Agnosticism: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice''|Rush|Freewill}}

"Agnosticism" is the belief that one either cannot know, or cannot decide, whether God exists. The term was coined by [[wikipedia:Thomas Henry Huxley|Thomas Henry Huxley]] in 1869, though the concept has been [http://www.uctaa.net/articles/meds/med13/med244.html kicking around for much longer]. Agnostics usually appear under the category of "non-believers" along with atheists. Incidentally, whilst there is a degree of overlap, agnosticism is not the same as [[Atheism]]. Agnosticism is distinct in the sense that whilst agnostics do not necessarily believe in God, they do not ''disbelieve'' in God either. While agnostics generally agree with atheists on the subject of belief in God or gods, they disagree on the subject of disbelief: a common agnostic criticism of atheism is the scientific principle that "absence of proof does not ~~consitute~~ a disproof".

"Agnosticism" is the belief that one either cannot know, or cannot decide, whether God exists. The term was coined by [[wikipedia:Thomas Henry Huxley|Thomas Henry Huxley]] in 1869, though the concept has been [http://www.uctaa.net/articles/meds/med13/med244.html kicking around for much longer]. Agnostics usually appear under the category of "non-believers" along with atheists. Incidentally, whilst there is a degree of overlap, agnosticism is not the same as [[Atheism]]. Agnosticism is distinct in the sense that whilst agnostics do not necessarily believe in God, they do not ''disbelieve'' in God either. While agnostics generally agree with atheists on the subject of belief in God or gods, they disagree on the subject of disbelief: a common agnostic criticism of atheism is the scientific principle that "absence of proof does not constitute a disproof".

There are many different strands of agnostic thought, including the following :