RE: Is gnostic atheism ironic?
October 1, 2013 at 8:25 pm
(This post was last modified: October 1, 2013 at 8:27 pm by Lumpymunk.)
Not sure why people keep trying to equate "Atheism" with certainty. Atheism is not a positive disbelief in a god, it is the absence of belief... the lack of belief.
You only undermine your ability to defend yourself as an atheist when you commit to any positive beliefs about things that don't exist. It's just as impossible to claim positive disbelief in something as it is positive belief.
Atheist: "How do you know god exists?"
Theist: "How do you know god doesn't exist?"
Both fail.
These classification of "gnostic atheist" vs "agnostic atheist" vs "positive atheist" break down because you're over complicating the issue.
Your beliefs about knowledge are independent of your beliefs (or lack of beliefs) about god(s).
You only undermine your ability to defend yourself as an atheist when you commit to any positive beliefs about things that don't exist. It's just as impossible to claim positive disbelief in something as it is positive belief.
Atheist: "How do you know god exists?"
Theist: "How do you know god doesn't exist?"
Both fail.
These classification of "gnostic atheist" vs "agnostic atheist" vs "positive atheist" break down because you're over complicating the issue.
Your beliefs about knowledge are independent of your beliefs (or lack of beliefs) about god(s).
