Compare and contrast an atheist and an agnostic.

One point of similarity between both the atheist and the
agnostic is that there is a lack of belief in the presence of the divine.  Atheism is
fairly direct in its rejection of a divine presence.  There is little doubt in the
atheist's mind that God does not exist.  Atheists tend to believe that God does not
exist due to a lack of empirical evidence.  The arguments of faith and other such
analyses are not persuasive to the atheists, who feel that the belief in the divine is a
concept that lies within human constructs.  Consider the words of Baron d' Holbach: 
"All children are born atheists; they have no idea of God."  In contrast to this would
be the agnostic. Agnostics believe that skepticism must be made to claims of
transcendentalism.  This position is different because it does not assert that God does
not exist, but rather questions the ability to make such a claim of authority.  The
atheist is able to assert that God does not exist with certainty.  The agnostic doubts
whether such a transcendental claim about the presence of God can even be made.  It is a
slight difference, but one that demarcates the line between atheism and
agnosticism.