RE: To Agnostics, question for you
March 15, 2014 at 8:42 pm
(This post was last modified: March 15, 2014 at 8:43 pm by Whateverist.)
(March 15, 2014 at 1:43 pm)Napoléon Wrote:(March 15, 2014 at 1:35 pm)whateverist Wrote: And why would anyone expect a word which has to do with knowledge to be informative of what one believes? Wrong question.
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There is no contradiction.
I don't think JW said there was a contradiction. But often people use the term agnosticism to describe their beliefs. He's actually agreeing with you if anything. For instance I'm pretty sure on bigthink, when Neil Degrasse Tyson is asked about his beliefs, he says he is agnostic (maybe someone could find the video, I can't be arsed right now).
I thoroughly agree with jesus_wept though, that this is a kind of wimpy way of avoiding the question about beliefs.
Yeah, I think so too. May as well just say you prefer not to answer. I see now JW meant replying that you're agnostic in response to being asked whether you believe in gods is uninformative, and that's right of course.
On the other hand if someone asked not whether you believe in gods but rather what it is you believe about gods, then saying you're agnostic would be appropriate enough. Then saying you have no beliefs regarding gods would be informative. If you have no beliefs, then you have nothing to offer.
Some of us though have our pet theories regarding what the god phenomenon is about, myself included. So I would have an answer even though I'm also agnostic. But not every agnostic would necessarily be as interested in the subject as I am. That might be what's up with Tyson.
