An atheist doesn’t believe in God, while an agnostic isn’t sure if God exists. Atheists may be weak or strong, while agnostics may be open to evidence or belief. Atheists completely discard the concept of faith in God, while agnostics may have a tentative belief. The main difference is openness to the question of God’s existence.
The main difference between an atheist and an agnostic is that the atheist does not believe that God or gods exist, whereas the agnostic is in no way sure because the existence of God or gods, they say, cannot be proven. The atheist can be a weak atheist or a strong atheist. The weak atheist may say, “I’m not sure if gods exist, so I don’t worship any of them. The strong atheist comments: “There is neither God nor gods.”
Some people use the terms atheist or agnostic interchangeably. How much difference is there really between a weak atheist and an agnostic? There is actually some difference. The atheist, whether weak or strong, is not looking for spiritual meaning by finding proof of a god. The agnostic may, on the other hand, look for evidence, or may be open to the evidence or belief that people use to define god. The agnostic does not necessarily rule out that faith may come to him or her at some future time.
The atheist, on the other hand, completely discards the concept of converting to faith in god. Even if the atheist is weak, he never chooses to worship any kind of god. This doesn’t mean that all atheists will remain atheists for life, but many do.
One of the main arguments in favor of atheism is that there is no God. How could an omnipotent being allow evils to occur on earth, such as genocide? Why would an omnipotent being ignore the many cries for help he hears from the faithful?
Most people who believe in God argue that praying doesn’t guarantee that your prayers will be answered. Furthermore, God’s ways are mysterious and beyond the understanding of humans, so we cannot fully understand why God has adopted a laissez-faire policy in the world.
The agnostic might ask the same questions as the atheist, but might occasionally evaluate the mysterious ways a god or gods might move. The agnostic might have a tentative belief in an intelligent presence, but he believes that religions are entangled in doctrine and have failed to clearly define that presence. Again a statement from an agnostic might be “Sometimes I think there might be something out there, but I’m not sure what it is.”
So the main differences between an atheist and an agnostic involve openness to the question of whether God exists. The agnostic seeks proof, or a transforming faith experience. The atheist, on the other hand, refuses to pay homage to any god, because he believes that no god exists.
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