Agnostics

[Excited Penguin]

Gee I don't like that way of putting it.

It is put clearly.  Maybe we just don't agree.   

"Don't believe one way or the other" sounds more like a garden variety agnostic to me.

If we use what I call the old system (oldsys), then we have these definitions:

• Theists believe that gods do exist.
  
• Atheists believe that gods do not exist.
  
• Agnostics don't believe either way.
  

The problem with oldsys is that it also uses these definitions:

• Gnostics know (or think they know) whether gods exist.
  
• Agnostics don't know whether gods exist.  
  

So "agnostic" defines two different situations, which causes endless confusion.  

Newsys doesn't have that problem, so newsys is more clean and clear.  

Oldsys can probably claim more users.  Newsys is overwhelmingly more popular among people who identify as atheists.  

Both oldsys and newsys are normalized databases:  Everybody fits in a category; nobody fits in more than one category.  

There are other systems, of course, but these are the two main ones.  Both are supported by dictionaries and common usage.  That is, both are "right" or "true" insofar as any definition can be.  

Other systems can be disregarded as personal or eccentric.  Whatever is in third place behind the two main systems is way out of sight back there. 

If you're going to have your own system, it would be good of you to use new terms.  If you use "agnostic" to refer to weak atheists, people will assume that you are using oldsys.  If you use "weak atheist" (or its equivalent, "soft atheist) at all, people will assume you are using newsys.  

[/quote]

I don't know how accurate all that is, but you said a bunch of smart stuff and I agree with it so yay.