--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not an atheist. An atheist is…" description: "\"I am not an atheist. An atheist is someone who has compelling evidence that there is no Judeo-Christian-Islamic God. I am not that wise, but neither do..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/carl-sagan-160_adequate_i-am-not-an-atheist-an-atheist-is-someon_907235.jpg" --- # I am not an atheist. An atheist is someone who has… ![“I am not an atheist. An atheist is someone who has compelling evidence that there is no Judeo-Christian-Islamic God. I am not that wise, but neither do I consider there to be anything approaching adequate evidence for such a god. Why are you in such a hurry to make up your mind? Why not simply…” quote by Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/carl-sagan-160_adequate_i-am-not-an-atheist-an-atheist-is-someon_907235.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/carl-sagan-160_adequate_i-am-not-an-atheist-an-atheist-is-someon_907235.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c7/carl-sagan-160_adequate_i-am-not-an-atheist-an-atheist-is-someon_907235.jpg) > “I am not an atheist. An atheist is someone who has compelling evidence that there is no Judeo-Christian-Islamic God. I am not that wise, but neither do I consider there to be anything approaching adequate evidence for such a god. Why are you in such a hurry to make up your mind? Why not simply wait until there is compelling evidence?” [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He distinguishes atheism as a claim requiring strong evidence, and he himself remains agnostic, awaiting compelling proof before concluding. **In simple terms:** He is agnostic, waiting for strong evidence before labeling belief or non‑belief. Key Takeaway Seek evidence before forming definitive beliefs. Themes belief evidence skepticism philosophy Mood inquisitive analytical Type philosophical skeptical When to use this quote - academic debate - personal belief discussions - public lectures Key Concepts epistemology religious belief scientific method Questions to Reflect On - What evidence would be sufficient to change your stance? - How does uncertainty affect moral decisions? A Different Perspective May be perceived as indecisive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Islamic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islamic/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Why not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why-not/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [I should have died when I was sixteen, when I planned to commit suicide. And I was an atheist until then. I was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacey-mosley/i-should-have-died-when-i-was-sixteen-when-i-planned-to-commit/) [Lacey Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacey-mosley/) > [I am an atheist, and if an atheist and a pope think the same things, there must be something true. It's that simple!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/i-am-an-atheist-and-if-an-atheist-and-a-pope-think-the-same-things-2/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [It is philosophically impossible to be an atheist, since to be an atheist you must have infinite knowledge in order to know absolutely that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-carlson/it-is-philosophically-impossible-to-be-an-atheist-since-to-be-an/) [Ron Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-carlson/) > [I am an atheist, and if an atheist and a pope think the same things, there must be something true. There must be some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/i-am-an-atheist-and-if-an-atheist-and-a-pope-think-the-same-things/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [“When I say I’m an agnostic, I only mean that the evidence isn’t in. There isn’t compelling evidence that God exists—at least your kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/when-i-say-i-m-an-agnostic-i-only-mean-that-the-evidence-isn-t-in/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“One golfer a year is hit by lightning. This may be the only evidence we have of god’s existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-aylett/one-golfer-a-year-is-hit-by-lightning-this-may-be-the-only-evidence/) [Steve Aylett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-aylett/) > [Ultimately, I feel like there is just a pervasive evidence of God. Though I know that is maybe a controversial thing to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-baker/ultimately-i-feel-like-there-is-just-a-pervasive-evidence-of-god/) [Julien Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-baker/) > [“Far from disproving the existence of God, astronomers may be finding more circumstantial evidence that God exists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jastrow/far-from-disproving-the-existence-of-god-astronomers-may-be-finding/) [Robert Jastrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jastrow/) > [To a certain extent I am taking a leap of faith. I'm adding up the evidence on either side, and I'm seeing the evidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-sweeney/to-a-certain-extent-i-am-taking-a-leap-of-faith-i-m-adding-up-the/) [Julia Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-sweeney/) > [If we had absolute proof instead of clues, then you could no more deny God than you could deny the sun. If we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/if-we-had-absolute-proof-instead-of-clues-then-you-could-no-more-deny/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [Our Lord his book, the Bible is deep and broad. Great human minds have critically examined it, and thinking they have found flaws, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/our-lord-his-book-the-bible-is-deep-and-broad-great-human-minds-have/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [I myself believe that the evidence for God lies primarily in inner personal experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/i-myself-believe-that-the-evidence-for-god-lies-primarily-in-inner/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [When someone like myself points out the rather obvious and compelling evidence that God is cruel and unjust, because he visits suffering on innocent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/when-someone-like-myself-points-out-the-rather-obvious-and-compelling/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The evidence of God exists in the roundness of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/the-evidence-of-god-exists-in-the-roundness-of-things/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [The most compelling evidence for God's existence is Christ. If God does not exist, then Christ was the biggest fool who ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/the-most-compelling-evidence-for-god-s-existence-is-christ-if-god/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) ## More by Carl Sagan > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. 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We humans are one species and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-tiny-blue-dot-set-in-a-sunbeam-here-it-is-that-s-where-we-live-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Any sufficiently crisp question can be answered by a single binary digit-0 or 1, yes or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/any-sufficiently-crisp-question-can-be-answered-by-a-single-binary/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Humans — who enslave, castrate, experiment on, and fillet other animals — have had an understandable penchant for pretending animals do not feel pain.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/humans-who-enslave-castrate-experiment-on-and-fillet-other-animals/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Every star may be a sun to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-star-may-be-a-sun-to-someone/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) [Explore all 1,043 Carl Sagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) ## More Adequate quotes > [What I search for continuously in my art is adequate language, language I hope can stand beyond any particular occasion. 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