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'''Agnosticism''' is, in weaker forms, an affirmation of [[ignorance]] regarding the existence of a [[God]] or [[gods]], and in stronger forms, the assertion that the existence of a [[deity]] or deities is unknowable.
'''Agnosticism''' is, in weaker forms, an affirmation of [[ignorance]] regarding the existence of a [[God]] or [[gods]], and in stronger forms, the assertion that the existence of a [[deity]] or deities is unknowable.
By contrast [[atheism]] is a strong form of [[ignorance]] that denies the existence of God.<ref>*Smart, J. J. C. (August 8, 2011). [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism "Atheism and agnosticism"]. ''The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' (Spring 2013 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). Retrieved July 17, 2014.</ref> See: [[Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic]]
By contrast [[atheism]] is a strong form of [[ignorance]] that denies the existence of God.<ref>*Smart, J. J. C. (August 8, 2011). [http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism "Atheism and agnosticism"]. ''The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' (Spring 2013 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). Retrieved July 17, 2014.</ref>
Beginning in the latter portion of the 20th century and continuing beyond, many [[agnosticism|agnostics]]/atheists have argued that the [[definition of atheism]] should be defined as a lack of belief in God or gods.
<ref name="Divine">Day, Donn R. (2007). [http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/athart3.htm "Atheism - etymology"].</ref><ref>[http://www.reasonablefaith.org/definition-of-atheism Definition of atheism] by [[William Lane Craig]]</ref>
<ref name="CRI">[http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0131a.html Putting the Atheist on the Defensive] by Kenneth R. Samples, Christian Research Institute Journal, Fall 1991, and Winter 1992, page 7.</ref><ref>Britain is a less religious country than the United States and the online Oxford Dictionaries offers both the narrow/broad definitions of atheism (As noted in a previous footnote the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which is a traditional American dictionary, offers a more narrow definition of atheism similar to the definition that major encyclopedias of philosophy use). Oxford Dictionaries: Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods.[http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/atheism]</ref> See: [[Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic]]
== Types of agnosticism ==
== Types of agnosticism ==