I know that there are no gods.

[ozgoat]

Rofl, very good point, that's a circular definition.

However, my point in this thread was that I define awareness as knowledge, and dictionary.com agrees with me there.

Furthermore, since we know when we are aware of something, we can also be sure when we truly know something. However, the essence of that something is another matter.

For example, I see a table, I know it exists because I am aware of it and knowledge and awareness are the same thing, the question is whether it's real or not. It either exists and is real or exists but is unreal. I am aware of the table regardless of whether it is illusory or not. I can be aware of (or know) its existence but not its essence.

But being aware of something doesn't mean that you necessarily acknowledge it or even want to KNOW it.

You may be aware that the table is there, and know it's there, but you you may not be aware or know that's it's made of wood or laminate, so until you follow up on your awareness that it's there, you don't really know the table until you examine it, or in other words, fully know it. You just remain in a state of awareness that it exists without really knowing it; colour, composition, texture, construction.

So I believe that there is a difference between being aware of something and knowing it .