Weak agnosticism, or empirical agnosticism (also negative agnosticism), is the belief that the existence or nonexistence of deities is currently unknown, but is not necessarily unknowable, therefore one will withhold judgment until more evidence is available.
Weak agnosticism is in contrast to strong agnosticism, in which the agnostic believes that the existence of any gods is not only unknown, but is also unknowable to humanity. Neither type of agnosticism is fully irreconcilable with theism (belief in a deity or deities) nor strong atheism. A weak agnostic who also considers themselves a theist is likely in a state of doubt, though they are not necessarily having a crisis of faith. Weak agnosticism often overlaps with, and is often confused with, weak atheism, as both are a lack of belief rather than a belief in lack (of either knowledge or existence, respectively).
Contents [hide]
1 Weak agnosticism and symbolic logic
2 Weak agnosticism vs indecision
3 Criticism against weak agnosticism and response
4 Bibliography
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Weak agnosticism and symbolic logic
The philosophy of weak agnosticism can be related to proof theory and can be expressed in terms of symbolic logic. Simply, if a person makes a statement A and claims that it is true, then he must prove that it is true. Similarly, if another person makes a statement A' (not A) and claims that it is true (or rather A is false), then he too must prove that it is true (or A false).
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Weak agnosticism vs indecision
Weak agnostics have often been accused of indecision, that is, "fence-sitters." This arises from a misunderstanding of weak agnosticism. The principle of weak agnosticism is not about a belief in God or a disbelief in God but about the belief in the statement "God exists" or the belief in the statement "God does not exist". Given that, to a weak agnostic, nothing has been shown to support either statement conclusively, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that the data is inconclusive and believing in either is a leap of faith.
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Criticism against weak agnosticism and response
Some atheists argue that believing in the possibility of a God is as ridiculous as believing in the possibility of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and so forth, and find it contradictory that weak agnostics believe in the possibility of the former but not any of the latter. However, to a weak agnostic, this fails to assess the situation logically and with clearly defined lines. To a weak agnostic the concepts of Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Christian God, and so forth, are clearly defined claims akin to claiming the existence of alien life on a specific planet in our solar system, whereas the general concept of God is more akin to the concept of alien life anywhere in the universe. Given that Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and so forth, can be argued against using proofs and data, it is not contradictory to dismiss those things that can be disproven while keeping an open mind to those things that have not.
2006-09-08 06:42:35 · 40 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
When false religion is destroyed by the governments it says in Revelation how will they know the true religion and not destroy them also? Isn't this to be a selective war?
2006-09-08 06:42:34 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
Where are u getting this information from? I have never met a Catholic that worships Mary or any saint. We pray to them & ask them to intercede for us. Praying to Mary doesn't mean we worship her. We worship God alone. We have statues, pics & rosaries to show others our faith & to help us focus while we pray. When I see my statue it reminds me that she is there, in Heaven with Jesus & she can pray for me just as I can pray for a friend. They are closer to God than we r right now becuz they are in Heaven right now & I pray to them asking for their prayers as well. CATHOLICS DO NOT WORSHIP MARY OR SAINTS! We honor them & respect them. They are holy people & they are in Heaven. I believe that Mary is special becuz God choose her to give birth to Jesus. What an honor! She was truly blessed. How would u feel if God choose u? Please stop thinking that Catholics worship her becuz we don't. We simply have a higher respect for her than other Christians do.
2006-09-08 06:41:29 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
My children, I am writing this so that you won't sin. But if you do sin, Jesus Christ always does the right thing, and he will speak to the Father for us. 2Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world's people.
2006-09-08 06:41:19 · 19 answers · asked by Daniel 2 in Religion & Spirituality
The tribe is from both Newfoundland and Nova Scotia
2006-09-08 06:40:54 · 1 answers · asked by grandpamartin2002 1 in Other - Society & Culture
mythology is one of the most misused terms in our language. I am just curious what most people think of when they hear this term.
2006-09-08 06:40:39 · 12 answers · asked by telefantastical 6 in Mythology & Folklore
2006-09-08 06:40:25 · 12 answers · asked by vikingsonsltw 3 in Other - Society & Culture
Didn't people before believe that they were in the last days.
2006-09-08 06:40:17 · 42 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
The Jewish holidays explained in three sentences:
They tried to kill us
We survived
Let's eat!
2006-09-08 06:39:49 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
Have you ever had to take out the trash every time, all the time, because the other person just wouldn't? Like they just stack the trash up as though building a teetering tower? Tell me I'm not the only one!
2006-09-08 06:39:07 · 5 answers · asked by steelypen 5 in Etiquette
I had just delivered my son about 3 hours prior. I had been up all night delivering and I was still groggy from the nubain. My husband had left to let the dog out and I was nursing my son for the first time. I dozed off and all of a sudden I felt someone tap me on my foot. Twice. As if to wake me. No, it wasn't that reflex where when you're falling asleep, your brain thinks the body is dying due to a drop in respiration and heartrate so it sends an electric signal to the leg to jerk the body back to life. Not that. I know what that is. This felt like fingers from someone touching me in a deliberate manner with the intention of waking me. When I woke up, my baby's head tilted back and he was out like a light. Snoring.
Needless to say, I was extremely careful when nursing him after that and he's 8 years old now. (future quarterback, he has an arm outta this world). Who or what touched me? Or was my mind personifiying the reflex as a touch not a defense mechanism.
2006-09-08 06:38:51 · 18 answers · asked by puuurfect_kitty_kat 1 in Religion & Spirituality
Lets play before we poen our holy babbles!
2006-09-08 06:37:27 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
CPR stands for Cardio Pulmonary Resucitation in English. What's the equivalent phrase in Spanish?
2006-09-08 06:37:23 · 3 answers · asked by drshorty 7 in Languages
2006-09-08 06:35:48 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
2006-09-08 06:35:00 · 23 answers · asked by Everyday 2 in Other - Society & Culture
This goes with my question as to why God let Steve Irwin die and Paris Hilton live.
Some idiot said Hilton was hot...yet:
http://www.msstate.edu/Images/Film/Jurassic.jpg
http://colorblind.typepad.com/the_colorblind_society/images/238paris_hilton.jpg
2006-09-08 06:34:33 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
Do find yourself unexplainably wishing destrution on others or having grotesque sexual dreams that you know you are forbidden. Do you yourself at times have "quiet" sadistic pleasure in other peoples misfortune. Have you ever pondered, stealing, murder, lying or forbidden sexual activity. Why? Is not the evil deep within your soul provoking these forbidden feelings of evil. Is it not the monster within.
2006-09-08 06:33:10 · 19 answers · asked by icyhott4urmind 1 in Religion & Spirituality
I'm working on translating the following sentence, and I don't know how to expres the concept of "potty trained" in Spanish. Can you help?
"Light snacks and childcare for children ages 3 and up will be provided as long as they are potty trained."
If you feel like translating the whole sentence, that would be helpful.
2006-09-08 06:32:59 · 10 answers · asked by drshorty 7 in Languages
Mostly in Hindu religion.For Example, Children are symbol of God.
(Pati Parmeshwar hai- Husband is God),(Maa Devi hai- Mother is God),{Mehmaan bhagwan ka roop hai- Guests are symbol of God},
If almost every one is God here,why should we go to temple for worship? This is just a observation.
2006-09-08 06:32:40 · 6 answers · asked by Donshahrukh 1 in Mythology & Folklore
Because that movie is hilarious, you are missing out if you did. By the way, Darwin isn't mentioned in the movie once.
2006-09-08 06:32:36 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
My brother knows that I do witchcraft and wicca, and he wants to know what it's about, but he's a christian and I don't want him to react badly and ask me stupid stuff like have I ever put any spells on anyone or can I turn something into a toad etc. So how do I explain it?
2006-09-08 06:31:56 · 49 answers · asked by Al 2 in Religion & Spirituality
16 Important Facts About Jews, Arabs and Israel
1. Israel became a state circa 1030 B.C., more than two millennia before
Islam.
2. Arabs from Israel first began to be called "Palestinians" in 1967 by
Yasser Arafat and other Arab leaders, two decades after modern Israeli
statehood.
3. After conquering the land in about 1250 B.C., Jews ruled it for more
than 1,300 years and have maintained a continuous presence there for 3,300
years.
4. For over 3,000 years, Jerusalem was the Jewish capital. It was never
the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even under Jordanian rule,
(East) Jerusalem was not made the capital, and no Arab leader came to
visit it.
5. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in the Bible, but not once is it
mentioned in the Qur'an.
6. King David founded Jerusalem; Mohammed never set foot in it.
7. Jews pray facing Jerusalem; Muslims face Mecca. If they are between the
two cities, Muslims pray facing Mecca, with their backs to Jerusalem.
2006-09-08 06:31:29 · 15 answers · asked by mole 4 in Religion & Spirituality
In English, at the beginning of a race or some other timed event, people say, "Ready, Set, Go!" to start the event. What do people say in Spanish?
2006-09-08 06:31:26 · 6 answers · asked by drshorty 7 in Languages
What do you have to do, believe, or sacrifice?
2006-09-08 06:31:17 · 31 answers · asked by Eric G 1 in Religion & Spirituality
That's an argument I have heard and I think it is nonesense. Letting two adults enter into a stable, loving and monogomous relationship can only strengthen our society. Marriage is a civil contract blessed by religion. In a free society we should not let any one religion dictate who can and can not enjoy that legal status. I believe every state should permit same sex marriage as the only civilized thing to do.
2006-09-08 06:30:13 · 60 answers · asked by Isis 7 in Religion & Spirituality
2006-09-08 06:29:37 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Mythology & Folklore
Are the American people turning their collective backs to the immigrants of today?
2006-09-08 06:29:28 · 15 answers · asked by zclifton2 6 in Other - Society & Culture
2006-09-08 06:29:10 · 12 answers · asked by deshaye 1 in Royalty
2006-09-08 06:28:29 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality
so i work for 10 hours!! booo :( then i'm gonna run home clean a little, take a shower and get pretty. I was goning to make some chicken salad with lots of good stuff in it, alfredo pasta, and some garlic break ( it's ok to eat garlic we've been together for a while LOL) I want it to be special. Please give me some more suggestions I will sure appreciate it :)))
2006-09-08 06:28:25 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
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