Atheists. I'm a Militant Agnosic. Can you please give me an honest view of my beliefs from where you stand?

Question

I don't believe in pretend religions. I love science and my world is evidence-based. Yet, I don't know what will happen when I die - Unexplored territory. Not everything can be explored. To enter a Black Hole for example. I could never come back and tell you what it's like. It appears that the world we live in has particles popping in and out of existance and dimensions within dimensions. Paradox is fundamental to an understanding of quantum mechanics. Who says that our consciousness does not exist in more than just these dimensions that we're familiar with? We don't understand time AT ALL. What makes you so sure that death is the end?

Yes, I've read The God Delusion.

Stormilutionist Chasealogist:
It's ok I don't get offended. Offec=nce is for those who don't want to justify an argument.
Militant Agnostic is not an oxymoron. It means I don't know AND NEITHER DO YOU. I don't think I'll be moving from this "fence" without new information. But of course, that's why I'm here and asked the question :o)

gorgeoustxwoman2:
Nice to know I'm not alone. Thanks.

Kayla S:
That's one possibility.

Raoul Duke:
That's one of the funny "side-effects" of my beliefs, that I do not really care. I don't believe in a god that wants us to jump through hoops, so I have a kind of "faith" in a way - that to be decent is enough (assuming there is a judgemental god of course).

Michael:
I'm familiar with this argument - "If you change every piece of wood on a ship, is it the same ship?"
I'm not talking about my physical body.

Uzo:
The word militant is the only word to describe. I hate religious people telling me they have truth when they can't see past their noses. That's why I'm militant. I don't apply it to athiests because they have no burden of proof, and thay don't go round causing problems. Yes, I am flexible. I think it is good.

Giovanni the Atheist:
If you think of "yourself" in purely materialistic terms then your argument is mase. I'm arguing that the could be some connection between our consciousness and the "outside" (beyond what we know).

AuroraDawn:
Maybe I am a scientific atheist. Science is my first point of call when I want an answer.However, there are some questions science can't answer (yet). Important point - I'm hoping that maybe there is a godless or godly afterlife. I'm not wasting my time praying and I don't set irrational rules for myself or anyone else. So ethically I feel OK. In terms of truth, well, I don't think anybody knows. It may be surprising if I'm right (though I'm only arguing for the possibility). Can't Nature be surprising?
Your strongest point "houdini point" I covered with an analogy about Black Holes.
I love your Q+A on here by the way :o)

Punch:
Thanks for the quiz. I scored...

Scientific Atheist
92%
Agnostic
83%
Angry Atheist
75%
Apathetic Atheist
75%
Spiritual Atheist
75%
Militant Atheist
67%
Theist
25%

Answer 1

If you are agnostic, then you haven't thought enough about what you believe. A belief is definite. It's logical to me that if I do not believe there are any gods, then this afterlife delusion is not true becaue it would have had to have been created by a god and I do not believe in gods. If it is not true, it would not be logical to believe in it, so my belief is definite. What you are stating, about consciousness, etc., is almost like trying to dream up an afterlife that replaces the religious idea of afterlife. You are trying to mesh science with religion to create something to believe that will satisfy your WISH to have an afterlife. I would say that my assurance that death is the end is formed from the fact that no one has ever come back and told us differently. Until someone does, I am convinced that death is the end and will choose to NOT create another heaven or after-existence fairytale to believe in and hope for.

Answer 2

I wager that is due to the fact there are extra of believers than atheists. So correct of the would I believe. Personally, I feel you'll be able to NEVER beat religion through preaching atheism and vice versa. Both are strong and similarly matched for too many explanations to record right here. I additionally believe 'Messianic Atheist' isn't apt. After all, messiah method 'Anointed' in Hebrew and has unique devout connotations as it's presently used so does not make feel.

Answer 3

you have a great point and i admire the way you have embraced uncertainties and avoided the more common response of using something you cannot prove and doesn't make any reasonable sense (like religion) to solve life's uncertainties. It's amazing. How did we ever get to a point where something we cannot expalin, understand or even justify becomes the answer to all our questions?
Anyway, more on you. The word militant has a bad taste in my mouth though. It implies an unchanging character to your views. An inflexibility that does not allow you to modify your views if new information comes up.
I do have one question for people who believe in life after death. Do you also believe that your dog, bruno will have that priviledge too?

Answer 4

Makes sense to me. I'm Christain and choose to be so, but there's always the possibility that things really do work out the way you explained. Then again, how does anyone know that God isn't on one of those dimensions. I don't like religion either, it's too closed minded. I think we should take info from every point possible and decide on our own conclusions.
If you want to further your study of this, have you ever checked out crystal and indigo children? Google it. It explains something about the different points of consiousness and higher learning, and the different levels of evolvement as a species.

Answer 5

Atheists = people who does not believe in an entity / entities such as god / gods existed.

For others, each can have their own perception. Some atheist thinks death is the end, some don't.

Agnosic are just people who think god might exist but does not believe in current man made religion. So in fact agnosic are some form of fence sitting thesis.

Answer 6

I have no problem with it.

I have no more certainty of the unknowable than anyone else.

I mostly just do not care. God/no God -death/rebirth - I don't care (and even if I did care, there is nothing that I could do about it).

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edit -

I think that "judgmental god" is an oxymoron.

On the other hand, a "just god" (although redundant) is logically defensible.

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edit (off subject) –

We might not understand time ‘at all’ because it is not real ‘at all’ – just an illusion created by the human brain to impose structure on discrete events on a ‘curved’ space continuum (and, hence, give us an impression of order so that we are not all just standing around saying “what the f’ck is going on here?”).

Answer 7

ALL Atheists and Theists have a degree of agnosticism in them if they're honest. ... But it's what you believe that counts.

I firmly believe that when yer dead, yer dead (Death after life not life after death.) ... There is NO EVIDENCE to the contrary. Fine, I'm not 100% positive... So What?

By *YOUR* logic, *you* should you believe in Ra, Odin, Zoroaster, Zeus, Nessie, Jupiter, Cai Shen, Quetzalcoatl, Assase Ya, gnomes, fairies, Santa, goblins, bigfoot, crossed fingers, the FSM and on and on, just 'cause I can't be 100% sure of any of it. Does *THAT* make sense?

Are *YOU* a "Militant Agnosic" about ALL of these and AN INFINITY of similar entities? ... If not, WHY NOT?

Logical Consistency MATTERS. ... (You are not consistent.)

Answer 8

Quantum physics is very interesting, but Life after Death without psychological continuity is quite meaningless when one considers the reasons for believing in life after death.

The particles that make up "me" will certainly survive my death. But "I" will not. Because there is no separation of mind and body. If the mind were separate from the body, we would not expect to see it develop, grow, and age as our bodies develop, grow, and age. But it does.

Answer 9

I think you will eventually fall over to one side of the fence or the other...and I think the term *militant agnostic* should be an oxymoron...sorry if I have offended but you did ask....

Answer 10

We know that brain damage can cause memory loss. The "you" that you identify with is the combination of all your memories, experiences, and your body. When your body, and your brain, both cease to function, why do you think "you" will continue?

I'm a scientist at heart and that made me an atheist. I agree with you up until your conclusion.