This post was contributed by Emo.I hear people all the time using phrases like, “I’m not an atheist, I’m an agnostic”. It really bothers me to hear people say things like this. (A)gnostic and (a)theist are not mutually exclusive terms; in fact, they complement each other if used properly. Let’s examine the terms and see what the words really mean.
Gnosticism is about knowledge or the lack of, that’s it. If you are a Gnostic you know something - in this case the existence or non-existence of a deity.
Theism is the belief in a god, and atheism is the lack of belief in one.
I for example am an agnostic atheist. That means I have no knowledge of the existence of a deity and also have no belief in such. I know examples of agnostic theists (i.e., Christians who believe in god but will admit that they have no proof or certain knowledge of Gods existence).
In summation, if you cannot make the statement: “I believe in God,” then you are by definition an atheist. If you cannot say directly, “I know that god exists,” then you are agnostic. Clearly you can be both, and most people who label themselves as agnostic are actually saying they are atheists and many people who claim to be Christians are in fact agnostic.
emo
Ridgeland, MS
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