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I was an atheist (since birth) long before I ever knew there was a word used to describe my not having a belief in any god.
Quote:
Originally Posted by C.E.O
It's better for you because you've avoided many psychological and internal conflicts.
I had the same start as mythunderstood, knew that gods were absurd to the extreme at an early age, just didn't know it was called atheism.
Now after reading many of the horror stories of those that have finally freed themselves from the insanity and abuse of religion, brainwashing by parents, and suffering mental and physical abuse for decades from parents, family, clergy, I now recognize how very true C.E.O's statement is, something I didn't realize that until I starting reading the insanity that is so pervasive in other forum areas.
1: Agnostic Atheism: One That does not beleive in god but leaves open the possibillity of a deity if evidence shows otherwise.
2: Gnostic Atheism: One that does not beleive in their is a god and comvinced of it.
Many atheists like myself, Richard Dawkins and others say we dont beleive in god and think its a ridiculous concept, but to say there is no chance of there being a god is just foolhardy.
that's ok, there is still hope, for most of us, Atheism wasn't a flash happening, it's like the light slowly coming on. The awareness is quite liberating.
Yea, I'm in the same place because "I don't know with certainty" it is the only point of view I can agree with and still be honest with myself.
To me, "Atheist" means means taking the assertion that no god exists, and it is impossible (however unlikely) to prove the non-existence of a deity somewhere in all that is, nor even define what the world "god" specifically means or where "all that is" begins or ends.
We still lack the necessary perspective to come to conclusions.
Well, going back to logic, one does not prove a negative. I simply disbelieve there is sufficient evidence to prove a diety exists. Science answers far more questions than theology. It has been science that creates beneficial drugs to cure maladies, not religion. It is science that adapts seeds to better feed the worlds population, not religion. It is science that has learned to harness the inate power of water and to use that power to produce electricity, not religion. Science has been far more beneficial to mankind than has religion.
C.E.O., you are either a theist or an atheist, even if you are an agnostic. It is a misuse of the word to substitute it for either of the other two. Once and for all: You DON'T have to be sure that there is no god to be an atheist.
Agnosticism does not address "belief" in god/s, it addresses "knowledge". On the spectrum of belief, there are only 2 choices. You either have a belief in god, or you don't. There is no fence sitting. Let's say someone asked you the question "do you believe in god."? If you cannot answer affirmatively "yes, I believe in god", then you are by definition an atheist in regards to belief. You still can claim that you do not "know" whether or not god exists (agnostic), but you additionally would currently be without a belief in one (atheist). That doesn't mean that you don't think gods are "possible", just that you do not currently actively believe in any particular god. All agnostics either have a belief in god (theist/deist) or they don't (atheist). You don't have to choose to be an atheist, or purposely claim the title of atheist, to be one by definition. Sort of like being bald.....
Agnosticism does not say "I don't know if I believe in a god." It says "I believe that god cannot be known". All agnostics still either have a belief in god or not despite their understanding that gods cannot be known. Agnostic theists/deists believe in god despite acknowledging that gods cannot be known. That is why they call it “faith”. Whereas, agnostic atheists acknowledge that gods cannot be known and therefore withhold belief in any until such time as they are presented with any convincing evidence which would make them believe in one.
Well said. That is exactly how I would differentiate between the two, only you articulated it way more eloquently.
I don't beleive anything and don't really care but it's only other people who want to lable me. They can call me whatever they want and it won't change anything.
Here is a fun test to tell you what religion, or in my case, which religions I am not a follower of. Looked like I tested out as and Atheist, which is no big suprise.
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