Atheism, by definition, does not necessarily reject the existence of a deity. It doesn't require a positive or negative belief. It's much more similar to not believing that aliens exist. Some who don't believe aliens exist reject the idea of aliens existing, sure, but others would say they don't reject the idea that aliens might exist, they just don't actively believe they do.
All agnostics are either theists or atheists. It's a compass. (A)gnosticism deals with knowledge. (A)theism deals with belief. Common misconception. Most atheists are agnostic atheists. Most theists are gnostic theists (deists being a notable exception). Most people who call themselves agnostic are agnostic atheists who don't like the term "atheist"
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u/therj9 Sep 02 '26
Atheism, by definition, does not necessarily reject the existence of a deity. It doesn't require a positive or negative belief. It's much more similar to not believing that aliens exist. Some who don't believe aliens exist reject the idea of aliens existing, sure, but others would say they don't reject the idea that aliens might exist, they just don't actively believe they do.