The way I understand the terms, it is personal belief that most people assess themselves by when they claim a label. I don't believe god exists. But that is belief and not knowledge. For knowledge, the belief must be justified and true, and I don't think that's possible to determine either way regarding all definitions of a god. The truth is, no one "knows", at the same time we have our beliefs.DWill wrote:I mean by 'degree of truth,' that it's quite understandable for someone who doesn't believe in God, but knows that it is a cherished concept of his listeners, to soften the blow by identifying as agnostic. So that could be interpreted as a failure of nerve. Agnostic doesn't sound nearly as bad to people. If you really feel that you're undecided about God, I don't mean that you're hedging in order not to get in trouble in case he's real.
Is an atheist someone who merely believes god doesn't exist? Or must it be knowledge? I've always gone by what I know(as far as I can determine). Which means I'm agnostic. I've never seen this as a cowardly stance. To me, it's always been the more honest position. To acknowledge where we lack knowledge is a virtue.