Religion
Freethought has no religious test or requirement. In addition to some freethinkers belonging to the major global religions, there are a few non-religious alternatives where many freethinkers seek camaraderie.
Humanism
Humanism is a human-centric philosophy that focuses on the conscientious advancement of human beings. While there are a variety of flavors of Humanism, the ones that are commonly associated with freethought are Secular Humanism and Religious Humanism. Corliss Lamont, a leading proponent of Humanism, defines it as “a naturalistic philosophy that rejects all supernaturalism and relies primarily upon reason and science, democracy and human compassion.” [SOURCE] The essential difference between Religious Humanism and Secular Humanism is the recognition of a supernatural figure. Religious Humanists are groups such as the Unitarian Universalist church. Secular Humanism is specifically for non-religious folks. Both groups focus on a positive, life-affirming image and are progenitors of goodwill.
Agnosticism
An agnostic (”a” meaning “without” and “gnostic” deriving from “gnosis” which was Greek for “knowledge”) is someone who believes that humankind is unable to have knowledge of the Supernatural. This is generally used in reference to spiritual or religious beliefs. As Austin Cline correctly points out in his article “What is Agnosticism?”:
Confusion about agnosticism commonly arises when people assume that “agnosticism” actually just means that a person is undecided about whether or not a god exists, and also that “atheism” is limited to “strong atheism” — the assertion that no gods do or can exist. If those assumptions were true, then it would be accurate to conclude that agnosticism is some sort of “third way” between atheism and theism. However, those assumptions are not true. [SOURCE]
Agnosticism is not a limbo between Atheism and Deism / Religion, but rather a flavor of belief / non-belief. For example:
- Agnostic Deists believe that a divine being, such as the Judeo-Christian god, exists but also believe that humankind is innately unable to perceive, or “know,” divinity.
- Agnostic Atheists do not partake in religious or supernatural beliefs, and also hold that such knowledge is unobtainable anyways.
Although the term “agnosticism” is commonly used to indicate that one is “unsure whether or not there is a God,” this is “weak agnosticism.” A strong agnostic would say: “I do not believe it is possible to know whether or not a God exists.”
Atheism
If religions were television shows, atheists would be those that abstain from television.
It literally means “without god(s).” Depending on which surveys you view, they comprise 12%, 14%, 10%, 0.5%, or 3-9% [SOURCES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ]. So there is likely anywhere from 1.6 Million to 30 Million or more Atheists / Non-believers in America. Quite substantial for being a minority!
Atheism is a religion in the same way that black is a color of light, or that not collecting stamps is a hobby; It is the complete absence of a religion, of God(s), and often of any sort of supernatural belief at all. The misconception that atheism is a religion is often based on hastily drawn comparisons of circumstance, and shows a real lack of understanding.
Historically, the term “atheist” was commonly used as a pejorative, in the same way that “commie” was used during the Red Scare of the 1960’s here in the U.S. Even today, it carries a negative connotation. (FINISH LATER)