Agnostic v. Atheist, Similarities and Differences Options

Colbert says that Agnostics are Atheists without balls because at least an Atheist can look God in the face and tell him he doesn't exist, but what do you all think the differences are?

Colbert says that Agnostics are Atheists without balls because at least an Atheist can look God in the face and tell him he doesn't exist, but what do you all think the differences are?

Colbert, which I know is just trying to be funny, I know, is completely wrong on the cfact that atheists "look God in the face and tell him he doesn't exist." Atheists, at the present time, do not believe in a deity, because there is no evidence to support the existence of one.

Originally the term "agnostic" meant "cannot know if there is a God or not", or at least that's how Thomas Huxley who coined the phrase intended it to be used.

Today however such an agnostic would be termed a "strong agnostic" or a "permanent agnostic" and most people apply the term agnostic to mean someone who "doesn't know if there is a God or not" (this is known as weak or temporary agnosticism)

An atheist is one who denies the existence of any God or Gods. A strong or explicit atheist denys the possibility of the existence of God, a weak or implicit atheist simply does not currently believe in a God.

*hugs Philosophy*

Colbert says that Agnostics are Atheists without balls because at least an Atheist can look God in the face and tell him he doesn't exist, but what do you all think the differences are?

haha well I wouldn't put it like that. I think agnostics are more open minded, philosophical, considering.

I always had the understanding that

Agnostic- Non denominational believer in god i.e. one who believes in a deity or deities but does not conform or follow an organized religion

Atheist- Simply put, one who does not believe in a deity

No agnostics don't necessarily believe in God. they aren't sure. They don't believe there definetly is a God or isn't. They think at the present time there is evidence to support every religion and evidence for there not being God and at the present time we cannot know if a god exists or not


Yes quenched your pretty much right. We are open to all possibilities but aren't certain about any. I believe any religion could be right and science.

No agnostics don't necessarily believe in God. they aren't sure. They don't believe there definetly is a God or isn't. They think at the present time there is evidence to support every religion and evidence for there not being God and at the present time we cannot know if a god exists or not






I love this quote and couldn't put it better myself.

atheists are people who do not believe in god at all

while agnostics are people who are undecided if they believe or dont believe in god

I have been called a cheater as an agnostic because they say that I am not saying no God, I love that.

Agnostic though originally meant having special knowledge. Agnostics do not deny nor confirm the existence of God. They can have certain leanings however, i.e. I generally lean more atheist but I do not actively reject God's existence. The reason for this is actually in direct contradiction with the true meaning of Agnostic, I do not deny nor confirm because I do not/probably cannot know. This is where questions of faith come in traditionally and I do not have the will to blindly believe, not that it is a negative quality to have faith. Through logic and rationality though I generally side with the atheist belief, but I do defend religion as you have seen in my many posts arguing against both sides.