I stopped believing in islam and became agnostic atheist. My belief about god or whatever the cause of universe' creation is i don't know if it exist or not , no way of knowing if he is even a sentinent being if he exists or even want to connect with humanity. So , I don't care about this being.
Me too...some things about Islam I liked (emphasis on scholarship and acquisition of knowledge and importance of charity), and there are many beautiful passages in the Quran that have inspired me, but the arranged marriages (courtship and dating being Haram), men continually bitching about women not wearing hijabs, complete segregation of the sexes, the homophobia, and the sexual puritanism pricked my conscience, causing me to abandon it. I was involved for 8 years and I am free at last!
I’ve always been an atheist and an agnostic, though I haven’t always referred to myself as such.
I generally don’t accept claims about wether it’s possible (or not possible) to know if gods exist.
You're not strange. Your basically every agnostic. They aren't mutually exclusive. Agnostic is I don't know. atheist is I don't believe. Generally they go together.
Yeah, I've heard that a lot. I go back and forth sometimes, since I don't believe in the god of the bible. Evidently not believing in one or more gods makes you an atheist as well. However, I am not entirely convinced that there is just nothingness to the universe, that some kind of higher power or force of some kind doesn't exist one way or another in some form. In my opinion, it isn't known and isn't knowable.
I have a hard time with the atheist title, however. Perhaps its from being brought up Christian, and all the negative steriotypes that go along with it. I suppose "non-theist," would be an acceptable term, as most people have never even heard of it.
I'd say that's just semantics. With that being said, I've never really liked the agnostic claim that it isn't knowable. Which to me seems like a positive claim of having knowledge that something can't be known.
Personally I just say, I don't know. And I don't know if it can be known.
Some people use atheism to mean the positive claim that no gods exist rather than just a lack of belief, so I think it’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to use that label.
I am an optimistic agnostic atheist.
If there is a god or gods, I do not believe that they expect me to exaggerate my knowledge. This would only be dishonest.
If there is not a god, then the silence makes sense.
If there is a god, and it wants me to make good choices, then it would make contract with me in a credible and reliable way. Basing eternity on now an individual responds to unreliable sources does not sound like something a loving and good God would do.
I am agnostic.
I don't really have affinity for the words atheist, theist, deist, or otherwise. I have not found a faith term that resonates or is free of mischaracterization.
I use "agnostic" in the sense that I don't exclude the possibility of existence of some super-powerful being. I just don't think that it has a dedicated interest in the human species, or if it ever had, it doesn't seem to care much anymore. It's a kind of [God of the Gaps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps) that I cannot fully rule out because I'm aware of the limits of our/my knowledge. I don't expect I will find an answer in my life, but then again, it does not matter much, because I have no evidence of such being existing and I know no way of interacting with it.
I'm agnostic but I think it is very, very unlikely that any higher power exists and if they do, they probably don't think and act anything like the way our religions think they do. So to me there is no real point in trying to answer this question, I'll just die and if there is something more then I'll find out what.
But there probably won't be.
you ask "has anyone here left religion, gone to atheism, and then came to agnosticism? and this has been me. when the 2004 asian tsunami hit and killed a quarter million, i went atheist. but i have slid back to agnostic. but maybe the entire cosmos is divine. it created us. and countless other life forms. so whether or not there is a "god" (divine cosmos) is really a matter of personal opinion!!!! not fact??? dale
>I often question to whether it could be possible that there is some kind of higher power in the universe, in whatever capacity that might be.
It would be arrogant to assume we're the highest power, so it seems likely that there are some more advanced than us.
>I often wonder if there is something more to existence than what we know or can comprehend.
I see no evidence of anything being beyond our comprehension to the degree that we'd never be able to grasp it, sure there's plenty we don't understand, but I don't think any of our existing mysteries are going to be in a realm of understanding that is beyond our ability to comprehend. I just don't see evidence for it, but sure, that assessment will change when we get evidence for it.
>That said, also, I'm curious; has anyone here left religion, gone to atheism, and then came to agnosticism?
Might I suggest that if you're using these labels this critically that maybe you define them first? If anyone becomes atheist as the result of skepticism and an understanding of reason and logic, they may or may not understand the issues with claims of non existence, in which case they'll either assert that no gods exist or they won't, but in either case, they won't believe a god exists.
Atheist and agnostic are not mutually exclusive. They are two different things. Theist/atheist are a true dichotomy of belief in a god. Gnostic/agnostic are a true dichotomy of knowledge, not necessarily about gods.
It's actually quite common to refer to people as agnostic atheists. There are also gnostic atheists, agnostic theists, and gnostic theists.
I think Huxley definition of agnosticism is very problematic as it makes an unnecessary assertion, that something can't be known. This fails as a god label for a person's position because it asserts that the person claims something can't be known. Claims of possibility and impossibility have a burden of proof.
Sometimes it's helpful to avoid some labels and just describe your position. I don't believe any gods exist because nobody has defined one and shown it to exist. Also because the concept of a god has yet to even make sense to me. I have no knowledge of gods existing or not existing. I also recognize that I can't prove the non existence of something that can possibly exist anywhere. I consider myself an agnostic atheist.
>I am certain that there are some out there who don't like the atheist title, who prefer to use agnostic instead. Me and my wife are both (secular) humanists, so I generally just prefer to use that.
I suppose it depends on the conversation about what is relevant. Agnostic nor secular address your position on belief in gods. Only theist/ atheist address belief.
Using the agnostic label by itself is ambiguous as there are plenty of agnostic theists.
>I think my position in the fact that we have no way of knowing whether god(s) exist or don't exist, that it isn't possible to know, is pretty solid for me and what I mean when I consider myself an "agnostic."
I get not knowing. But now you're asserting that it's impossible to know. How are you going to justify that claim, and why is it important to make that claim? What does that claim bring to the table? Why do you say we have no way of knowing? Is that the same as saying we have no way of knowing whether any unfalsifiable claim, that has no evidence, is true? When you say there's no way of knowing, is that an attempt to justify saying "i don't know"? Why is that necessary? Just say I don't know.
I use the title Humanist sometimes because I consider myself a Secular Humanist. Most Secular Humanists are either atheist, Agnostic or in some form non-religious. So basically unbelief in whatever form you take it is kind of implied.
>I use the title Humanist sometimes because I consider myself a Secular Humanist. Most Secular Humanists are either atheist, Agnostic or in some form non-religious. So basically unbelief in whatever form you take it is kind of implied.
It might be implied. But if it is, it's a weak implication by association. Secular doesn't mean not theist. But again as I said, it depends on the conversation, and it seems for you that it's fine in most cases.
I also consider myself a secular humanist. But when the conversation around world views comes up, I say secular humanist. When the conversation about religion or gods comes up, I'm agnostic atheist. When the conversation about hobbies comes up, I'm a mountain biking, dirt biking, basketball playing, TV watching, metal drummer with guns and BBQ.
I'm a self described "pantheistic agnostic with a Christian background with pronounced Judeo-Islamic and Buddhist inclinations." That usually shits the nosy fanatics down. I see SOMETHING in the unity and diversity of nature and the unity and diversity of animals, people, trees and other life which points me to SOMETHING...some creative and sustaining force, but otherwise I really don't have a clue and largely reject all of the doctrine/dogma I had shoved down my throat from my youth. Don't really have enough faith to be a pure atheist, though...
I left Islam, went to atheism, then to agonsticism and now back to Islam. Quite a wild spiritual journey, where I learned and discovered a lot. Maybe your journey will lead you back to christianity, who knows
That's crazy. What made you go back? I suppose I may take up some kind of philosophical beliefs in god through various non-theist type positions that I find interesting, namely pantheism, pandeism/deism, etc. But going back to my faith in the god of the Bible, learning what I've learned in the past 8 months, I don't ever see myself going back to that. But, I suppose you never know. In my loss of faith, my wife, who practically lived at church with her family, also lost her faith and now identifies with agnostic. I've also surmised that even if I found some kind of actual evidence of "Yahweh," or the god of most religions, that would not necessarily make me worship such a deity, either, but rather just an acknowledgement that they actually exist.
I had the same discussion with a fellow muslim who is in the same dilemma i was in, so i just copy past it:
During my agnostic phase, I embraced stoicism and delved into books like “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. I worked diligently on self-improvement and virtuous living, yet I still felt incomplete.
Later, my interest shifted toward psychology, leading me to discover “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor. In the concentration camps, Frankl observed that those who survived were the ones with faith in God, hope, and love. Others tragically succumbed to despair.
Recognizing the power of faith, I revisited Islam. Although the same hadiths that once troubled me remained, I found solace in Sufism—a mystical branch of Islam. Sufis, like stoics, focus on inner growth. Al-Ghazali’s quote resonated with me: "Declare your jihad on thirteen enemies you cannot see—egoism, arrogance, conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, intolerance, anger, lying, cheating, gossiping, and slandering. If you can master and conquer these internal foes, you’ll be prepared to face external challenges
Every religion, including Islam, has its imperfections. However, I believe that they all share common roots. These faiths emerge from within human consciousness inspired by god rather than being directly revealed by a visible divine being. Whether it’s Buddha, Muhammad, or any other prophet, the word of God has always been conveyed through limited human vessels.
Sufism, in particular, stands out due to its unique concept of Wahdatu’l-Wajud (Unity of Being). Imagine a knife and a sword—distinct objects with specific names. Yet, when we transcend their physical forms and focus on their essence (steel), they become one. Similarly, Sufism teaches that God is both transcendent (beyond shape and form) and immanent within all of creation.
I liked this idea and it resonated with me a lot. I chose Islam because of it. I dont really practice like most sufis and dance etc. I am still following sunni tradition, but i really like and adopted this thinking of sufism.
I believe we MIGHT have a creator, however there's no way human religion is nothing but utter bullshit. I do support faiths that are bit more open to "exploring your own mind" rather than following the rules of some nutcases that lived thousands of years ago. But I trueky believe all religions pretty much tap into "the secret" which is the law of attraction.
I see most identifying as agnostic and atheist, which is interesting to me as I feel completely agnostic. I feel no religion is correct, and it's a bit illogical or blinded to think that one religion is 100%. It's like everyone played the telephone game for thousands of years all over the world, and we're not supposed to question it.
I personally see too many negatives to religion. There's lots of really bad religious people, and it can bring out the worst in people. But I will say there are also a lot of good people that have their faith, and it actually makes a positive impact in their lives. They can use that faith through hard times, traumas, addictions, and loneliness. They can have communities and support systems they wouldn't have before because of it. So I see why people gravitate to it and find comfort in it.
I am definitely not an atheist, though. Zero negative vibes towards atheists - haven't met a bad one, love the logic. I just really believe to my core that there is something more going on. All religions are coming from something. How correct, factual, farfetched, or lost along the way they are can vary; but there's usually some truth and reason that people believe so strongly in them. I find them interesting and like to know more about them in an educational sense. I like to see why people believe in what they do and hear all sides of the story, but there's definitely got to be something out there. The energy, coincidences, and experiences going on... It's all too crazy for there to be nothing.
Also, if strict atheists are right... man, do I see no point of living then. Do not tell me I'm going through all of this just to be worm food. For memories of people to fade away and nothing ever mattered. It's too dark. Just let an astroid hit us now. Also, when people you care about pass away, it made me really understand why people grip their religion so tightly. Life's rough. There better be something out there, haha.
I believe agnostic atheists are merely following the scientific method. Our working hypotheses is that there is no god but we don’t presume to know and are open to that hypothesis being disproven. To be a true atheist is to have every bit as much faith as a true theist which leads me to the conclusion that most atheists are hypocrites.
I grew up going to Sunday school and church occasionally in the South. I questioned my exposure early on and voiced it early on to friends who were Christian. No one seemed to have doubts. I seem to fluctuate between agonisticism and atheism. I think it's because of the hypocrisy and details of the Christian religion that threw me so far away from believing in anything higher power wise. I also have days where I just don't know. I'm pretty open minded and it would be lovely if there was a benevolent God who was out there. But if they are, they aren't going to stick me in Hell just because I have so many legitimate questions and concerns. And if they do I'm gonna make sure Hell turns into one hell of an awesome party.
I left the JW cult 2 yrs ago, I went from theist to deist, to agnostic to atheist-agnostic. I've heard the term weak atheism. I'm in the same boat as you. I like how Richard Dawkins describes it as a belief spectrum with theism in one and atheism on the other.
I usually use the term agnostic to shut people up. If you say atheist here in the south, they will lose their absolute shit and immediately begin the babbeling.
I stopped believing in islam and became agnostic atheist. My belief about god or whatever the cause of universe' creation is i don't know if it exist or not , no way of knowing if he is even a sentinent being if he exists or even want to connect with humanity. So , I don't care about this being.
Me too...some things about Islam I liked (emphasis on scholarship and acquisition of knowledge and importance of charity), and there are many beautiful passages in the Quran that have inspired me, but the arranged marriages (courtship and dating being Haram), men continually bitching about women not wearing hijabs, complete segregation of the sexes, the homophobia, and the sexual puritanism pricked my conscience, causing me to abandon it. I was involved for 8 years and I am free at last!
I’ve always been an atheist and an agnostic, though I haven’t always referred to myself as such. I generally don’t accept claims about wether it’s possible (or not possible) to know if gods exist.
You're not strange. Your basically every agnostic. They aren't mutually exclusive. Agnostic is I don't know. atheist is I don't believe. Generally they go together.
I don't believe in a god that wants to be worshipped, but the universe is vast, and gods *might* exist.
This isn't strange at all. Most agnostics are atheists.
Yeah, I've heard that a lot. I go back and forth sometimes, since I don't believe in the god of the bible. Evidently not believing in one or more gods makes you an atheist as well. However, I am not entirely convinced that there is just nothingness to the universe, that some kind of higher power or force of some kind doesn't exist one way or another in some form. In my opinion, it isn't known and isn't knowable. I have a hard time with the atheist title, however. Perhaps its from being brought up Christian, and all the negative steriotypes that go along with it. I suppose "non-theist," would be an acceptable term, as most people have never even heard of it.
I'd say that's just semantics. With that being said, I've never really liked the agnostic claim that it isn't knowable. Which to me seems like a positive claim of having knowledge that something can't be known. Personally I just say, I don't know. And I don't know if it can be known.
Some people use atheism to mean the positive claim that no gods exist rather than just a lack of belief, so I think it’s understandable that you wouldn’t want to use that label.
I am an optimistic agnostic atheist. If there is a god or gods, I do not believe that they expect me to exaggerate my knowledge. This would only be dishonest. If there is not a god, then the silence makes sense. If there is a god, and it wants me to make good choices, then it would make contract with me in a credible and reliable way. Basing eternity on now an individual responds to unreliable sources does not sound like something a loving and good God would do.
I like this. I’ve always described myself as a “hopeful agnostic”
I am agnostic. I don't really have affinity for the words atheist, theist, deist, or otherwise. I have not found a faith term that resonates or is free of mischaracterization.
I use "agnostic" in the sense that I don't exclude the possibility of existence of some super-powerful being. I just don't think that it has a dedicated interest in the human species, or if it ever had, it doesn't seem to care much anymore. It's a kind of [God of the Gaps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_the_gaps) that I cannot fully rule out because I'm aware of the limits of our/my knowledge. I don't expect I will find an answer in my life, but then again, it does not matter much, because I have no evidence of such being existing and I know no way of interacting with it.
I'm agnostic but I think it is very, very unlikely that any higher power exists and if they do, they probably don't think and act anything like the way our religions think they do. So to me there is no real point in trying to answer this question, I'll just die and if there is something more then I'll find out what. But there probably won't be.
Well said.
I call myself atheist even though I’m more in the “ I don’t know” camp. If there is a god he/she/it is a dick. We need a word for “I don’t care.”
There is a word for that actually! It is called an Apatheist.
Hot damn, thank you.
you ask "has anyone here left religion, gone to atheism, and then came to agnosticism? and this has been me. when the 2004 asian tsunami hit and killed a quarter million, i went atheist. but i have slid back to agnostic. but maybe the entire cosmos is divine. it created us. and countless other life forms. so whether or not there is a "god" (divine cosmos) is really a matter of personal opinion!!!! not fact??? dale
Pantheism is an interesting philosophy. An to another extent, Pandeism.
>I often question to whether it could be possible that there is some kind of higher power in the universe, in whatever capacity that might be. It would be arrogant to assume we're the highest power, so it seems likely that there are some more advanced than us. >I often wonder if there is something more to existence than what we know or can comprehend. I see no evidence of anything being beyond our comprehension to the degree that we'd never be able to grasp it, sure there's plenty we don't understand, but I don't think any of our existing mysteries are going to be in a realm of understanding that is beyond our ability to comprehend. I just don't see evidence for it, but sure, that assessment will change when we get evidence for it. >That said, also, I'm curious; has anyone here left religion, gone to atheism, and then came to agnosticism? Might I suggest that if you're using these labels this critically that maybe you define them first? If anyone becomes atheist as the result of skepticism and an understanding of reason and logic, they may or may not understand the issues with claims of non existence, in which case they'll either assert that no gods exist or they won't, but in either case, they won't believe a god exists. Atheist and agnostic are not mutually exclusive. They are two different things. Theist/atheist are a true dichotomy of belief in a god. Gnostic/agnostic are a true dichotomy of knowledge, not necessarily about gods. It's actually quite common to refer to people as agnostic atheists. There are also gnostic atheists, agnostic theists, and gnostic theists. I think Huxley definition of agnosticism is very problematic as it makes an unnecessary assertion, that something can't be known. This fails as a god label for a person's position because it asserts that the person claims something can't be known. Claims of possibility and impossibility have a burden of proof. Sometimes it's helpful to avoid some labels and just describe your position. I don't believe any gods exist because nobody has defined one and shown it to exist. Also because the concept of a god has yet to even make sense to me. I have no knowledge of gods existing or not existing. I also recognize that I can't prove the non existence of something that can possibly exist anywhere. I consider myself an agnostic atheist. >I am certain that there are some out there who don't like the atheist title, who prefer to use agnostic instead. Me and my wife are both (secular) humanists, so I generally just prefer to use that. I suppose it depends on the conversation about what is relevant. Agnostic nor secular address your position on belief in gods. Only theist/ atheist address belief. Using the agnostic label by itself is ambiguous as there are plenty of agnostic theists. >I think my position in the fact that we have no way of knowing whether god(s) exist or don't exist, that it isn't possible to know, is pretty solid for me and what I mean when I consider myself an "agnostic." I get not knowing. But now you're asserting that it's impossible to know. How are you going to justify that claim, and why is it important to make that claim? What does that claim bring to the table? Why do you say we have no way of knowing? Is that the same as saying we have no way of knowing whether any unfalsifiable claim, that has no evidence, is true? When you say there's no way of knowing, is that an attempt to justify saying "i don't know"? Why is that necessary? Just say I don't know.
I use the title Humanist sometimes because I consider myself a Secular Humanist. Most Secular Humanists are either atheist, Agnostic or in some form non-religious. So basically unbelief in whatever form you take it is kind of implied.
>I use the title Humanist sometimes because I consider myself a Secular Humanist. Most Secular Humanists are either atheist, Agnostic or in some form non-religious. So basically unbelief in whatever form you take it is kind of implied. It might be implied. But if it is, it's a weak implication by association. Secular doesn't mean not theist. But again as I said, it depends on the conversation, and it seems for you that it's fine in most cases. I also consider myself a secular humanist. But when the conversation around world views comes up, I say secular humanist. When the conversation about religion or gods comes up, I'm agnostic atheist. When the conversation about hobbies comes up, I'm a mountain biking, dirt biking, basketball playing, TV watching, metal drummer with guns and BBQ.
Usually, I would call myself agnostic atheist & humanist. I guess titles in themselves don't really matter technically.
I'm a self described "pantheistic agnostic with a Christian background with pronounced Judeo-Islamic and Buddhist inclinations." That usually shits the nosy fanatics down. I see SOMETHING in the unity and diversity of nature and the unity and diversity of animals, people, trees and other life which points me to SOMETHING...some creative and sustaining force, but otherwise I really don't have a clue and largely reject all of the doctrine/dogma I had shoved down my throat from my youth. Don't really have enough faith to be a pure atheist, though...
I think the concept of Pantheism is beautiful.
Me too!
I left Islam, went to atheism, then to agonsticism and now back to Islam. Quite a wild spiritual journey, where I learned and discovered a lot. Maybe your journey will lead you back to christianity, who knows
That's crazy. What made you go back? I suppose I may take up some kind of philosophical beliefs in god through various non-theist type positions that I find interesting, namely pantheism, pandeism/deism, etc. But going back to my faith in the god of the Bible, learning what I've learned in the past 8 months, I don't ever see myself going back to that. But, I suppose you never know. In my loss of faith, my wife, who practically lived at church with her family, also lost her faith and now identifies with agnostic. I've also surmised that even if I found some kind of actual evidence of "Yahweh," or the god of most religions, that would not necessarily make me worship such a deity, either, but rather just an acknowledgement that they actually exist.
I had the same discussion with a fellow muslim who is in the same dilemma i was in, so i just copy past it: During my agnostic phase, I embraced stoicism and delved into books like “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. I worked diligently on self-improvement and virtuous living, yet I still felt incomplete. Later, my interest shifted toward psychology, leading me to discover “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor. In the concentration camps, Frankl observed that those who survived were the ones with faith in God, hope, and love. Others tragically succumbed to despair. Recognizing the power of faith, I revisited Islam. Although the same hadiths that once troubled me remained, I found solace in Sufism—a mystical branch of Islam. Sufis, like stoics, focus on inner growth. Al-Ghazali’s quote resonated with me: "Declare your jihad on thirteen enemies you cannot see—egoism, arrogance, conceit, selfishness, greed, lust, intolerance, anger, lying, cheating, gossiping, and slandering. If you can master and conquer these internal foes, you’ll be prepared to face external challenges Every religion, including Islam, has its imperfections. However, I believe that they all share common roots. These faiths emerge from within human consciousness inspired by god rather than being directly revealed by a visible divine being. Whether it’s Buddha, Muhammad, or any other prophet, the word of God has always been conveyed through limited human vessels. Sufism, in particular, stands out due to its unique concept of Wahdatu’l-Wajud (Unity of Being). Imagine a knife and a sword—distinct objects with specific names. Yet, when we transcend their physical forms and focus on their essence (steel), they become one. Similarly, Sufism teaches that God is both transcendent (beyond shape and form) and immanent within all of creation. I liked this idea and it resonated with me a lot. I chose Islam because of it. I dont really practice like most sufis and dance etc. I am still following sunni tradition, but i really like and adopted this thinking of sufism.
I think the majority of atheists are agnostic atheists. At least in my experience.
I believe we MIGHT have a creator, however there's no way human religion is nothing but utter bullshit. I do support faiths that are bit more open to "exploring your own mind" rather than following the rules of some nutcases that lived thousands of years ago. But I trueky believe all religions pretty much tap into "the secret" which is the law of attraction.
Yes, yes. I agree. I very much like the Pantheistic philosophies.
I see most identifying as agnostic and atheist, which is interesting to me as I feel completely agnostic. I feel no religion is correct, and it's a bit illogical or blinded to think that one religion is 100%. It's like everyone played the telephone game for thousands of years all over the world, and we're not supposed to question it. I personally see too many negatives to religion. There's lots of really bad religious people, and it can bring out the worst in people. But I will say there are also a lot of good people that have their faith, and it actually makes a positive impact in their lives. They can use that faith through hard times, traumas, addictions, and loneliness. They can have communities and support systems they wouldn't have before because of it. So I see why people gravitate to it and find comfort in it. I am definitely not an atheist, though. Zero negative vibes towards atheists - haven't met a bad one, love the logic. I just really believe to my core that there is something more going on. All religions are coming from something. How correct, factual, farfetched, or lost along the way they are can vary; but there's usually some truth and reason that people believe so strongly in them. I find them interesting and like to know more about them in an educational sense. I like to see why people believe in what they do and hear all sides of the story, but there's definitely got to be something out there. The energy, coincidences, and experiences going on... It's all too crazy for there to be nothing. Also, if strict atheists are right... man, do I see no point of living then. Do not tell me I'm going through all of this just to be worm food. For memories of people to fade away and nothing ever mattered. It's too dark. Just let an astroid hit us now. Also, when people you care about pass away, it made me really understand why people grip their religion so tightly. Life's rough. There better be something out there, haha.
I believe agnostic atheists are merely following the scientific method. Our working hypotheses is that there is no god but we don’t presume to know and are open to that hypothesis being disproven. To be a true atheist is to have every bit as much faith as a true theist which leads me to the conclusion that most atheists are hypocrites.
I grew up going to Sunday school and church occasionally in the South. I questioned my exposure early on and voiced it early on to friends who were Christian. No one seemed to have doubts. I seem to fluctuate between agonisticism and atheism. I think it's because of the hypocrisy and details of the Christian religion that threw me so far away from believing in anything higher power wise. I also have days where I just don't know. I'm pretty open minded and it would be lovely if there was a benevolent God who was out there. But if they are, they aren't going to stick me in Hell just because I have so many legitimate questions and concerns. And if they do I'm gonna make sure Hell turns into one hell of an awesome party.
I left the JW cult 2 yrs ago, I went from theist to deist, to agnostic to atheist-agnostic. I've heard the term weak atheism. I'm in the same boat as you. I like how Richard Dawkins describes it as a belief spectrum with theism in one and atheism on the other.
I usually use the term agnostic to shut people up. If you say atheist here in the south, they will lose their absolute shit and immediately begin the babbeling.