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Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
#1
Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
I just wanted to give some reasoning behind my religious views.

I identify as an agnostic skeptic, because I do not identify as an atheist or theist, but also because she makes a valid point, that agnostic and theism/atheism are totally different things. I do not claim to be a theist, just as I do not claim to be an atheist. Do I know there is a God? No, absolutely not. Do I believe? This is more than a yes or no question. I just said that I don't know. It's unreasonable to claim something that has no evidence. And no, I believe God is much more than a hypothesis. It's an idea. A hypothesis is defined as, "a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation." That doesn't really explain God, does it? No evidence and all? So it would be unreasonable to claim something that has no evidence, the general opposite of a hypothesis. Yet, it's an idea, isn't it? And ideas must be contemplated, so we are left with a problem here. True, you can choose to pick sides. Nevertheless, the idea of agnosticism still stands, as lacking knowledge. Is it too much to say that we cannot draw a conclusion on the matter, and further evidence for one side or the other is needed before said conclusion can be drawn. I know I'm throwing around definitions here, but a skeptic is defined as, "a person inclined to question or doubt all accepted opinions." I'm a skeptic because it is most plausible (and I say plausible because again, we do not know) there is no evidence for either side, and as such, I do not pick sides, but am open-minded and eagerly ask questions. If a man walks up to you, takes about five to ten steps back, the steps in which you did not care to count, asked, "I'm going to throw something at you. What do you believe the chances are of your face being smashed in?" Your going to ask questions, right? Well, what if his answer to the majority of your questions is "I don't know"? Would it be reasonable to come up with a belief on the matter? Thanks in advance.
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#2
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
A theist is someone with an active, positive belief in "God". Everyone else is an atheist. That is the commonly used definition of the word, at least on this forum. Of course, you may use words differently. Being an atheist requires no statement of positive belief. Whether you "identify" as an atheist doesn't change whether you are one or not. It's a common misconception that atheism requires a positive belief that there is no God; it doesn't.

If you don't know what your beliefs are, that's an entirely different matter and indicates some sort of internal struggle. It may be that your beliefs change frequently.

I think it's possible to have both an emotional and a logical belief, which can be at odds.

God is whatever the person I'm talking to says it is, hence my position of ignosticism. It's a meaningless word on its own. At best it's an unfalsifiable, useless hypothesis. At worst its incoherent imaginary rubbish.
Feel free to send me a private message.
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#3
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
(November 13, 2016 at 4:07 am)robvalue Wrote: A theist is someone with an active, positive belief in "God". Everyone else is an atheist. That is the commonly used definition of the word, at least on this forum. Of course, you may use words differently. Being an atheist requires no statement of positive belief. Whether you "identify" as an atheist doesn't change whether you are one or not.

If you don't know what your beliefs are, that's an entirely different matter and indicates some sort of internal struggle. It may be that your beliefs change frequently.

God is whatever the person I'm talking to says it is, hence my position of ignosticism. It's a meaningless word on its own. At best it's an unfalsifiable, useless hypothesis. At worst its incoherent imaginary rubbish.

I don't see the point here. I've explained that I do not claim either belief or non-belief, and I've given my reasons.
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#4
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
I go into more detail on my website here.

Yes, so you're a weak atheist, that's the definition. If you don't want to call that atheism, that is fine. But to us you're an agnostic weak atheist.
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
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#5
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
With respect to "an intelligent creator of our reality", I am the same as you. I'm a weak agnostic atheist. You may like to call yourself something different, that's fine. But the position is the same, whatever words you use.

I've made a video about it too.

https://youtu.be/d34BmGnrUEI
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
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#6
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
(November 13, 2016 at 4:15 am)robvalue Wrote: I go into more detail on my website here.

Yes, so you're a weak atheist, that's the definition. If you don't want to call that atheism, that is fine. But to us you're an agnostic weak atheist.

First paragraph:

Atheism is one of the most misunderstood positions. It is very simple, but many people insist on making it way more complicated. It is a response to the claim that one or more gods exist. If you accept this claim, you are a theist. If you reject the claim, you are an atheist. Being an atheist does not necessarily mean you are claiming that there are no gods. You may make claims, but this goes beyond what is simply atheism. On its own, atheism cannot be wrong because it makes no claims to be wrong about. Atheism/theism on their own only address the question of belief, and do not address knowledge. That is where gnosticism/agnositism come in.

As I've explained, I neither accept nor reject the idea of a God, as we cannot know whether He exists or not. Thus, I do not claim to be an atheist nor do I claim to be a theist. I claim to be an agnostic when it comes to knowledge, and an open-minded skeptic of both sides when it comes to beliefs. I knew I keep giving analogies, but here's one:

You're in prison, and a guy comes up to you at lunch and asks, "Hey, you a skinhead?" You disagree. "Oh, so you're a KKK?" You shake your head again. He says, "Well you've got to pick one. You're either a skinhead or a KKK." That wouldn't make any sense would it?
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#7
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
(November 13, 2016 at 4:15 am)robvalue Wrote: I go into more detail on my website here.

Yes, so you're a weak atheist, that's the definition. If you don't want to call that atheism, that is fine. But to us you're an agnostic weak atheist.

I feel I must clarify. When you say, "If you don't want to call it atheism, that is fine," I feel a sense of belief that I am just in it to rebel. I identify as such because I feel it is the most logical.

Why would you say that is the definition? I have stated a numerous amount of times in the few posts that I have made in this thread that I do not identify as either, but rather, I operate off of the fact that we cannot know. With both beliefs being subjective, I don't pretend to lean towards either. We cannot know, and we do not have any basis of knowing besides evolution, something that even most Christians accept now, for one side, and a few old books for the other. When we have no basis of knowing, it is ignorance, and I'm not afraid to admit that. Therefor I have made no conclusions on what belief is truth, or has a higher probability of being true, but instead choose to remain neutral.
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#8
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
Okay. I expect you haven't read my article then, or watched my video. I won't repeat myself.

You are using language differently to us. That is all that is happening. You can identify as whatever you like.
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
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#9
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
(November 13, 2016 at 4:47 am)robvalue Wrote: Okay. I expect you haven't read my article then, or watched my video. I won't repeat myself.

You are using language differently to us. That is all that is happening.

Yes, I have read your article, and have given my reasoning. Again, you're saying the same thing each post, and I've given my reasoning. Nevertheless, I can accept your reasoning. I do not wish to start a heated debate.
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#10
RE: Agnostic Skepticism- My Views
It's not about leaning, there's nothing to lean -to-.  Either you believe in gods or you don't. If you can't truthfully say "I believe in god/s"....then you simply don't believe.  An agnostic atheist is a person who doesn't believe, and does not know.  Sounds like you. You;re in good company, though, alot of agnostic atheists prefer to be called agnostics. It's okay, we know what you mean, lol.
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