or Atheist?

**Ristaron** · 02-17-2007, 10:55 AM

A good deal of people consider themselves to be "agnostics'. By this they mean to identify themselves as 'doubters' on the question of a god's 'existence.' They usually hold to this position of doubt because reason compels them to doubt the existence of any 'god', yet they resist calling themselves atheists because they also want to hold to their disbelief tentatively. Their expressed reason for this is clear: while their reason leads them to doubt the claims of theism, reason also demands that they keep an open mind on the question of 'god'.

If you are one such person then it might interest you to know that your doubt actually makes you an atheist, not an 'agnostic'. Why is this so? Because the word 'theism' simply implies a belief in a god. Therefore, if you find yourself identifying yourself primarly as a doubter of the existence of a god, then you are an a-theist... one who does not accept the claims of theists. That's all the term means - a position of non acceptance, a position of non belief. The fallback position.

You might feel that the word 'atheist' still implies more than what you actually hold to. A common response to hearing that one is an 'atheist' is for some to say: "But I don't disbelieve, I just don't believe!" But take a look at those words carefully: if you literally "don't disbelieve" - then, by double negation, you'd believe! Not disbelieving is believing. But you are not identifying yourself as a theist with doubts, right? You're identifying yourself as a doubter... period. This is atheism.

But you still seek some sort of middle ground, right? Something between theism and rejection of theism. Well relax, because the atheism IS your middle ground. "A-theism"' implies everything that a rational doubter means when he declares himself an 'agnostic', for while it's a common misperception that atheism implies a denial or rejection or active disbelief in the very possibility of a god, this is not so. In fact, we require a special term for those those who hold to such beliefs: "Strong Atheism". The rest of us doubters simply don't hold the belief... we're all atheists. So the missing 'middle ground' that you are looking for: rational tenativeness, is already included within the term 'atheism' itself.

So what does the word "agnostic" actually mean and how ought we use it? Notice the 'a' in front. 'Agnosticism' is a position counter to gnosticism. And what is gnosticism? It's the belief that a human being can possess knowledge about a god. It's actually an epistemological term - about the possibility of knowledge in regard to 'god' claims. Agnostics tend to believe that human beings can't actually know anything about something beyond nature, something theists call 'supernatural'. So they believe that there's no way for a human to know anything about a 'god'. But there are many theists who agree! Theists can be be agnostics! In fact, many theists say that they hold to their god belief on faith because they agree that we humans can't know things about the supernatural, or 'god'. Some very famous theologians have agreed that man is limited and that this means that man cannot have 'god knowledge". The list of theologians would include people like Martin Luther or Soren Kierkegaard.

So when one says that they are an 'agnostic' and they mean a 'doubter', they are really saying that they are agnostic atheists. So if you find that this describes your own 'agnosticism', welcome to atheism!

Original article by Todangst of the Rational Responders Squad.
Am I agnostic or atheist? | Rational Responders
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Damos · 02-20-2007, 05:41 PM

So I guess that would make a gnostic theistic atheist.

**Kelley** · 02-20-2007, 05:52 PM

I seeeee....well then. I guess I am officially atheist.

NachtEngel · 02-20-2007, 06:24 PM

It is my understanding agnostics doubt the idea of God/Deities but did not consider it impossible and atheist were certain there is no such thing as God/deities. I never considered them to be the same thing. This article is saying they are the same thing but I disagree. One side is certain nothing exist and the other thinks it may not possible for us to know about these thing.

02-20-2007, 06:27 PM

Caderyn nailed it.

thats okay...
im still agnostic.

**Kelley** · 02-20-2007, 07:00 PM

Well now I am confused. I thought the same thing as Caderyn...I must be easily swayed.

Mkay, back to agnostic. lol.

NachtEngel · 02-20-2007, 07:10 PM

I am surprised the rational response squad wouldn't know better. I was very disappointed in this article. I hope the point of this was not so they could convince agnostics that they are atheist. I know the rational response squad is very much into getting rid of religion but trying to convince agnostics they are atheist is not a great move on their part.

**Kelley** · 02-20-2007, 08:03 PM

You're right!

You're absolutly right.

02-20-2007, 08:43 PM

yeah. it definatly bothered me how they were trying to recruit atheists.
Not much better than the religions they ridicule.

**Nøz** · 02-21-2007, 01:10 AM

"Strong athiest?" WTF?
I hate how they are braching out like christians..
There is a differance in "doubting" and just dissmissing the idea of a God.
I'm all for helping people see the truth but not like this...