When I say Agnostic, I mean someone who recognises that there is simply not sufficient knowledge to rule out, with 100% certainty, that God exists.
For me, and Atheist view must be dependent upon a scientific view of the world i.e. that it is based upon a combination of empirical evidence combined with scientific understanding. This gives us an ever deeper understanding of nature and the universe in which we live.
But the problem with this approach is the sheer size of the gaping holes in our understanding. Let me list a few examples that inspire awe in me:
i) The stars in our Galaxy revolve around a central black hole. However, the stars on the outer edges are moving much faster than predicted by scientific observation of the amount of mass in our Galaxy. So scientists have invented 'dark matter and energy'. The whole of space is filled with this dark matter and dark energy, it is all around us and the only problem is that we cannot see it (hence dark). Now guess how much of this dark matter/energy is required to restore scientific order in the universe? Over 95% of all matter in the universe. This is astounding - all the stars and planets that we can empirically observe account for only ~5% of the universe the rest is the magic invisible stuff!!
ii) At the small scale, a Physicist called Heisenberg has set an absolute limit to our knowledge. This is based upon 'Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle' which implies that there are regions of subatomic space that we can never observe, not even in principle!! What strange worlds may exist in these regions of space which we will never know.
iii) The law of cause and effect lies behind all scientific laws. Yet the philosopher David Hume has demonstrated that this principle cannot be proven using any empirical measurement and must be adopted on the basis of faith. Yes - at the heart of science is pure faith.
iv) The latest scientific views have resulted in 'String Theory'. This theory relies upon eleven dimensional space. These are the three usual four dimensions of space and time, within which we make our empirical measurements and seven other dimensions that are completely invisible to us. Not only that, but the strings, which make up everything in the universe, are completely invisible to any empirical measurement!!!
I could go on, but these monumental examples are suffice to show that it is not just that which we do not know, but we do not know how much we don't know. It is quite possible that humankinds current knowledge is just a drop in the ocean.
On this basis, for me, the only logical position is one of the type of Agnosticism that I have defined. Atheism must rely, hugely, upon a good dose of faith!
For me, and Atheist view must be dependent upon a scientific view of the world i.e. that it is based upon a combination of empirical evidence combined with scientific understanding. This gives us an ever deeper understanding of nature and the universe in which we live.
But the problem with this approach is the sheer size of the gaping holes in our understanding. Let me list a few examples that inspire awe in me:
i) The stars in our Galaxy revolve around a central black hole. However, the stars on the outer edges are moving much faster than predicted by scientific observation of the amount of mass in our Galaxy. So scientists have invented 'dark matter and energy'. The whole of space is filled with this dark matter and dark energy, it is all around us and the only problem is that we cannot see it (hence dark). Now guess how much of this dark matter/energy is required to restore scientific order in the universe? Over 95% of all matter in the universe. This is astounding - all the stars and planets that we can empirically observe account for only ~5% of the universe the rest is the magic invisible stuff!!
ii) At the small scale, a Physicist called Heisenberg has set an absolute limit to our knowledge. This is based upon 'Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle' which implies that there are regions of subatomic space that we can never observe, not even in principle!! What strange worlds may exist in these regions of space which we will never know.
iii) The law of cause and effect lies behind all scientific laws. Yet the philosopher David Hume has demonstrated that this principle cannot be proven using any empirical measurement and must be adopted on the basis of faith. Yes - at the heart of science is pure faith.
iv) The latest scientific views have resulted in 'String Theory'. This theory relies upon eleven dimensional space. These are the three usual four dimensions of space and time, within which we make our empirical measurements and seven other dimensions that are completely invisible to us. Not only that, but the strings, which make up everything in the universe, are completely invisible to any empirical measurement!!!
I could go on, but these monumental examples are suffice to show that it is not just that which we do not know, but we do not know how much we don't know. It is quite possible that humankinds current knowledge is just a drop in the ocean.
On this basis, for me, the only logical position is one of the type of Agnosticism that I have defined. Atheism must rely, hugely, upon a good dose of faith!
