“I'm an atheist — I'm not sure if God exists.”
Usage Entry 1207 / 1350 60-second read
Agnostic vs. Atheist
Uncertain about god(s) versus denying god(s).
The comparisoni
“I'm agnostic — I'm not sure. An atheist actively denies; an agnostic withholds judgement.”
The ruleii
¶
AGNOSTIC = unsure. ATHEIST = denies.
ATHEIST denies the existence of god(s) — an active stance. AGNOSTIC withholds the question, judging it unknowable or undetermined. The terms cover different axes (knowledge vs belief), so some identify as "agnostic atheist."
Memory aidiii
Remember it like this
Agnostic doesn't know. Atheist doesn't believe.