does agnostic = atheism or vice versa

[mythunderstood]

Originally Posted by gabfest

I'am not sure what this has to do with the Op. You ask which God and I've told you. Now if you are asking if whether or not I care if you were to go to some hell/heaven or not...the answer is no I don't care.

Since you claimed that "The Atheist and Theist have proclaimed absolutes", I was just asking if you considered your own atheism to be some kind of proclaimed absolute position.

[rifleman]

Originally Posted by mythunderstood

Probably that is the case in most cases. However, many people "believe" in a god even though they do not "know" for sure if one exists. That is why they call it "faith."

Actually, on a functioning daily utility basis, I'd say "faith" implies some sort of positive belief in a better thing. Something potentially useful. I'm not saying absolutely, but people can hardly be said to have faith "in a toothache happening", or of "an unannounced IRS visit", now can they? Faith in the existence of an evil Devil/Satan? Nope; not hardly, unless you're a devil worshipper.

By comparison, we do have faith that our car will last another winter, or that our wife is not having an affair with the vicar, or that "we'll stay healthy if we can just eat right". Faith is associated, mostly, or almost specifically, with positive things.

Most agnostics want there to be a God, in the final analysis, else they'd drop the "faith" part.

[perry335654]

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, but things not yet seen.^^^^^^^^^^

[catman]

Things hoped for have no substance. They do not yet exist, and may never be seen. Ergo, faith is nothing more than wishful thinking by that definition.