Agnosticism
“Without knowledge, but specifically without knowledge of gods” About
“The belief that there can be no proof either that God exists or that God does not exist” Dictionary.com
“Form of skepticism that holds that the existence of God cannot be logically proved or disproved.” Infoplease
“God’s existence can neither be proved nor disproved, on the basis of current evidence.” Religious Tolerance
“Not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god” Merriam-Webster
– Coined by Thomas Huxley in 1969
Links:
Wikipedia
H. J. Blackham
Religious Tolerance
Atheism
“The absence of belief in the existence of any gods” About
“Disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods” Dictionary.com
“Denial of the existence of God or gods and of any supernatural existence.” Infoplease
“The doctrine that there is no deity” Merriam-Webster
Links:
Wikipedia
American Atheists
Religious Tolerance
Deism
“The belief, based solely on reason, in a God who created the universe and then abandoned it, assuming no control over life, exerting no influence on natural phenomena, and giving no supernatural revelation” Dictionary.com
“Belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it.” Infoplease
“A movement or system of thought advocating natural religion, emphasizing morality, and in the 18th century denying the interference of the Creator with the laws of the universe” Merriam-Webster
Links:
Deism.com
Religious Tolerance
New Advent
Gnosticism
“The doctrines of certain pre-Christian pagan, Jewish, and early Christian sects that valued the revealed knowledge of God and of the origin and end of the human race as a means to attain redemption for the spiritual element in humans and that distinguished the Demiurge from the unknowable Divine Being.” Dictionary.com
“Blanket term for various religions and sects most prominent in the first few centuries A.D.” Wikipedia
“Dualistic religious and philosophical movement of the late Hellenistic and early Christian eras.” Infoplease
“The thought and practice especially of various cults of late pre-Christian and early Christian centuries distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis” Merriam-Webster
Links:
Wikipedia
Humanism
“A system of thought that centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth.” Dictionary.com
“Philosophical and literary movement in which man and his capabilities are the central concern.” Infoplease
“A philosophy that usually rejects supernaturalism and stresses an individual’s dignity and worth and capacity for self-realization through reason” Merriam-Webster
– Different types of humanism: Christian humanism, Cultural humanism, Literary humanism, Modern humanism, Philosophical humanism, Renaissance humanism, Religous humanism, Secular humanism
Links:
Wikipedia
Religious Tolerance
Panentheism
“The belief that that the universe is a part of God and that Nature is thus an aspect of divinity.” Wikipedia
“Belief system is one which posits a god that interpenetrates every part of nature, but is nevertheless fully distinct from nature. So this god is part of nature, but still retains an independent identity.” About
– Coined by Karl C. F. Krause
Links:
Wikipedia
Panantheism.com
Pantheism
“The view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent God.” Wikipedia
“Belief in and worship of all gods.” Dictionary.com
“Name used to denote any system of belief or speculation that includes the teaching ‘God is all, and all is God.'” Infoplease
Links:
Wikipedia
Pantheist.net
Rationalism
“The theory that the exercise of reason, rather than experience, authority, or spiritual revelation, provides the primary basis for knowledge.” Dictionary.com
“A philosophical doctrine that asserts that the truth should be determined by reason and factual analysis, rather than faith, dogma or religious teaching.” Wikipedia
“An attitude that accepts the primacy of reason and aims at establishing a system of philosophy and ethics verifiable by experience, independent of all arbitrary assumptions of authority.” Rationalist
“Theory that holds that reason alone, unaided by experience, can arrive at basic truth regarding the world.” Infoplease
Links:
Wikipedia
Rationalist International
New Advent
Secularism
“Religious skepticism or indifference.” Dictionary.com
“The belief that one’s own life can be best lived, and the universe best understood, with little or no reference to a god or gods or other supernatural concepts.” Wikipedia
“A system of political or social philosophy that rejects all forms of religious faith and worship.” Infoplease
“Indifference to or rejection or exclusion of religion and religious considerations” Merriam-Webster
Links:
Wikipedia
New Advent
Skepticism
“Critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have true knowledge.” Wikipedia
“Doubt or disbelief of religious tenets.” Dictionary.com
“Position holding that the possibility of knowledge is limited either because of the limitations of the mind or because of the inaccessibility of its object” Infoplease
Links:
Wikipedia
Theism
“The belief in the existence of at least one god.” About
“Belief in the existence of a god or gods, especially belief in a personal God as creator and ruler of the world.” Dictionary.com
“The belief in a personal God” Infoplease
“Belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of man and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world” Merriam-Webster