Agnosticism facts for kids
Agnosticism is a way of thinking about whether gods exist. An agnostic person believes that we don't know, or maybe can't know, if any gods are real.
Some agnostics say it's impossible for anyone to ever know if gods exist. Others simply say that they don't know right now.
The word "agnostic" was created in 1869 by an English scientist named Thomas Henry Huxley. He said that agnosticism is not a fixed belief. Instead, it's a way of thinking that is like modern science. It means you should not pretend to be sure about things that cannot be proven.
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What are the different kinds of agnosticism?
There are a few ways people think about agnosticism:
- Hard Agnosticism: This is the idea that it's simply not possible to know if a god or gods exist. No one can ever find out for sure.
- Soft Agnosticism: This means that right now, we don't have enough information to know if any gods exist. But, people with this view think we might find out someday.
- Apathetic Agnosticism: This view suggests that it doesn't really matter whether any god or gods exist or not. It's not something to worry about.
How is agnosticism different from atheism?
People often get agnosticism and atheism mixed up.
- Atheists do not believe that gods exist. Some atheists are sure that no gods exist.
- Many atheists say that people who believe in a god (called theists) need to show proof. If there isn't enough proof, then they don't believe.
Agnostics, on the other hand, focus on knowing. They think we can't know for sure if gods exist.
- Some agnostics actually believe in a god, even if they don't claim to know it's true. These people are called agnostic theists.
- Some people are both atheist and agnostic. They don't believe in any gods, but they also don't claim to know for sure that gods don't exist.
- Other agnostics simply can't decide whether to believe in gods or not.
Other ways of thinking about belief
- Ignosticism: This idea says that the word "god" isn't clear enough. So, saying "god exists" or "god doesn't exist" doesn't really mean anything. Some people think ignosticism is a type of agnosticism or atheism, while others see it as different.
- Agnostic Theism: This is when someone mostly believes in a god or gods, but they are not completely certain.
- Agnostic Atheism: This view means someone thinks a god or gods might or might not exist, but there's no good reason to believe they do.
- Post-theism: This is the idea that religion used to be very important, but it isn't as important anymore.
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See also
In Spanish: Agnosticismo para niños
