In your case, you've been asked, very simply, "Do you believe that god exists?" Yes, there are layers of explanation and uncertainty that lie behind the answer to that question no matter who is asking and who is answering, but the simple fact of the matter is that if you cannot answer yes to that question, you are a de facto atheist. Kindly deal with it.
I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree on this one and back up Apology. First, let me clarify that I'm 100% atheist through and through.
However, when apology was confronted with these 2 choices
A. Theism = Belief in Diety
B. Atheism = Lack of belief in a diety
He was left out with the 3rd option.
C. Agnosticism = Belief that a diety MIGHT exist, but is unsure.
He doesn't disavow the existence of a diety (Atheism), but nor
does he avow the existence of a diety (Theist).
Being that:
A. He doesn't outright believe no god exists and doesn't hold out hope for one's existence (which would be what an Atheist is)
B. He doesn't outright beieve that a god (diety) does exist (Theist)
Rather, there is a 3rd belief
C. Belief in the real possibility that god may exist. Seriously believes that
maybe there *might* be a god.
Now, I can't see how that belief characterizes him as being a Theist,
since he says he doesn't have an outright belief that a diety does in fact
exist. Also, I can't see how that makes him an atheist. An athiest has a REAL belief , because of no evidence to the contrary, that there is no such thing as a god. They really don't hold out any hope that any type of spiritual diety exists.
But, when someone falls into neither of these 2 firm catagories, they can often fill the "grey" area because the world isn't as simple as black and white,
yes or know. There's the 3rd area. The "I don't know"
This area holds out the real possibility of the existence of a diety/god. They believe that this possibility can certainly exist. Because they have no proof of
the existence of a diety, combined with the real possibility that one may indeed exist, they fall into the category of agnosticism.
What differentiates practicing agnostics (and I'm not refer to definitions of the word but rather how people practice beliefs in real life and use the word),
is that they think god might exist. But they don't say "Yes, I believe a god exists. And to the contrary, they believe that a god might not exist. But they don't say "I don't believe that god exists". They really don't know if one exists, but they don't lead a religious life worshipping a god, nor do they live a life by saying that no god exists.
That's what an agnostic believes. They believe the "maybe". They hold out for the possibility that a diety might exist. An atheist generally doesn't really think there's any real possibilty of the existence of god.
Because, in reality, EVERYONE, by definition, is an agnostic. Since no one truly knows with absolute certainty if any type of diety exists anywhere, in or out of our universe, we'll have to assume that
if one wants to get technical, that everyone is an agnostic. But, for argument's sake, let's just assume it refers to what people believe to be the truth, and to what degree do they believe in their own belief.
Some a set. They belief 100% one way or the other. But not all are like that.
Some religious people truly believe a god exists, but wouldn't say their belief is strong.
Other religious people claim to KNOW god exists.
Some atheists claim to KNOW that god does NOT exist
Some atheists just say that they don't believe because of lack of evidence, but they leave
open the slighest possibility that a god might exist.
While most agnostics will claim to not know. BUT, they leave open the REAL possibility that
a god does exist. But because of lack real evidence, they choose not to actively believe that
god is one of the gods of religion. But they also don't discount the belief that there may indeed
be a god. They truly don't know. Not a hard concept to grasp, is it?
IOW:
Theists: YES - god exists (based on passed down stories)
Atheists: NO - god does NOT exist (based on lack of evidence) Holds out
no serious hope that a god exists. Believes in little or no possibility in existence
Agnostic: MAYBE. Might exist, might not exist. They can be 50/50 or lean
more one way or the other. Truly believes a god MIGHT exist. Open to possibility.
Finally, THEIST AGNOSTICS often use the Agnostic because Agnostic simply means "Without Knowledge". Because it's used for its religious meaning as
a belief people have, the "without knowledge" to Theist Agnostics refers to them not having the knowledge of WHICH RELIGION is the "correct religion".
They believe in a god, but do not follow any set religion or their beliefs or practices. They just don't which religion has it right, but they believe that a god exists. How powerful a god? That varies. Some believe in a god that only set the universe in motion, while others believe everything up to being omnipotent and every other omni word there is. But they just don't know which religion is the *true* one of a god. It may be none of them, but they believe a god of some sort exists. They are definitely THEISTS, but because they don't follow any religion, they also consider themselves to be Agnostics,
because as far as religion is concerned, they are "without knowledge" to know which is the one of their personal god.
So, Apology, you my friend are a true AGNOSTIC. This is what the term was made for. You couldn't be a better example of a true agnostic.
Cheers,
DrZ
Those underwear he's selling are pretty good though.)