Agnosticism explained to kids

Agnosticism is the belief that it is not possible to know whether or not there is a god. Agnostics may also believe that it is not possible to know anything else about god, such as what god is like or what god wants from us. Some agnostics believe in god, but they do not claim to know anything about god. Agnosticism is not the same as atheism, which is the belief that there is no god. Agnostics may believe in god or they may not, but they do not claim to know one way or the other. The word agnostic comes from the Greek word for "unknown" or "unknowable." The first person to use the term was Thomas Henry Huxley, an English biologist and philosopher. Huxley used the term to describe his own views on god and religion. Agnosticism is a view that can be held about any topic, not just god. For example, someone could be agnostic about whether or not extraterrestrial life exists. However, the term is most often used in discussions about god and religion. There are different types of agnosticism. Some agnostics believe that it is not possible to know anything about god. Other agnostics believe that it is possible to know some things about god, but not everything. Agnosticism is not a religion. It is a view about a particular topic. People of any religion can be agnostic about god.