#agnostic

The problem I want to talk to you about tonight is the problem of belief. What does it mean to believe? We use this word all the time, and I think behind it lurk some really extraordinary taboos and confusions. What I want to argue tonight is that how we talk about belief- how we fail to criticize or criticize the beliefs of others, has more importance to us personally, more consequence to us personally and to civilization than perhaps anything else that is in our power to influence. ↗

— Sam Harris

#atheism #belief #ethics #humanism #religion

People are invariably surprised to hear me say I am both an atheist and an agnostic, as if this somehow weakens my certainty. I usually reply with a question like, “Well, are you a Republican or an American?” The two words serve different concepts and are not mutually exclusive. Agnosticism addresses knowledge; atheism addresses belief. The agnostic says, “I don't have a knowledge that God exists.” The atheist says, “I don't have a belief that God exists.” You can say both things at the same time. Some agnostics are atheistic and some are theistic. ↗

— Dan Barker

#agnosticism #atheism #atheist

Are we biology or God or something higher? I know my heart beats and I listen to it. The beat is biology, but what is the song? ↗

— James Frey

#biology #frey #god #james #little

I oscillate between agnosticism and atheism. ↗

— Brad Pitt

#atheism #between #i

Practically all the prominent leaders of thought in China today are openly agnostics and even atheists. ↗

— Hu Shih

#atheists #china #even #leaders #openly

Another important historical factor is the fact that this already very simple religion was further simplified and purified by the early philosophers of ancient China. Our first great philosopher was a founder of naturalism; and our second great philosopher was an agnostic. ↗

— Hu Shih

#already #ancient #another #china #early

My mother was very agnostic. She would never set foot in the synagogue, she couldn't be doing with it. ↗

— Janet Suzman

#doing #foot #mother #never #set

You happen to be talking to an agnostic. You know what an agnostic is? A cowardly atheist. ↗

— Studs Terkel

#atheist #cowardly #happen #know #talking

Interviewer: "Didn't [Sagan] want to believe?" Druyan: "He didn't want to believe. He wanted to know. ↗

— Ann Druyan

#astronomy #atheism #carl-sagan #science #science

We all ought to understand we're on our own. Believing in Santa Claus doesn't do kids any harm for a few years but it isn't smart for them to continue waiting all their lives for him to come down the chimney with something wonderful. Santa Claus and God are cousins. ↗

— Andy Rooney

#atheism #belief #beliefs #god #gods