Hello everyone! I am new on the forum. I am an 18-year-old male who was a Christian until the age of 8, and a deist until the age of 12/13. I am currently an agnostic atheist.
Atheism, to me, is simply a lack of belief in any kind of god. It does not necessarily follow that therefore an atheist believes no such gods exist, although an atheist might hold that position (which is a position that I do hold, at least in relation to the God of scripture, not necessarily that of the deist, as the latter is unfalsifiable in principle). In the case of one's belief about a claim, there are only three possibilities:
1. Belief that the claim is true.
2. Belief that the claim is false.
3. Lack of belief either way.
Theism would be 1, whilst atheism can be both 2 or 3, because both 2 and 3 represent a lack of belief that the claim is true. I have come across many folks who make the disingenuous claim that atheism is strictly a belief that no gods exist (or worse, the positive assertion that no gods exist), while claiming that those who simply lack a belief either way should be called "agnostics", when in reality agnosticism has to do with knowledge, and not belief.
Atheism, to me, is simply a lack of belief in any kind of god. It does not necessarily follow that therefore an atheist believes no such gods exist, although an atheist might hold that position (which is a position that I do hold, at least in relation to the God of scripture, not necessarily that of the deist, as the latter is unfalsifiable in principle). In the case of one's belief about a claim, there are only three possibilities:
1. Belief that the claim is true.
2. Belief that the claim is false.
3. Lack of belief either way.
Theism would be 1, whilst atheism can be both 2 or 3, because both 2 and 3 represent a lack of belief that the claim is true. I have come across many folks who make the disingenuous claim that atheism is strictly a belief that no gods exist (or worse, the positive assertion that no gods exist), while claiming that those who simply lack a belief either way should be called "agnostics", when in reality agnosticism has to do with knowledge, and not belief.
"Faith is the excuse people give when they have no evidence."
- Matt Dillahunty.
- Matt Dillahunty.
