WHAT DO ATHEISM, THEISM, AGNOSTICISM AND DEISM REALLY MEAN

Atheism, from the Greek ἄθεος (atheos), literally means "without gods," referring to those who rejected the existence of the Greek pantheon. In modern context, atheism can represent several different viewpoints, but is most commonly conceived of a a lack of belief in gods.

There is no inherent relationship between atheism and a religion. A person can be both atheist and religious, provided that he or she believes in a religion that does not have any deities, such as some forms of Buddhism.

Theism is a belief in at least one god. Thus, religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism are all considered theistic.

Agnosticism (from the Greek - a (without) gnosis (knowledge)) is a claim concerning itself with knowledge, or rather, the lack of knowledge. Someone who claims that they are agnostic when it comes to gods is simply stating that they don't know or cannot possibly know.

Deists believe that a higher power created the universe long ago but is not or no longer actively present in the world. Because of their belief in this "higher power," often thought of as a god, they don't qualify for the "atheist" label.

However, for practical purposes there is little difference between a deist and an atheist: Most deists do not engage in the usual religious practices of praying, worshiping, rituals, restrictions in diet and/or lifestyle or regarding a central holy doctrine. 

Deists share the atheist belief that there is no deity active 'today' and because of this similarity, some atheists will claim deism when asked about their religion. Deism places no practical obligations on its adherents, yet does not bear the heavy public stigma associated with atheism.

So, are you an atheist, a theist, an agnostic or a deist?

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