Choose the appropriate word from the options given that can substitute the following phrase:
One who is not sure about God's existence-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Agnostic
An agnostic is a person who believes that it cannot be known whether God exists. The word comes from the Greek a- (without) + gnosis (knowledge): one who claims no knowledge of God. This is one who is not sure about God's existence.
Example: As an agnostic, he neither prays nor denies the existence of God.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Altruist — Incorrect. An altruist is a person who cares about others and helps them selflessly; it has nothing to do with belief in God.
Example: A true altruist, she gave her savings to the flood victims.
Option 2: Ascetic — Incorrect. An ascetic is a person who gives up worldly pleasures and lives a life of strict self-discipline, often for religious reasons; such a person is not unsure about God.
Example: The ascetic lived alone in a cave in the Himalayas.
Option 4: Philanthropist — Incorrect. A philanthropist is a person who helps others, especially by giving money to good causes; it has no link with belief in God.
Example: The philanthropist funded three new schools in the village.