The Long and the Short of it.

[John_S3V]

@John_S3V: That is all a very good description of agnostic views... and I agree that we cannot know any of those things at this juncture, or if we ever will know them. I'm not talking about 'knowing', though. I'm talking about belief or the lack thereof. I do not 'know' if there is a god or not, but I do not 'believe' that there is. I'll go so far as to say that I 'believe' that there is not. Believing does not mean the same as knowing.

In general (there will always be exceptions), people... as a group... either believe that there is a god... or they do not. An agnostic atheist does not. He doesn't claim to know for sure, but the word atheist means he does not believe that god exists. At least that what it would seem to mean to me. Something happens that causes one to cross the line from belief to non-belief (or vice-versa). One thing makes that happen and I suspect that it is explainable scientifically.

Definately, but I don't think humanity understands the mind well enough to discern the individual components that lead a person either way. No doubt neuroscience is on the right track, but I think there's a lot more components than that. No doubt upbringing and experience plays a role. One things for sure though, I don't think anyone is going to be able to examine their brain well enough to give a real clear cut answer.

Perhaps there is a tiny neurological switch in the centre of our minds and there are sub-switches on either side of the main switch that need to be switched in order for the switch to move. One side of the switch is NO GOD and the other is YES, GOD! Everytime an atheist and a christian argue it's like they're trying to toggle each other's main switch without going after all the sub-switches that are neccessary for allowing the main switch to move. I think some of those sub-switches are purely innate and can't be altered without a lobotomy or something.