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Line 15: − Less militant agnostic and atheist philosophers have acknowledged for centuries the impossibility of disproving God’s existence. Ex-atheist Alister McGrath, in Beyond Opinion, states that "all atheist philosophers concede that the nonexistence of God cannot be proved."<ref>Alister McGrath, "Challenges from Atheism," in Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith we Defend, 97.</ref>+ + +
→Atheism and lack of knowledge
== Atheism and lack of knowledge ==
== Atheism and lack of knowledge ==
The position commonly shared by the majority of atheists, is that of agnostic atheism, which accepts the possibility of god. Richard Dawkins, one of the most well known advocates for atheism, is an agnostic atheist.
Agnostic and atheist philosophers have acknowledged for centuries the impossibility of disproving God’s existence. Ex-atheist Alister McGrath, in Beyond Opinion, states that "all atheist philosophers concede that the nonexistence of God cannot be proved."<ref>Alister McGrath, "Challenges from Atheism," in Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith we Defend, 97.</ref>
Even [[T. H. Huxley]], one of [[Darwin]]’s chief supporters, acknowledged this. Huxley invented the term [[agnosticism]], literally meaning "without knowledge." While Huxley was utterly without Christian faith, the term agnosticism was indicative of the impossibility of proving or disproving God, as he noted “In matters of the intellect, do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable. That I take to be the agnostic faith…"<ref>Bernard Lightman, ''The Origins of Agnosticism: Victorian Unbelief and the Limits of Knowledge,'' 47.</ref> Thus any view of the universe, be it theism, atheism, or fence-sitting agnosticism entailed a sort of belief.
Even [[T. H. Huxley]], one of [[Darwin]]’s chief supporters, acknowledged this. Huxley invented the term [[agnosticism]], literally meaning "without knowledge." While Huxley was utterly without Christian faith, the term agnosticism was indicative of the impossibility of proving or disproving God, as he noted “In matters of the intellect, do not pretend that conclusions are certain which are not demonstrated or demonstrable. That I take to be the agnostic faith…"<ref>Bernard Lightman, ''The Origins of Agnosticism: Victorian Unbelief and the Limits of Knowledge,'' 47.</ref> Thus any view of the universe, be it theism, atheism, or fence-sitting agnosticism entailed a sort of belief.