Comments on: Atheist or Agnostic?

By: bornslacker

bornslacker — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:21:47 +0000

I understand they're real people, I never suggested otherwise.

I didn't say anyone had to fit neatly into the above definitions. You can call yourself a turtle, but that doesn't make it so.

I'm talking about the definitions of the words. Words have meanings and I was clarifying a misconception (a common one at that).

So sure, you can believe in God and call yourself an agnostic, just know that your understanding of that word is different than others.

By: James

James — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:09:43 +0000

Agnostics exist, and they don't give a fuck what you call them. They don't fit neatly into your categories either. They continue not to give a fuck weather they're called theistic or agnostic. What I want you to understand is this: Agnostics are real people! Some of them give shit, others don't. but all of them are on our side. As long as we don't piss them off.

By: bornslacker

bornslacker — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:37:28 +0000

I'm pointing out the difference due to the large number of people who think that agnosticism is a sort of "half-way house" between atheist and theist. This is wrong. It's important to point out this basic misunderstanding because it leads to further misunderstandings. I'm not the first to point this out (far from it). Dan Barker talks about it in his book Godless, as does Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris.

You'd be surprise (or maybe not) how many theists assume that all atheists are out to convince everyone that there is no God or that they hold the belief that there is no God (strong atheism or gnostic atheist).

There is a difference when talking to theists. One appears to attack them, whereas the other appears to be unconvinced of their claim.

By: James

James — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:09:55 +0000

(Tells self: “don’t respond to Jesus-trolls!”) It is great to define terms if you’re writing a paper, or in a formal debate, but trying to proscribe the use of common words in day-to-day life is both arrogant and absurd. The human mind is a remarkable thing, capable of holding a vast amount of stupid and contradictory ideas at the same time (and never assume that yours isn’t.) It’s views on nature, religion, and metaphysics are far to complicated to pin down with (two) words. Everyone has beliefs that fall outside of easy labels, and trying to make the labels more complicated only makes them less meaningful.

I am an atheist. If you want to know the rest of my epistemic beliefs, go ahead and ask! (But warning: I do bite!)

By: bornslacker

bornslacker — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:09:12 +0000

Yes. Of course you have to define what you mean by "God" before I can tell you if I believe in it or not. That being said though, the burden of proof is on the one making the claim.

Thus far, no "proof" for any god concept has been compelling enough for me.

I'm open to any proof you want to provide. I would consider myself broadly an agnostic atheist. I don't KNOW that there is no god of any kind, but I don't believe in one.

However, I can consider myself a gnostic atheist as it pertains to certain god claims because they are logical contradictions.

By: Max

Max — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:54:01 +0000

Don't you think that one needs to define what God is before deciding whether someone can believe in it/he/she or not? George H. Smith in "Atheism – The case against god" makes a very good point about it.

By: martin

martin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:16:09 +0000

I'm guessing Mido's never heard of Russell's teapot ) What he said really reminded me of that.

Up next… Carlin's frisbeetarians come and preach. But that won't drive us up walls… only on roofs.

By: bornslacker

bornslacker — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:35:07 +0000

That is not a valid argument. That's nothing but assertion. If you want to preach, please find another site to do it on. Your words fall on deaf ears.

By: MIDO

MIDO — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:56:25 +0000

My believe that there is a GOD… He is the only one ,, he is the one who created us & the whole universe .
And No one but him…that made the universe that accurate without mistakes …without mistakes
Because there should be a highest power that controls everything … the only one who sent all 4 religious books . ourselves , our planet , the moon , the sun ( and their cycles between day & night ) they never missed it , what we eat , what we drink ( when the clouds run to an area & the rain ) its amazing how he controls everything in a very simple way . Imagine a company without a manager, without a policy how will it run ? who rewards us when we do good ? , who punishes when we do bad ? who will we ask for help? ….We ask the only one GOD / ALLAH

By: MIDO

MIDO — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:21:45 +0000

I have a little story to share , Last week i took my family to one of the lakes in texas, while we were there i looked at the other side of the lake & i saw alot of trees & nice villas , a place where i really needed to be , anyways while i was thinking how to go there i saw a woody stick on the water moving toward the lake bank & started rotating around itself & after 3 minutes around 40 woody sticks came beside it to the lake bank , they stuck together creating a platform !! hmmm… what was that ? I was amazed , anyways i steped on that platform & started to move toward the other side of the lack , it took me 5 minutes to get there , i spent around 15 minutes & i came back on the same platform ……..CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS ?.
BY MIDO