agnostics
Neither believers nor deniers
Agnostics are people who believe that the existence of God or ultimate reality is unknown or unknowable.
Unlike atheists, who deny God's existence, agnostics suspend judgment: She was raised Catholic but became an agnostic in college.
The term extends beyond religion to anyone who withholds commitment on contested questions: I'm agnostic about whether remote work improves productivity.
Lack of firm belief
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- inquiryRequest for information
- critical thinkingObjective evaluation of information
open-minded · evidence-based · suspension of judgment · unknowable · unprovable · burden of proof
Rejection of deities
- secularismSeparation of faith, state
- freethinkerRejects doctrine for reason
- nonbelieverOne lacking religious faith
- humanismPhilosophy prioritizing earthly reason
irreligion · disbelief · nones · deconversion · apostasy · heretic · infidel · secular
Knowledge through observation
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- naturalismWorldview excluding the supernatural
- materialismPrioritizing goods over spirit
existentialism · humanism · freethought · positivism · pragmatism · Huxley · Russell · Ingersoll
doubt
Lack of firm belief
- questioningSeeking answers through inquiry
- uncertaintyState of being unsure
- inquiryRequest for information
critical thinking · open-minded · evidence-based · suspension of judgment · unknowable · unprovable · burden of proof
atheism
Rejection of deities
- secularismSeparation of faith, state
- freethinkerRejects doctrine for reason
- nonbelieverOne lacking religious faith
humanism · irreligion · disbelief · nones · deconversion · apostasy · heretic · infidel · secular · godless
empiricism
Knowledge through observation
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- naturalismWorldview excluding the supernatural
materialism · existentialism · humanism · freethought · positivism · pragmatism · Huxley · Russell · Ingersoll · epistemology
- thinkersthinkers, thinker, philosophers, philosopher, Aristotle
- nonbelieversatheist, atheists, nonbeliever, nonbelievers, unbeliever
- freethinkersfreethinker, freethinkers, secularists, rationalist, rationalists
- believersbeliever, believers, adherent, devotee, theist
agnosticsbelievers
Those having faith
true believers · dogmatists · atheists · fundamentalists · zealots
agnosticsdevotees
Passionate adherents
adherents · worshippers · practitioners · congregants · communicants