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According to the philosopher William L. Rowe, "agnosticism is the view that human [[reason]] is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist."<ref>Rowe, William L. (1998). "[https://books.google.com/?id=VQ-GhVWTH84C&pg=PA122&dq=agnosticism+routledge Agnosticism]". In Edward Craig. ''[[Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]''. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-415-07310-3. "In the popular sense, an agnostic is someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in God, whereas an atheist disbelieves in God. In the strict sense, however, agnosticism is the view that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist. In so far as one holds that our beliefs are rational only if they are sufficiently supported by human reason, the person who accepts the philosophical position of agnosticism will hold that neither the belief that God exists nor the belief that God does not exist is rational."</ref>

According to the philosopher William L. Rowe, "agnosticism is the view that human [[reason]] is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist."<ref>Rowe, William L. (1998). "[https://books.google.com/?id=VQ-GhVWTH84C&pg=PA122&dq=agnosticism+routledge Agnosticism]". In Edward Craig. ''[[Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]''. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-415-07310-3. "In the popular sense, an agnostic is someone who neither believes nor disbelieves in God, whereas an atheist disbelieves in God. In the strict sense, however, agnosticism is the view that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist. In so far as one holds that our beliefs are rational only if they are sufficiently supported by human reason, the person who accepts the philosophical position of agnosticism will hold that neither the belief that God exists nor the belief that God does not exist is rational."</ref>

By contrast, the formal definition of [[atheism]] given by encycylopedias of [[philosophy]] such as the ''[[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'', the ''[[Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'' (and other philosophy reference works) is that atheism is the denial of the existence of God (see: [[Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic|Definitions of atheist and agnostic]]).<ref>Multiple references:

By contrast, the formal definition of [[atheism]] given by encycylopedias of [[philosophy]] such as the ''[[Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'', the ''[[Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy]]'' (and other philosophy reference works) is that atheism is a religion that denies the existence of God (see: [[Definitions of Atheist and Agnostic|Definitions of atheist and agnostic]]).<ref>Multiple references:

*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.).  

*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.).  

*Merriam-Webster dictionary: Atheism -  a disbelief in the existence of deity; the doctrine that there is no deity. Origin of atheism: Middle French athéisme, from athée atheist, from Greek atheos godless, from a- + theos god [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheism]

*Merriam-Webster dictionary: Atheism -  a disbelief in the existence of deity; the doctrine that there is no deity. Origin of atheism: Middle French athéisme, from athée atheist, from Greek atheos godless, from a- + theos god [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atheism]

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Beginning in the latter portion of the 20th century and continuing beyond, many agnostics/atheists have argued that the [[definition of atheism]] should be defined as a lack of belief in God or gods.

Beginning in the latter portion of the 20th century and continuing beyond, many agnostics and atheists have argued that the [[definition of atheism]] should be 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="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>  

<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>