2007-08-27 03:21:03 · 36 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I say that agnostics could go either way. By calling myself an atheist, I am 99.99% sure there's not a god. Sure, I'm open to the possibility if there's ever any proof. But since thousands of years have gone by with no evidence for a god, I'm pretty sure I'm right about this whole 'no god' thing.
2007-08-27 03:36:32 · answer #1 · answered by eri 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Atheists do not believe in any gods. In light of the fact that there's no evidence for the existence of any gods, that's a perfectly reasonable stance to take.
Atheism does not imply certainty that there are no gods, or closed-mindedness to the possiblity of there being any gods. I'm an atheist: I am not 100% certain that there are no gods, and if evidence for the existence of any gods comes in, I'd be happy to consider it. That's a completely open-minded stance.
Agnostics often seem to make the same mistake vis-a-vis the burden of evidence that many believers make, insisting that if we can't prove that there are are gods or that there are no gods, we can't say anything about whether or not there are any gods. That's ridiculous, of course, as the quick response from the atheist (Do you believe in pixies? Orbiting teacups? Invisible pink unicorns?) clearly demonstrates.
It's quite clear that agnostics are less open-minded than are atheists, not more open-minded.
2007-08-27 03:37:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Atheists are open minded. But as Carl Sagan said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
And to repeat an answer I gave somewhere around here, Atheism being merely the absence of belief in gods, it's then evident that agnosticism isn't a middle way between theism & atheism. The presence of beliefs in gods & the absence of beliefs in gods exhaust all the possibilities. Agnosticism is just a "respectable" way of avoiding the term 'atheism'.
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> Atheists, could it be that you are agnostic and not Atheist? I am Atheist. But open minded. How many aren't
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2007-08-27 03:41:34 · answer #3 · answered by par1138 • FCD 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Dear psychiatrist,
Please help me as I am having this recurring nightmare. I keep on see things. I keep on seeing the same questions that challenge my atheism and proclaim I must be agnostic in reality or should be. I see that they refuse to let me know my own mind and know I DON'T believe in the possibility of God in any way shape or form and that makes me atheist not anywhere near agnostic.
It gets worst. I imagine that dictionaries have become obsolete and and that atheist and agnostic become indistinguishable by some who refuse to believe that being open mind to possibilty that God exsist does not make you an atheist!
I fear they will over look evilbible.com that gives exactly defines of the two things and show they are not the same. I fear for my sanity if I see this question again, as I will no doubt rise to the challenge and then be told well don't answer. And I will respond, I wont be mistaken for agnostic. I am atheist!
2007-08-27 03:37:50 · answer #4 · answered by Eye see! 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I have wasted so much time on the definition game that I have given up on it. I consider myself atheist because I don't believe in a god pending evidence to the contrary (though the evidence would have to be DAMN good to weigh against all the evidence that there is none). Some would insist that I am agnostic, because I allow for the possibility. I don't care. Both terms have been bludgeoned to death in the semantic wars.
2007-08-27 03:25:45 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
People often make the mistake of thinking agnostic = "I don't know", when what it means is "it is not possible to prove the existence of god". An atheist believes simply that god does not exist.
Many christians are agnostic, because to them it is unnecessary to prove the existence of god; only to have faith in the fact that god exists. Personally, I can't understand the fundamentalists' hang up about needing to prove the existence of god, or needing to believe every word in the bible is true. Faith is the cornerstone of christian religion (and, I suppose, of most theistic religions).
I am agnostic, but not christian.
2007-08-27 03:31:36 · answer #6 · answered by AndrewG 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am open to the possibility of REASONABLE claims being true. An all knowing, all powerful god being responsible for the source of everything" is as ridiculous as Bugs Bunny being the source.
If someone wants me to believe in something as absurd and ridiculous as a god, then they better provide some incredible proof. Until then, I am a non-believer.
At some point, even open-minded people need to discern between entertaining what is reasonable, and what is ridiculous.
2007-08-27 03:26:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋
I acknowledge that there COULD in the realm of all things possible be deities. I don't believe in them (hence, non-theisic) but I acknowledge the possibility. Same with dragons and unicorns and faeries.
And as a strict version of agnostic, I may qualify as one of those too. I admit that if there are gods, their natures would by necessity be humanly un-knowable.
2007-08-27 03:27:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am not agnostic to the existence of dragons, I think that they do not exist at all. However, I freely admit that I might be wrong, just ante up some reasonable evidence.
Exactly the same argument applies to God, gods and goddesses.
2007-08-27 03:27:26 · answer #9 · answered by Simon T 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I'm an Atheist and open minded.
2007-08-27 03:24:07 · answer #10 · answered by The Return Of Sexy Thor 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋