Another question about Agnostics?

Question

Okay in a previous question directed towards Atheists somebody told me that Agnostics are Atheists. How true is this claim? Also are Agnostics arrogant? Atheists do you dislike Agnostics because we won't help you overthrow religion? Christians do you dislike Agnostics because you can't convince us to got to church on Sundays with you? Also are Agnostics more likely to be Satanists? I mean I was always under the impression that Agnostics were neutral.

There's the links right there knock yourselves out.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjYKpHhF7I44ZOirdlTExWvsy6IX?qid=20070326144704AAFgmeC

http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Agnosticism

http://www.religioustolerance.org/atheist1.htm

That's not neceseraily true about all Satanists. Some are Atheists. They're called LaVeyan Satanists. I'm not a Satanist however. I'm actually a Freethinker/Agnostic/Humanist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaVeyan_Satanism

Oh no I personally don't care about what others think about me. I'm just looking for clarity about a certain situation. I'm not looking for a fight. I'm only showing some links from a question that I asked earlier and other links that I've seen.

Answer 1

A lot of the confusion is because the word agnostic has come to mean something very different from what its inventor, Thomas Huxley, intended.

Agnosticism is not a halfway house between atheism and theism... let me explain:

Atheism and theism are two halves of a sphere. They're antonyms to each other. You are either one or the other, depending on how you answer the question "Do you believe that a god or gods exist(s)?"

If your answer is "yes," you're a theist.
If your answer is "no" or "I don't know" or "I don't care" or "What's a god?" or anything else along those lines -- you're an atheist. If I asked you if you believe that that Chinese Gate Gods exist and you said "What the heck are those?", that's an atheistic answer. You don't need to actively deny a god to be an atheist towards that god.

Agnosticism is about KNOWLEDGE, not EXISTENCE. Even the word "agnostic" is made up of a prefix 'a' (lacking) and 'gnosis' (knowledge). In technical terms, it's a question of epistemology, not metaphysics. It's a modifier to your belief on the existence of god, not an answer to it.

If you think the attributes of god, including his existence, cannot be determined, but you still believe god exists, you're an agnostic theist.

If you think the attributes of god, including his existence, cannot be determined, and therefore you don't think god exists, then you're an atheist.

So just saying you're agnostic doesn't actually answer the question "Do you believe that a god exists" -- instead it answers the question "How much do you think humans can determine the attributes of god?"

Clear things up a bit?

Answer 2

I suppose you could say that agnostics are neutral. Some people might call me an agnostic because I neither believe nor disbelieve in God. However, I call myself an atheist because the correct meaning of an atheist is one who lacks a belief in God.

Many people mistakenly believe that atheists believe there is no God, but this is wrong. A belief that there is no God is not the same as a lack of belief in God. I'm sure there are some people who are convinced that there is no God and take that hardline stance, however they are not atheists in the true sense of the word. So maybe atheists should be antitheists instead?

Anyway, this dispute over the meaning of atheist may have been behind claim that agnostics are atheists.

(Also, atheists are not Satanists. Satanists believe in a deity, so that makes them decidedly theistic.)

Answer 3

The interesting thing about agnostics is that really, the theist and the atheists have nothing to oppose in an agnostic. Agnostics are not, by nature, rigid, positional, adamant people. They are inclined to listen to arguments and accept such ideas as seem reasonable and reject those that do not.

Agnostics have no axe to grind, no position to defend, no claims to settle.

It may be that some Christians and some atheists do not approve of agnostics, but that's more the concern of the Christians and atheists than of the agnostics.

Answer 4

I don't want to overthrow religion.

I don't dislike agnostics.

But where on the spectrum are you? Exactly 50:50? The chances of God existing are EQUALLY likely as not? Are you mostly distant from any kind of belief? Or do you carry out half the rituals of some religion? Attend church/mosque/temple only every other week? Does being agnostic mean leaving the door on the latch?

Most agnostics are as close to atheists as to barely tell the difference. Unless you want to tell me that there are agnostics who MOSTLY carry out the rituals of some religion or other but still say "You can never be sure, though, can you?"

Answer 5

I'd say that I'm agnostic- but lead a spiritual life and still think Jesus had many good points and wisdom to live by. I pray and have faith because it gets me through hard times. I just try to live for the here and now. I try to be a good person and think that living to be very, very old will make it easier to accept whatever fate may possibly or possibly not, lie ahead. It's great that everyone has their own opinions and beliefs or this world would be one boring place to live in. It doesn't anger me to hear all sides of an argument, after all, if a person is comfortable with their own beliefs - why let any other opinions bother them?

Answer 6

I am an atheist and i have no problem with any other religion. I'm not trying to overthrow other religions, i just don't believe in god. Sorry could only answer part of the question.

Answer 7

No agnostics are NOT atheists.

Some agnostics might be arrogant...that trait knows no particular belief.

I don't want to overthrow religion. Who said I did? Also who said I disliked agnostics?

Sometimes people tell us atheists that we are really agnostics. That there is no true atheist. Go figure.....

Answer 8

An Agnostic Satanist? I like that concept, must remember to tell that one to the Mad Hatter next unbirthday...

Hail Eris! All Hail Discordia!

Answer 9

- Agnosticism isn't atheism.
- Some agnostics may be arrogant. It is statistically unlikely that none are.
- I am an atheist and am not trying to "overthrow religion."
- I have no idea if agnostics are likely to become Satanists, but it seems terribly unlikely to me.

Answer 10

No they are not atheists. We have a ton of common ground and politically we usually have the same anti-religious motivations. But there is a difference in what we see the lack of evidence meaning.

Agnostics are not usually neutral. They usually are as anti-Christian as I am. They tend to be neutral between atheists and deists. And I wouldn't think that they are as likely as an atheist to follow LaVey.