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To Agnostics, question for you
March 13, 2014 at 8:00 pm
Just wondering how you descibe Agnosticism if someone asks you of your 'beliefs?' (and you consider yourself Agnostic)
There is a solid definition for the term, but I only know two Agnostics in my offline life, and they describe what it means to them, a little differently than I do. I consider it to be that no one knows if there is a god or not, and I don't need to know. I'm not thirsting for knowledge to know, either way. I reject all past and present religions' notions of a god, as well.
Curious, how you define it for yourself?
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 1:33 am
From my perspective - I do not know if there are any gods, nor do I particularly care. I consider the question of whether or not they exist to only be as coherent as the definition of 'god' - which is to say, not very.
In other words, wake me up when you have an actual demonstrable deity to show me, otherwise, I can't be bothered to care.
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 1:53 am
Anti religion (aren't we all) but open minded perhaps.
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 6:07 pm
(March 14, 2014 at 1:53 am)fr0d0 Wrote: Anti religion (aren't we all) but open minded perhaps.
You're no longer Christian?
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 6:21 pm
(This post was last modified: March 14, 2014 at 6:24 pm by Napoléon.)
It's really not that hard, I'm always amazed when people ascribe their own definitions to words.
Agnosticism - deals with knowledge.
Atheism - deals with belief.
I'm an agnostic atheist. I don't generally say I'm an agnostic, because everyone is agnostic. If someone does describe themselves as gnostic about the existence of god (as if they know) then they're deluded.
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 7:44 pm
(March 14, 2014 at 6:21 pm)Napoléon Wrote: I don't generally say I'm an agnostic, because everyone is agnostic. If someone does describe themselves as gnostic about the existence of god (as if they know) then they're deluded.
Too bad the set of individuals who are gnostic includes so much of the population that this is still an important distinction. It shouldn't be, but it certainly is.
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 8:18 pm
(This post was last modified: March 14, 2014 at 8:21 pm by *Deidre*.)
(March 14, 2014 at 1:33 am)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: From my perspective - I do not know if there are any gods, nor do I particularly care. I consider the question of whether or not they exist to only be as coherent as the definition of 'god' - which is to say, not very.
In other words, wake me up when you have an actual demonstrable deity to show me, otherwise, I can't be bothered to care. lol I like this a lot. Thank you for chiming in. I feel this way, as well. I no longer feel 'required' to be on the look out for evidence of a god, like I did when I followed faith.
(March 14, 2014 at 6:21 pm)Napoléon Wrote: It's really not that hard, I'm always amazed when people ascribe their own definitions to words.
Agnosticism - deals with knowledge.
Atheism - deals with belief.
I'm an agnostic atheist. I don't generally say I'm an agnostic, because everyone is agnostic. If someone does describe themselves as gnostic about the existence of god (as if they know) then they're deluded.
Everyone is agnostic? Perhaps in actuality, but I don't think their perception of themselves would agree with you. lol
Relating to gnosticism...I think people who believe that, while they are deluded, their belief stems from 'what' they know, as far as they know. (based on say the Bible, or the Qur'an, or some other book that they feel can be used as evidence for a god's existence) But...not necessarily that they know with certainty. That's my understanding, anyway.
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 8:22 pm
(March 14, 2014 at 8:18 pm)Deidre32 Wrote: Everyone is agnostic? Perhaps in actuality, but I don't think their perception of themselves would agree with you. lol
That's pretty much my point though. In reality, everyone should describe themselves as agnostic, as it's impossible for anyone to know whether a god does or does not exist. I don't care what they tell you. Anyone who seriously sits there and thinks "I know god exists" is either being intellectually dishonest with themselves or downright brainwashed beyond all comprehension.
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 8:24 pm
(March 13, 2014 at 8:00 pm)Deidre32 Wrote: Curious, how you define it for yourself? As I understand it, it means that you do not know. In that sense pretty much everyone is agnostic. Or insane.
I took the label at the very beginning when I decided to abandon religion, but to me the term seems to indicate that I was seeking answers. The atheist does not believe, and that is pretty much that. The agnostic does not know for certain, and I figured that if I had any real doubts or some desire to know for sure, I'd be searching. Seeing as I was not, I think atheist applies best.
"Well, evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts don't go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein's theory of gravitation replaced Newton's in this century, but apples didn't suspend themselves in midair, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from ape- like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin's proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered."
-Stephen Jay Gould
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RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 14, 2014 at 8:26 pm
(March 14, 2014 at 8:22 pm)Napoléon Wrote: (March 14, 2014 at 8:18 pm)Deidre32 Wrote: Everyone is agnostic? Perhaps in actuality, but I don't think their perception of themselves would agree with you. lol
That's pretty much my point though. In reality, everyone should describe themselves as agnostic, as it's impossible for anyone to know whether a god does or does not exist. I don't care what they tell you. Anyone who seriously sits there and thinks "I know god exists" is either being intellectually dishonest with themselves or downright brainwashed beyond all comprehension.
Yes. Great post.
I've often thought religion wouldn't exist if it weren't for our egos. lol
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