(August 22, 2014 at 5:22 am)FreeTony Wrote: A major problem is that people think that by making a statement "I do not believe X exists", they think that automatically think that means they believe the statement "I believe X does not exist". This is why people describe themselves as pure Agnostics.
Correct, when I state I believe gods do not exist I'm aware it's a positive claim and it doesn't equal saying I don't believe in gods - Many people confuse and use both indistinguishably to define their atheistic position wrongly.
But no one is a pure agnostic, if you don't possess knowledge at all you should be an apatheist, if you took the position of not believing in gods you have to possess a minimum of knowledge to make the choice - Complete agnosticism would be only the 50/50 almost impossible position.
I've also seen atheists who believe atheism to be only a lack of belief in gods - And they use this definition to make a comfortable position for themselves and bash theists - Something I find reprehensible, I don't mind making a positive claim, and if that gives me the obligation to argue against god and disprove some gods, so be it.
Weren't the first atheists gnostic ones? The older people (on their 50's and 60's) I know who are atheists are all gnostics, they don't have a problem claiming god doesn't exist
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you
