Is it that some don't understand what Agnosticism is?
Here's a link for those Atheists who don't understand or know what Agnostciism is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnosticism
2007-06-16 05:39:30 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
It is because, just like some Christians, they can't fathom anyone not thinking exactly like they do.
2007-06-16 05:42:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
I think some of the answers to this question should clear that up for you. Even when presented with the definition of agnosticism, some atheists continue to sit there and argue like you hadn't said anything at all. I've noticed a lot of people who self-identify as atheists, as well, who don't understand what atheist means.
Atheism is the doctrine or belief there is no god. Having a belief there is no god IS DIFFERENT FROM HAVING NO BELIEF IN A GOD. The latter is nonspecific statement that means you don't believe in a god. An atheist actually BELIEVES there is no god, just as theists BELIEVE there is a god.
Paul S: Your logic is counterintuitive. You can't "know" anything without evidence. In the case of a polka-dotted chimpanzee, I would assume you would feel the lack of sensation on your scalp to conclude there is no chimpanzee dancing on your head. Now what if I told you there was a spider on your head? Your sensory nerves aren't acute enough to feel that automatically. You can't "know" there is no spider on your head, there might be. You can't "know" there is one; I could be playing a trick on you. Therefore in this case (since this is something easily examinable) you would look in a mirror or ask me to remove it (or some other response) and then be able to determine if there was a spider in your hair. In any case, you would use all available criteria to determine if a spider was in your hair rather than just dismissing it out of hand. (Unless you didn't care if a spider was in your hair. Some nontheists don't care about the existence of a god without outright embracing or denying it.)
Actually, agnostic belief is a little more complicated than just saying there is no evidence, but you start simple, eh?
Likewise, yy4me, given that atheism is NOT the lack of belief in a god, agnosticism doesn't automatically lead to atheism.
I think Sybil pretty much nailed it, though.
2007-06-16 13:48:59 · answer #2 · answered by Shaun 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they do not understand what agnosticism really is. Generally, an agnostic does not merely say "I don't know." He says "It is not possible to know." That's not a fence-sitter, but a positive statement about the nature of human knowledge. However, many of the same arguments for agnosticism end up being effectively atheism. People tend to sound like if there was a god, he/she/it/they would make themselves more obvious. That's effectively atheism in my view.
Real philosophical agnosticism says more like if there is a god, or gods, then we don't know what characteristics we can attribute to such an entity. There's no measuring stick to use, no definition that provides any guidance. And it comes down to a real indifference to the question of whether or not any god exists, rather than a rather belligerent declaration that there is no such thing, there cannot be any such thing, the way atheists tend to get.
2007-06-16 05:47:49 · answer #3 · answered by auntb93 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is one who has no belief in a god or gods.
An agnostic is one who believes that one cannot know whether there is a god or gods.
Okay, here's the next step. If one cannot know, one can have no belief, which makes one an atheist.
2007-06-16 05:52:30 · answer #4 · answered by YY4Me 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Atheists understand that one cannot prove the existence or non-existence of a god, but they use the evidence and rational thinking to draw reasonable conclusions. Why would one just sit there with the evidence...
2007-06-16 07:49:16 · answer #5 · answered by Ũniνέгsäl Рдnтsthέisт™ 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They say that because we agnostics will not declare there is no God and will not confirm there is one.
Odd thing is most Christians have that same attitude about us for the same reason, just reversed.
2007-06-16 06:55:39 · answer #6 · answered by asmikeocsit 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its probably for the same reason that some gay people call bisexuals fence sitters.
2007-06-16 05:42:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
you've got me on that one pal... most people just assume I am atheist when I tell them im agnostic.
2007-06-16 05:44:53 · answer #8 · answered by Soap Box Preacher 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Agnostics seem to share with many believers a lack of understanding of the burden of evidence.
Since there is no evidence for the existence of gods, it's perfectly reasonable to say "I know there is no god". Agnostics (often) seem to think that we need to find evidence that gods do NOT exist in order to be justified in saying that we know that they do not. That's simply false, just as I don't need to find evidence that there is no polka-dotted chimpanzee dancing on my head before I am justified in saying that I know there isn't one.
Unless an agnostic would say "I don't know whether or not there is a polka-dotted chimpanzee dancing on my head", it's not reasonable for that agnostic to say "I don't know whether or not there is a god".
2007-06-16 05:41:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 5⤋
I don't know. It should be tattooed on some peoples foreheads.
2007-06-16 05:42:53 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋