Can Someone be Simply "An Agnostic?"

[archangle]

Hey guys, just joined the forum after lurking for a couple weeks, and I wanted to grab your input on something that’s been bothering me.
Whenever I hear someone say “I’m not atheist, I’m an agnostic”, I’m not exactly sure what that means. I was under the impression that agnostic is a qualifier for your belief that simply means you don’t claim to know your belief is true, such as being an agnostic Christian or somesuch.
When I see people shying away from the term atheist or squirming in their seat and milling around before tentatively using the word ‘agnostic’ alone, it grates on me just a little bit because it feels to me like they’re reinforcing the connotation of the word ‘atheist’ being somehow undesirable or simply misunderstood.
I’d never deign to shove labels onto people, and people can describe themselves however they like I suppose, but am I out of bounds with my small irritation? Unless of course someone is claiming that they don’t know what is going on inside their own head, which I never really understood either.

Thanks for your input!

(also unrelated…I can’t seem to upload an image to change my avatar..anyone had trouble with that before?)

Like theist and agnostic atheist have sects. Its the loud mouth sickoes that give us a bad name. The you that mock, belittle, and otherwise dehumanize people that don't think like them.

I am constantly saying "yes I am, but i am not that kind"
One look around this place is good enough reason to be ashamed to admit your with them.

[One Above All]

One look around this place is good enough reason to be ashamed to admit your with them.

Um... Is that "One" referring to me? What am I supposed to be looking out for? What do you mean by "with them"?

[archangle]

One look around this place is good enough reason to be ashamed to admit your with them.

Um... Is that "One" referring to me? What am I supposed to be looking out for? What do you mean by "with them"?

your avatar and religious belief ...
na ... not you. you aint a self centered jerk off.

[One Above All]

your avatar and religious belief ...

Now I see my mistake. I had assumed you were missing a comma after "One", so every time I looked, I only saw that phrase with the non-missing comma.

na ... not you. you aint a self centered jerk off.

Depends on what you mean by those terms.

[Ryantology]

The 50/50 brand of agnostic is someone who doesn't examine the comparison of positions with nearly enough rigor.

[archangle]

your avatar and religious belief ...

Now I see my mistake. I had assumed you were missing a comma after "One", so every time I looked, I only saw that phrase with the non-missing comma.

na ... not you. you aint a self centered jerk off.

Depends on what you mean by those terms.

You can ram the comma's, or,lack, of, them, up, your, self, centered, ego. a.k.a : asshole

But open wide, you don't want to knock a tooth out.

[One Above All]

You can ram the comma's, or,lack, of, them, up, your, self, centered, ego. a.k.a : asshole

But open wide, you don't want to knock a tooth out.

...I'm beginning to suspect that English is not your first language.
My post didn't imply that you should have placed a comma there. Quite the opposite, it inferred that, because I assumed you had missed a comma, I couldn't see the proper meaning of your post, which wasn't missing any relevant punctuation.
But, you know, call me an asshole for not understanding what I said. Whatever works for you.

[ignoramus]

Agnostic literally means the opposite of gnostic. (Greek for knowledge)
So does it mean we lack the ability or just haven't found the knowledge we seek.

It is used in derogatory ways to include "clueless" as part of everyday Greek conversations.
Simply implying that someone doesn't have the nous to understand what I'm saying.
Therefore I will pidgeon hole myself as:

Logically and spiritually unsure of everything!

[Thumpalumpacus]

[Rhizomorph13]

Agnostic means without knowledge and isn't really a great word in the way that atheist isn't really a great word to describe people. The fact is though, that when asked the question about the proposition of God/god or gods; a person will have a belief one way or the other whether it is rational or not. We don't hold intellectual rigor at all times, so expressing a belief is not the same as making a claim and then forming a logical structure to uphold that claim. It is simply being honest about the answer stimulated by the question. That being said, intellectually honest theists and atheists will also be agnostic in my opinion. I've known many Christians that will state that agnostic is the natural state of a Christian, which makes sense because if you HAD knowledge you could not have faith due to the mutually exclusive nature of those two things.

When asked I usually say I'm atheist but if there is a hint that they might be setting me up for ridicule or some annoying discussion about god I will say I am not religious. If they then launch into some crap about how they aren't either but they love Jesus I will simply know they aren't worth talking to and firmly assert my worship of Atheos.