A Controversial Position on Belief System: Atheism and Agnosticism

Surveying different people on their perspectives on religion will lead to having diverse answers. This is because the term religion is pluralistic. However, it is often said that Religion is simply the belief in the existence of a Supreme Being.

Religion, a word so constantly debated on, has been given several definitions by various scholars. There are a lot of religious institutions that have been identified and some major world religions are: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. We have some terms used in relation to religion like monotheism, dualism, deism, theism, polytheism etc. In this article, the world of atheists and agnosticists will be explored. Pretty exciting right?

The terms, atheism and agnosticism, have caused some controversy amongst people in society because they sometimes find it difficult to understand the true meaning of each concept without mixing them together. I believe a lot of people have at one time or the other encountered these two terms. For instance, you’ve probably heard someone say “God doesn’t exist! Explaining these two terms in this section and also elaborating on their differences will be the focus of today’s article.

What do we refer to as Atheism and Agnosticism, do they have any difference or do they share a common similarity? Atheism and agnosticism are two terms often used in discussions about belief systems and the existence of a higher power. While both positions share some similarities, they differ fundamentally in their approach to the question of God or gods.

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Atheism

The word atheism was coined by ancient Greek philosophers, it means the denial of or lack of belief in the existence of a god or gods. The term atheism comes from the Greek prefix “a-” meaning “without,” and the Greek word theos, meaning “deity.” The denial of god’s existence is also known as strong, or positive atheism, whereas the lack of belief in god is known as negative, or weak, atheism (Encarta Dictionary). This simply means that atheism can be viewed in different lights or angles depending on the person’s disposition. The Greek poet and philosopher Epicurus is believed to have been the first to use the term in his book “Principal Doctrines.” However, how long this belief or school of thought has existed cannot be determined. The Atheists are rationalist who believe in the sense of reasoning and do not attribute anything that happens to be the result of believing in a supernatural being. They do not follow any guidelines, principle or doctrine, all their beliefs is based on knowledge and empiricism. An Atheist believes that individuals must take responsibility for their action and not relate it to divine being or powers or blame their actions as results of disobeying a deity. Scholars research has estimated that there are over 240 million atheists around the world.

Atheism can be caused by several reasons, For instance, we have people who arrive at this point because of their lack of belief in supernatural powers or inability to comprehend what the divine being is about. This could be due to the unanswered questions and some phenomenon which religion cannot give due answers to in the end. While some become atheist as a result of the Negative experience they’ve encountered with religious organization. Different people have their views about Atheism and how they came about their own perspective. While some atheists are rationalists, that is, they believe knowledge comes from reasoning, some are empiricists who believe knowledge comes from experience. This explains the different versions of atheism and their various aspects to it. It is also important for us to note that there is a difference between atheism and antitheism while atheism denies the existence of God, anti-theism are those who oppose or are against any religious doctrines, practices and beliefs. The anti-theist believe religion has more of a negative influence and impact on the people which is why they oppose religion critically. Atheism is therefore termed as another notion of understanding world view although it does not provide answers to questions of deep phenomenon.

Agnosticism

This is quite different from atheism, it says that the existence of a supernatural being or divine being is not known. Agnosticism explains that the existence of supernatural powers is not just unknown but also beyond our own imaginations and control. The term was coined by Thomas Huxley in the 19th century, the Greek word means “without knowledge.”  Their stance is different from that of the atheist because they do not say whether a supreme being exists or not but rather they believe our knowledge about the supreme being is limited and beyond our comprehension. According to this school of thought the existence of a supernatural being cannot be proven through rationalism or empiricism. Agnosticism explains the limitations of human in knowing about things of supernatural phenomenon, this distinguishes them from the atheist who clearly denies the existence of God. Agnostics are open to new ideas and revelations and do not have a stoic opinion, but they are also open to some changes or newer revelations. Agnosticism also has different angles to it because we have some that believe in the existence of supernatural beings but the knowledge about their nature is not known while there are some who do not believe in the existence of these gods but acknowledge there are some issues beyond human control.

Just like Atheism, this school of thought does not give specific answers to moral and spiritual questions but it explains the limitations of human knowledge about the existence or non-existence of  gods. Atheism and Agnosticism are two different philosophical positions on the existence and non-existence of supernatural powers and beings.

Differences between Atheism and Agnosticism

The differences between Atheism and Agnosticism cannot be exhausted in this section as there are other parts to them that are yet to be brought to light. However, they both have some similarities. For instance, both belief systems rejects religious doctrines and code of conduct likewise they both lack individual belief systems. These schools of thought are also known to shape the way people think or behave in the society, not only that both positions prioritize the importance of critical thinking. We have cases where people identify to be both agnostic and an atheist because of some alternating points of view. However, the differences between both positions are more glaring than we can imagine.

In summary, while atheism and agnosticism are often used interchangeably, they represent distinct positions in the spectrum of belief regarding the existence of deities. Atheism involves a lack of belief in gods due to perceived lack of evidence, while agnosticism emphasizes the inherent uncertainty and unknowability of the divine question. Both positions contribute to the rich tapestry of philosophical perspectives on matters of faith and existence.