An “agnostic” is someone who believes that it is impossible to know the true answer to metaphysical questions such as those about the existence of a “higher power” or an “after-life.” Many people mistakenly believe that agnostics are equivalent to atheists, who believe firmly that there is no higher power and no life after death.

The word “agnostic” is rooted in the Greek language. “Gnosis” is “knowledge,” and the prefix “a-“ is “without.”

Agnosticism is, in simplistic terms, admitting to oneself that there is no way to “know” any metaphysical truths with confidence, based on the evidence at hand. It does not dismiss any possibilities; rather it keeps an open mind. Agnostics are often people with a high degree of natural logical talent who evaluate their reality and their existence in the same manner as all other things: they trust in the validity of a scientific methodology in which theories are presented, challenged, and either disproved or temporarily accepted until a stronger or more robust theory is presented.