Explain why you're not agnostic.

[Parallax]

If you are not agnostic, please explain why.

An agnostic what? Agnostic theist or agnostic atheist? Agnosticism is based on whether you believe humanity can discover whether or not a god(s) exists. Theism and atheism are based on whether you live your life based on the idea of a god or lack thereof. So you can be an agnostic atheist, or an agnostic theist, but you can't just be "agnostic". If you live your life as though there is no god, but admit that you are not certain regarding the nonexistence of god, congrats, you're an agnostic atheist.

I am technically an agnostic atheist, as well. But I do not coin the term "agnostic". I'm agnostic in regards to god the same way I'm agnostic in regards to fairies and unicorns. Noone has ever fully disproven either of them, so I cannot say without a doubt that fairies and unicorns do not exist, but I'm 99.9% certain that they do not based on the evidence I have seen. I say "I do not believe in fairies and unicorns," not "I am a fairy/unicorn agnostic". To shrug your shoulders and claim you aren't 100% certain that fairies and unicorns don't exist, and therefor you must sit on the fence as an undecided agnostic, is ludicrous. I consider doing the same in respect to the idea of god equally as ludicrous.

edit: That being said, if you truly are one of those confused, on the fence agnostics, I suggest you educate yourself further. Pick up some books (I recommend Dawkin's The God Delusion) and learn why you needn't sit on the fence.

[This message has been edited by Elephantitis Man (edited 11-02-2006).]

I am an Agnostic Theist. I believe tthat there is probably a higher power of sorts, but that humans are not capable of comprehending, much less worshipping one.

Also, I do not feel like that I am sitting on the fence. I doubt I would just let one book influence completely influence me.

[truckfixr]

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

An agnostic what? Agnostic theist or agnostic atheist? Agnosticism is based on whether you believe humanity can discover whether or not a god(s) exists. Theism and atheism are based on whether you live your life based on the idea of a god or lack thereof. So you can be an agnostic atheist, or an agnostic theist, but you can't just be "agnostic". If you live your life as though there is no god, but admit that you are not certain regarding the nonexistence of god, congrats, you're an agnostic atheist.

I am technically an agnostic atheist, as well. But I do not coin the term "agnostic". I'm agnostic in regards to god the same way I'm agnostic in regards to fairies and unicorns. Noone has ever fully disproven either of them, so I cannot say without a doubt that fairies and unicorns do not exist, but I'm 99.9% certain that they do not based on the evidence I have seen. I say "I do not believe in fairies and unicorns," not "I am a fairy/unicorn agnostic". To shrug your shoulders and claim you aren't 100% certain that fairies and unicorns don't exist, and therefor you must sit on the fence as an undecided agnostic, is ludicrous. I consider doing the same in respect to the idea of god equally as ludicrous.

Well said.

quote:Originally posted by AnAsTaSiO:

I doubt I would just let one book influence completely influence me.

I didn't say that it would. I said "I suggest you educate yourself further. Pick up some books" and just recommended Dawkins' new book because it is a very good book (for anyone to read, not just an agnostic). I wouldn't suggest reading Dawkins alone though. Read many things.

[This message has been edited by Elephantitis Man (edited 11-02-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by Parallax:

If you are not agnostic, please explain why.

I'd say im an Atheist, but you may or may not see me as an Agnostic depending on your technical level and interpretation of the word Agnostic, and it's comparison to the definition of Atheist. After all there is technically a chance god exists, but it is near zero. To illustrate these odds the there is an equal chance of everyone's favorite Flying Spaghetti Monster existing.

Even based on who believes what you can make inferences to their intelligence and the intelligence of their beliefs. For example Albert Einstien, Richard Feynman, and Steven Hawking were/are Atheists. Now that alone isn't enough to convert to any religion, but those are some good minds behind a belief.

I think if you follow logic and reason unflinchingly enough you come to these conclusions, even if you don't want to believe them, but thats if and only if you are honest with yourself and think things all the way through. That and reading. The more you learn the less you don't know. Seems obvious doesn't it?

So read, think, and question everything.

[This message has been edited by Aft3r ImaGe (edited 11-02-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

I am technically an agnostic atheist, as well. But I do not coin the term "agnostic". I'm agnostic in regards to god the same way I'm agnostic in regards to fairies and unicorns. Noone has ever fully disproven either of them, so I cannot say without a doubt that fairies and unicorns do not exist, but I'm 99.9% certain that they do not based on the evidence I have seen. I say "I do not believe in fairies and unicorns," not "I am a fairy/unicorn agnostic". To shrug your shoulders and claim you aren't 100% certain that fairies and unicorns don't exist, and therefor you must sit on the fence as an undecided agnostic, is ludicrous. I consider doing the same in respect to the idea of god equally as ludicrous.

As soon as you mentioned the word fairies, I immediately knew you picked up that argument from Dawkins. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing...quite the opposite; I feel the same way and use the same argument myself. But yeah, Dawkins is a badass. If you're in to science, and particularly evolution, pick up some of his other books. The Blind Watchmaker is sitting on my bookshelf now, and it's pretty bitchin'.

quote:Originally posted by Peanutbutter Soup:

As soon as you mentioned the word fairies, I immediately knew you picked up that argument from Dawkins. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing...quite the opposite; I feel the same way and use the same argument myself. But yeah, Dawkins is a badass. If you're in to science, and particularly evolution, pick up some of his other books. The Blind Watchmaker is sitting on my bookshelf now, and it's pretty bitchin'.

+1

quote:Originally posted by Peanutbutter Soup:

As soon as you mentioned the word fairies, I immediately knew you picked up that argument from Dawkins.

I know. He always talks about "fairies in the garden".

agnostic means that you dont know if there is a god or not

I am sure that there isent, because a giant invisable guy in the sky that made every thing no matter what folk story you attach to it, is stupid.

quote:Originally posted by gomp:

agnostic means that you dont know if there is a god or not

I am sure that there isent, because a giant invisable guy in the sky that made every thing no matter what folk story you attach to it, is stupid.

I am agnostic, however I see a fault in your arguement..God doesn't nescessarly have to be an invisible guy in the sky...It could literally be anything.We as a society are so used to seeing the Christian idea of God that we tend to only look upon that one and fail to realize other cultures God's.

I apolgize for the confusion, it's late.

[Source]

quote:Originally posted by Aft3r ImaGe:

To illustrate these odds the there is an equal chance of everyone's favorite Flying Spaghetti Monster existing.

I just love this picture Touched by His Noodly Appendage.

It is impossible to prove God exists, and it is impossible to prove God does not exist; in short, God is non-falsifiable.

Until someone proves a God exists, I'm not believing there is one. Until someone proves which of the religions that involved the existence of a God is real, I'm not believing in any of those religions.

To believe in something in spite of absence of evidence is illogical.

Therefore, I am an agnostic-atheist.



[This message has been edited by Twitch_67 (edited 11-02-2006).]

quote:Originally posted by Twitch_67:

It is impossible to prove God exists, and it is impossible to prove God does not exist; in short, God is non-falsifiable.

Until someone proves a God exists, I'm not believing there is one. Until someone proves which of the religions that involved the existence of a God is real, I'm not believing in any of those religions.

To believe in something in spite of absence of evidence is illogical.

Therefore, I am an agnostic-atheist.

I agree. People take faith entirely too far.

[ArmsMerchant]

Agnostic literally means "not knowing." That is, an agnostic is one who either does not know God, or states that God cannot be known, and has no opinion one way or the other.

In my world, God speaks to all of us in many ways, but most of us don't pay attention. I communicate with God on a regular basis, as do many other people.

Been talking to "God" again, Arms?

*whispers* Someone needs to refill Arms' medication.

[Graemy]

Because I either don't go or go all the way, never half.

Because it isn't fair to demand that people falsify an unfalsifiable statement.

[Viraljimmy]

I think everybody is full of shit.

Does that make me agnostic?

Im an atheist (not an agnostic atheist or any of that wierd shit) because the idea of there being a higher power/god has been distorted/changed or recreated. first it starts off as there being a god for everything then just for somethings and then one for everything (i realize that some people still practice polytheism). its just that there is as equal a chance that there is a god as there is a superman or a spiderman or whatever. i find that god is something invented in a persons mind to give them some meaning as to why things happen.

Because God is a bullshit theory founded on absolutely no evidence, rendering the theistic side of agnostism useless and leaving me with just the other side: Atheism. I also hate fence sitting.