--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am not a believer, not an atheist, not…" description: "\"I am not a believer, not an atheist, not an agnostic. I am still awake at night, asking how? I am more content with the question than I would be with a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/roger-ebert-655_agnostic_i-am-not-a-believer-not-an-atheist-not-a_521614.jpg" --- # I am not a believer, not an atheist, not an agnostic. I am… ![“I am not a believer, not an atheist, not an agnostic. I am still awake at night, asking how? I am more content with the question than I would be with an answer.” quote by Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/roger-ebert-655_agnostic_i-am-not-a-believer-not-an-atheist-not-a_521614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/roger-ebert-655_agnostic_i-am-not-a-believer-not-an-atheist-not-a_521614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0c/roger-ebert-655_agnostic_i-am-not-a-believer-not-an-atheist-not-a_521614.jpg) > “I am not a believer, not an atheist, not an agnostic. I am still awake at night, asking how? I am more content with the question than I would be with an answer.” [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker embraces uncertainty, finding comfort in questioning rather than seeking definitive answers. **In simple terms:** Comfort in questioning. Key Takeaway Value curiosity over certainty. Themes existential uncertainty curiosity philosophy Mood reflective calm Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - nighttime thoughts - creative work - spiritual practice - education Key Concepts skepticism mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What questions keep you awake? - How do you balance curiosity with action? A Different Perspective May lead to indecision if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agnostic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) [Atheist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atheist/) [Believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believer/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) ## Related quotes > [“I am not a believer, not an atheist, not an agnostic. I am more content with questions than answers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-am-not-a-believer-not-an-atheist-not-an-agnostic-i-am-more-content/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Absolutists frighten me. During all the endless discussions on my blog about evolution, intelligent design, God, and the afterworld, numbering altogether thousands of comments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/absolutists-frighten-me-during-all-the-endless-discussions-on-my-blog/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [If a humanist or an atheist or an agnostic says, "We'll bake you a pie," we can go right into the kitchen and bake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/if-a-humanist-or-an-atheist-or-an-agnostic-says-we-ll-bake-you-a-pie/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [When it comes to God's existence, I'm not an atheist and I'm not agnostic. I'm an acrostic. The whole thing puzzles me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/when-it-comes-to-god-s-existence-i-m-not-an-atheist-and-i-m-not/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“...properly a theory about knowledge, not about religion. A theist and a Christian may be an agnostic; an atheist may not be an agnostic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-flint/properly-a-theory-about-knowledge-not-about-religion-a-theist-and-a/) Robert Flint > [The atheist, agnostic, or secularist ... should guard against the encroachment of religion in areas where it has no place, and in particular the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-atheist-agnostic-or-secularist-should-guard-against-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am also atheist or agnostic (I don't even know the difference). I've never been to church and prefer to think for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-wozniak/i-am-also-atheist-or-agnostic-i-don-t-even-know-the-difference-i-ve/) [Steve Wozniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-wozniak/) > [I would not say that ethical behavior is not possible for the atheist or agnostic. It is. A couple of pretty good examples are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/i-would-not-say-that-ethical-behavior-is-not-possible-for-the-atheist/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [People are invariably surprised to hear me say I am both an atheist and an agnostic, as if this somehow weakens my certainty. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barker/people-are-invariably-surprised-to-hear-me-say-i-am-both-an-atheist/) [Dan Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barker/) > [I think this word 'disbelieve' would be the best of all possible worlds if everybody were an atheist or an agnostic or a humanist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/i-think-this-word-disbelieve-would-be-the-best-of-all-possible-worlds/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [“The atheist, agnostic, or secularist ... should not be cowed by exaggerated sensitivity to people's religious beliefs and fail to speak vigorously and pointedly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-t-joshi/the-atheist-agnostic-or-secularist-should-not-be-cowed-by-exaggerated/) [S.T. Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-t-joshi/) > [You would consider me an atheist or agnostic. I find religion and spirituality fascinating. I would like to believe this isn’t the end and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/you-would-consider-me-an-atheist-or-agnostic-i-find-religion-and/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [The atheist, agnostic, or secularist ... should insist on the need to engage in a meaningful debate on the entire issue of the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-atheist-agnostic-or-secularist-should-insist-on-the-need-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I suppose I'm a lapsed Catholic. You would consider me an atheist or agnostic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin-2/i-suppose-i-m-a-lapsed-catholic-you-would-consider-me-an-atheist-or/) [George R. R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin-2/) > [When I was growing up I was an atheist, then an agnostic, and then I had a good eight or ten years of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moby/when-i-was-growing-up-i-was-an-atheist-then-an-agnostic-and-then-i/) [Moby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moby/) ## More by Roger Ebert > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I am, beneath everything else, a fan. I was fixed in this mode as a young boy and am awed by people who take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-am-beneath-everything-else-a-fan-i-was-fixed-in-this-mode-as-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“We’d had a revelation. This was the direction American movies should take: into idiosyncratic characters, into dialogue with an ear for the vulgar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/we-d-had-a-revelation-this-was-the-direction-american-movies-should/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“Most courtroom movies feel it necessary to end with a clear-cut verdict. But 12 Angry Men never states whether the defendant is innocent or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/most-courtroom-movies-feel-it-necessary-to-end-with-a-clear-cut/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I value the kind of prayer when you stand at the edge of the sea, or beneath a tree, or smell a flower, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-value-the-kind-of-prayer-when-you-stand-at-the-edge-of-the-sea-or/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [“One of my delights in these books, on the other hand, has been to include movies not often cited as “great”—some because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/one-of-my-delights-in-these-books-on-the-other-hand-has-been-to/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [A movie isn't good or bad based on its politics. It's usually good or bad for other reasons, though you might agree or disagree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its-politics-it-s-usually-good-or/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [It is human nature to look away from illness. We don't enjoy a reminder of our own fragile mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-human-nature-to-look-away-from-illness-we-don-t-enjoy-a/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [ Gene \[Siskel\] often mentioned something François Truffaut once told him: the most beautiful sight in a movie theater is to walk down to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/gene-siskel-often-mentioned-something-fran-ois-truffaut-once-told-him/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-is-not-about-what-it-is-about-it-is-about-how-it-is-about-it/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [James Cameron's films have always been distinguished by ground-breaking technical excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/james-cameron-s-films-have-always-been-distinguished-by-ground/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Friends don't let Jackasses drink and drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/friends-don-t-let-jackasses-drink-and-drive/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [I think we have to get beyond the idea that we have to categorize people. We can now have action movies with two stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-think-we-have-to-get-beyond-the-idea-that-we-have-to-categorize/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) [Explore all 427 Roger Ebert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) ## More Agnostic quotes > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [The prayer of the agnostic: "O God, if there is a God, save my soul if I have a soul."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-prayer-of-the-agnostic-o-god-if-there-is-a-god-save-my-soul-if-i/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [I'm actually, for the most part, a complete agnostic politically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-witten/i-m-actually-for-the-most-part-a-complete-agnostic-politically/) [Edward Witten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-witten/) > [Even when I was saying I was Agnostic and trying to figure out my thoughts, I felt God was allowing me to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfre-woodard/even-when-i-was-saying-i-was-agnostic-and-trying-to-figure-out-my/) [Alfre Woodard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfre-woodard/) > [There is, in fact, nothing about religious opinions that entitles them to any more respect than other opinions get. On the contrary, they tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/there-is-in-fact-nothing-about-religious-opinions-that-entitles-them/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Some people are so stiff and inhumane as the dogma's they believe in”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/some-people-are-so-stiff-and-inhumane-as-the-dogma-s-they-believe-in/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [“An atheist is someone who is disappointed in his search of god. He is a man who strongly needed god but couldn't find him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/an-atheist-is-someone-who-is-disappointed-in-his-search-of-god-he-is/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [If a humanist or an atheist or an agnostic says, "We'll bake you a pie," we can go right into the kitchen and bake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/if-a-humanist-or-an-atheist-or-an-agnostic-says-we-ll-bake-you-a-pie/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [I'm agnostic because I went through the usual process of parents insisting you go to church, and yet they didn't. So there's me, sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-m-agnostic-because-i-went-through-the-usual-process-of-parents/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [Intellect, at its best, can make you agnostic. Being theist or atheist is still a matter of choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raheel-farooq/intellect-at-its-best-can-make-you-agnostic-being-theist-or-atheist/) [Raheel Farooq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raheel-farooq/) > [To be agnostic is to be open-minded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-agnostic-is-to-be-open-minded/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All Gaza's temples are torn down and burned and the city is cleansed of every belief but the Christian faith. The most stubborn opponents,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsay-macmullen/all-gaza-s-temples-are-torn-down-and-burned-and-the-city-is-cleansed/) [Ramsay MacMullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsay-macmullen/) > [I'm still agnostic. But in the words of Elton Richards, I'm now a reverant agnostic. Which isn't an oxymoron, I swear. I now believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-still-agnostic-but-in-the-words-of-elton-richards-i-m-now-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I'm agnostic. By definition, I'm unsure of what to believe in, but I'm also borderline-capable of believing in anything and everything, or nothing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lola/i-m-agnostic-by-definition-i-m-unsure-of-what-to-believe-in-but-i-m/) [Lauren Lola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lola/) > [“The Agnostic is one who asserts 'what no one denies' that there are limits to the sphere of human intelligence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/the-agnostic-is-one-who-asserts-what-no-one-denies-that-there-are/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) [Browse all 492 Agnostic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agnostic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am not a believer, not an atheist, not an agnostic. I am still awake at night, asking how? 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