RE: Is atheism a belief?
January 23, 2019 at 9:51 pm
(This post was last modified: January 23, 2019 at 10:35 pm by Acrobat.)
(January 23, 2019 at 6:31 pm)PRJA93 Wrote: Except that gnosticism versus agnosticism addresses the issue of knowledge. Theism versus atheism addresses the issue of belief. If you're gnostic about god's existence, you have knowledge that god exists. If you're agnostic about god's existence then you do not have knowledge that god exists. If you're a theist, you have a belief that god exists, if you're an atheist, you do not have a belief that god exists.
Agnostic and atheist are not mutually exclusive ideas. While "agnostic" has, in recent years, taken on a colloquial meaning that's different from the technical definition, the correct way to identify yourself would technically be either an agnostic atheist or a gnostic atheist, and an agnostic theist or a gnostic theist.
Agnostic atheist, gnostic atheist etc.. is very recently developed concept.
But lets ask a question. If atheists who know God doesn't exist and atheists who don't know if God doesn't exist, can be separated by the gnostic agnostic distinction.
What separates atheists who believe God doesn't exist, and those who don't believe God exists? What term should people use when referring to those who believe God doesn't exist, from those who lack a belief one way or the other?
Previously this distinction was made between agnosticism, and atheism. If the new conception was to provide further clarity it failed to do so.
