Half of those surveyed said that they believe not in God but in a higher power or force. Over half of respondents said that while they do believe in God, they do believe in a higher power that is greater than themselves.
Transcendent belief
Transcendence means the belief that a higher power exists over and beyond our world. It does not necessarily have to be an entity of spirituality or a god. It could even be an idea. One example is the Enron executives who promoted the idea that their company was changing business by doing ethical and right things.
Many religions have the idea of transcendent belief. Different religions may hold different views on the nature and purpose of god. However, they all believe that there is a powerful, transcendent power who orchestrates all events in our lives. There is much debate over the nature of God, but the fact that it created the entire world is the key.
Agnosticism
The Greek word atheisme and the French atheisme both translate to "without god" as agnostic. Agnosticism, however is not synonymous with atheism. Even though some people believe in no god, this does not prevent anyone from living a spiritual existence.
Agnosticism is a philosophical position that holds that the existence of God is not known. Agnosticism, unlike atheism holds that much truth can be found about life and the universe.
Apathy
Apatheism simply means that a person lacks faith or belief in a higher power. Apatheists believe that they can achieve existential security without a god. Apathy towards God can be described as the opposite of love. This is contrary to Scriptures.
Psalm 14 describes a person, for example, as someone who lacks the need to God. The hiker ran from the bear, not even remembering its features. The lack of emotion leads to apathy.