Quick Poll - Do you believe in God?

[Excited Penguin]

So Aractus and Magi used to be theists?

[God of Mr. Hanky]

The issue which I raised on the previous page(s) was not really nitpicking, nor was it a tilt, and I do understand, Cato, that Tiberius, (who I admire and respect) is more intelligent than a windmill. Therefore I'm sorry, Tiberius - I know you said you don't want to start this debate over the wording, but it's on account of the wording that I cannot answer it. The question presumes its own answer.

In the above paragraph, I addressed two different people, which is probably also bad linguistic form, but I don't want to get into a debate over that. :-P

Anyway, I just had to say that, not trying to derail the thread.

How many have voted "Yes" so far? I know you can answer the question if you do "believe in God".

[robvalue]

My position is that I don't know what it is. The question is different depending on who is asking me, and what the word means to them.

If it's an intelligent being in another reality that created this reality, deliberately or otherwise, then I have no opinion at all. I can't possibly know, and have no beliefs either way.

If it's also got a load of ridiculous superlative powers which are meant to apply to its own reality and not just its influence over ours, then I'm as confident as I can possibly be that such things are imaginary. I don't claim to know for sure. But, since no two people who describe the "same God" can agree on what it actually is, and almost no one has an internally consistent or meaningful definition, actually matching something in reality to these weird descriptions would be rather subjective at best.

Imagine "God" is revealed, and Christians, Muslims, Hindus and everyone else pointing at the same thing and saying, "That's what I meant!" when actually it's nothing like any of them described.

[LostLocke]

I will probably die not knowing.  I'm talking about a god in general, not one specific one such as the Christian one.

Also, agnostics are not atheist.  Alt.atheism on usenet says they are just a weak theist.

I was also talking about gods in general. Not any particular one.
Also, I didn't say agnostics were atheists, I said most atheists are agnostics. There's a subtle but very important distinction.
A "weak" theist is still a theist, not an atheist.

[God of Mr. Hanky]

But if he's Xtian, then he's probably an atheist on Baal.

[Living in Death]

I've been an Atheist for the majority of my life, and I can't imagine it changing much in the near future.

[Cyberman]

Same here. I've never fallen for the scam back when I was alive; I'm fucked if I'm going to fall for it now.

[MattB]

I will probably die not knowing. I'm talking about a god in general, not one specific one such as the Christian one.

Also, agnostics are not atheist. Alt.atheism on usenet says they are just a weak theist.

I was also talking about gods in general. Not any particular one.
Also, I didn't say agnostics were atheists, I said most atheists are agnostics. There's subtle but very important distinction.
A "weak" theist is still a theist, not an atheist.

Sorry didn't get that.

Found this "Agnostic atheists are atheistic because they do not hold a belief in the existence of any deity and agnostic because they claim that the existence of a deity is either unknowable in principle or currently unknown in fact."

That is close to what I believe. There is so much I do not know. Learning though that is why I am here.

[Lach]

No 

[robvalue]

Welcome Lach!

Feel free to make a thread in the introduction section to tell us about yourself, if you'd like

I don't believe in a generic creator, nor do I believe there isn't one. I do believe that if there is one, he is very unlikely to know we have become self aware, or to pay us much attention at all. That's if he's even noticed us.