On this page:
1. Overview
2. Agnostics in London
3. Subdivisions
4. Places of worship
5. Holy texts
6. Prayer
7. Main festivals
8. Diet
9. Dress
10. Language
11. Life cycle
12. Ethics
13. Special issues
PLEASE NOTE: This section (Agnosticism) breaks with the pattern established for other faiths – where each subsection (Prayer, Diet, Dress, etc) is given its own page. Due to the nature of Agnosticism there is not a great deal to say about it in the context of this site, and so the whole Agnosticism section is contained on this page. You may use the skip links above to jump to the required subsection.
Overview
Agnosticism ('a', without + 'gnosis' (Greek), knowledge) may be defined in simple terms by the following two quotations:"O God, if there is a god, save my soul, if I have a soul."
Ernest Renan (1823-1892), French philosopher and writer
"An agnostic thinks it impossible to know the truth in matters such as God and the future life, with which Christianity and other religions are concerned. Or, if not impossible, at least impossible at the present time."
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970).British philosopher, historian, logician, mathematician, advocate for social reform, and pacifist.
Demographic research services normally list Agnostics in the same category as Atheists and non-religious people. However, this can be misleading.
History
Famous agnostic thinkers
Among the most famous agnostics have been Thomas Henry Huxley, Robert G. Ingersoll and Bertrand Russell.Thomas Henry Huxley
Thomas Henry Huxley PC FRS (4 May 1825 Ð 29 June 1895) was an English biologist, known as "Darwin's Bulldog" for his advocacy of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.
Agnostic views are as old as philosophical skepticism, but the terms agnostic and agnosticism were created by Huxley Huxley to describe his own views on religion, a term whose use has continued to the present day. He began to use the term 'agnostic' in 1869, although his opinions had taken shape some time before that date. In a letter of 23 September 1860, to Charles Kingsley, Huxley discussed his views extensively.
Robert G. Ingersoll
Robert G. Ingersoll, an Illinois lawyer and politician who evolved into a well-known and sought-after orator in 19th century America, has been referred to as the "Great Agnostic."
In an 1896 lecture titled Why I Am An Agnostic, Ingersoll explained:
"Is there a supernatural power—an arbitrary mind—an enthroned God—a supreme will that sways the tides and currents of the world—to which all causes bow? I do not deny. I do not know—but I do not believe…
Is there a God? I do not know. Is man immortal? I do not know. One thing I do know, and that is, that neither hope, nor fear, belief, nor denial, can change the fact. It is as it is, and it will be as it must be… when asked what is beyond the horizon of the known, we must say that we do not know."
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (1872-1970), was a British philosopher, historian, logician, mathematician, advocate for social reform, and pacifist. Although usually regarded as English, as he spent the majority of his life in England, he was born and raised in Wales.A prolific writer, Russell was a populariser of philosophy and a commentator on a large variety of topics.
In Russell's 1947 pamphlet, Am I An Atheist Or An Agnostic? he considers the problem of what to call himself:
As a philosopher, if I were speaking to a purely philosophic audience I should say that I ought to describe myself as an Agnostic, because I do not think that there is a conclusive argument by which one can prove that there is not a God.
On the other hand, if I am to convey the right impression to the ordinary man in the street I think I ought to say that I am an Atheist, because when I say that I cannot prove that there is not a God, I ought to add equally that I cannot prove that there are not the [Greek] gods.
However, in 1953, in his essay What is an Agnostic?, Russell says:
I think that if I heard a voice from the sky predicting all that was going to happen to me during the next twenty-four hours, including events that would have seemed highly improbable, and if all these events then produced to happen, I might perhaps be convinced at least of the existence of some superhuman intelligence.
Agnostics in London
The London Atheist and Agnostic Friends Meetup GroupLike Atheists, Agnostics are individuals who do not seek to belong to any particular group or organisation, but there is a new group that has recently been set up in London through which both Atheists and Agnostics can meet one another. Click on the above link for their website
Subdivisions
NonePlaces of worship
There are no designated places of worship.Holy texts
There are no prescribed texts. The oath is taken by a secular affirmation.Prayer
Agnostics have no prescribed prayers.Main festivals
Agnostics do not celebrate religious festivals unless they do so in a secular way that celebrates a tradition but unrelated to any belief in the religious significance or worship of God.Diet
Atheists have no dietary requirements other than those of the individualDress
Atheists have no particular dress requirements.Language
Related glossary of terms
AtheismDerived from the Greek 'a' meaning 'not' and 'theos' meaning 'god' which together mean 'not-god'.
An Atheist does not believe in god or postulate the existence of gods or spiritual beings. Christian religious teachers often give an incorrect derivation of Atheism from the Greek 'anti' meaning 'against' and 'theos' meaning 'god' which together mean 'against-god'. But this may be used to present a controversial picture of Atheists.
Existentialism
Philosophical theory emphasising existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining his/her own development.
Freethinker
A freethinker rejects authority and dogma, especially in his religious thinking, preferring rational inquiry and speculation.
Humanism
Humanists believe that human beings have the right and responsibility to give shape and meaning to their own lives. They aim to build a society based on human and other natural values derived from reason and free inquiry. They do not believe in anything supernatural.
Rationalism
Theory that reason is the foundation of certainty in knowledge, the attitude of mind which unreservedly accepts the supremacy of reason. A rationalist is beyond dogma, and believes nothing is beyond questioning, as nothing is absolutely certain to be true. However, some things are more reasonably likely to be true than others, and it is personal, rational observation that serves as the basis for all knowledge.
Secularism
Secularists believe in the separation of church and state and believe it is wrong that religious groups should have privileged access to political power or any influence in the framing of laws. They want the historical results of any such influence to be erased.
Secularists also advocate that no religious groups should be in receipt of state funds or subsidies (e.g., tax relief), nor benefit from methods of information dissemination directed or funded by the state - e.g., education in state schools, programming on state funded television channels.
Scepticism
Sceptics are concerned with debunking what in their view is 'religious hokum', and also anything connected with the occult, paranormal, supernatural and pseudoscientific ideas and practices in general
Life cycle
Religious ceremonies like christenings, weddings and funerals, etc may be marked by Agnostics with their own rituals for these events that give them meaning and significance without any religious content.These ceremonies differ from mainstream secular ceremonies like civil weddings, in that they are highly personalised for the individuals concerned.
Ethics
In practical terms Agnostics often follow the same moral code as religious people, but they arrive at the decision of what is good or bad without any help from the idea of God.Oath
Atheists do not swear an oath from any religious text including the Bible. They swear a secular affirmation.Special issues
Be aware that Agnostics might feel offended by an assumption of faith.Atheism
On this page:
1. Overview
2. Atheists in London
3. Subdivisions
4. Places of worship
5. Holy texts
6. Prayer
7. Main festivals
8. Diet
9. Dress
10. Language
11. Life cycle
12. Ethics
13. Special issues
PLEASE NOTE: This section (Atheism) breaks with the pattern established for other faiths – where each subsection (Prayer, Diet, Dress, etc) is given its own page. Due to the nature of Atheism there is not a great deal to say about it in the context of this site, and so the whole Atheism section is contained on this page. You may use the skip links above to jump to the required subsection.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to those who have so generously helped in the preparation of this section for their help and support.Overview
The word Atheism derives from 'a', meaning 'without', and 'theism' meaning 'belief in god or gods'.Atheists do not believe in a god or gods or divine beings, or they believe that such concepts are not meaningful.
Some Atheists put it more firmly and believe that a god or gods do not exist.
Unlike Agnosticism (see separate link on left-hand menu), which leaves open the question of whether or not there is a God, Atheism is a positive denial.
Many Atheists are also secularist, that is they are opposed to any special treatment given to organised religion, including its involvement in politics.
The fact is that more than half the worlds population, and more than 90% of the world's scientists do not believe in a personal god, and hence would be considered Atheists by many Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Worldwide, there are about 1.1 billion non-religious people; only two religions have more numbers: Christianity and Islam.
History
There have been Atheists and doubters of God since ancient times. Most histories of Atheism regard the Greek and Roman philosophers Epicurus, Democritus, and Lucretius as the first Atheist writers.The theory of Evolution - 19th century
Christianity came under multiple attack in the second half of the 19th century. The theory of evolution put forward by Charles Darwin, and other scientific discoveries, challenged the value of religion as a way of explaining the nature and existence of the world.Atheism, Theology and Bible Scholarship
During the 18th and 19th centuries academic research began to undermine the literal truths of religion, and throw doubt on the existence of God as a supernatural being. Even earlier, the philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)claimed in 1651, that Moses may not have written all the books of the Bible that were attributed to him.In 1779, J G Eichhorn suggested that the stories in the Book of Genesis were not based on historical fact but were myths like those of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Furthermore, he said, these stories should no longer be read as if they were the actual word of God.
Intellectual thought based on historical fact as well as literary analysis of the bible text began to cast doubt on the Bible itself as a reliable historical document. The German, D F Strauss, said in 1835 that the New Testament stories about Christ should not be interpreted as literally true, but as a dress of religious symbolism clothing the life of a Jewish teacher.
The idea of God as a human invention
In 1841 Ludwig Feuerbach argued that God was a human invention, a spiritual device to help us deal with our fears and aspirations.Anthropology
Anthropologists, too, were casting doubt on previous certainties. Research into comparative religion revealed that there was a great deal of similarity between the rituals and stories of many religions, so, for example, tribal religions have elements in common with Christianity.This posed the question of how Christianity, or any other religion, could legitimately claim that it was the only true faith and the unique result of God's revelation, since all religions seemed to have many features in common.
At the end of the 19th century the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) claimed that it was no longer possible to believe in the Christian God. He suggested that if people did not believe in God, then God ceased to exist.
This had major ethical consequences. As the moral code of Western society's was based on Judaeo-Christian ethics, it would not be possible to live by a moral code based on a belief in God if there was no belief in God.
Morality
A powerful, but rather unexpected attack on Christianity came in the 19th century from a group that included the writer George Eliot (pen name of novelist Mary Anne Evans, pictured above), who thought that Christianity was immoral.They viewed as unethical the behaviour of a God who could act like a "revengeful tyrant". According to the doctrine of "original sin", they argued, God was prepared to punish people for a wrong that they had not personally committed, just because they were human beings and then decided to absolve us by punishing his son instead.
James Froude argued this point of view in 1849:
"I would sooner perish for ever than stoop down before a Being who may have power to crush me, but whom my heart forbids me to reverence."
James Froude, 1849.
Secularism
The 19th century saw a serious campaign against the Church of England by the secularist movement, which its detractors viewed as highly privileged.For example, until 1828 only members of the Church of England could hold public office; until 1836, marriages could only be conducted by Church of England ministers and until 1871, only members of the Church of England could teach at Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Blasphemy
In Victorian Britain there were severe laws regarding blasphemy (the disrespectful use of the name of God).George Holyoake (1817-1906), the last person in England to be imprisoned (in 1842) for being an Atheist, was jailed for 6 months for a speech which included the line: "For myself, I flee the Bible as a viper, and revolt at the touch of a Christian."
First Atheist Member of Parliament
Charles Bradlaugh (1833-1891) was a prominent Victorian Atheist who was one of the founders of the National Secular Society in 1866. He edited the National Reformer, a journal he started in 1860, which itself was prosecuted for blasphemy. By 1861 it had a readership of 5,000. In 1866 Bradlaugh set up and became President of a "national freethought organisation" with headquarters in London and "branches in all the provincial towns".Bradlaugh was elected to Parliament in 1880, but was not allowed to take his seat because he would not swear a religious oath but wanted to affirm. He was re-elected several times over five years, but did not take his seat until 1886.
When he did eventually take his seat he became Britain's first openly Atheist member of Parliament.
Atheists in London