Agnostics: Do any of you think that God doesn't exist, but you remain agnostic because...?

Question

you think that it's more open-minded to accept the "possibility" that God could exist?

Anyone call themselves agnostic because you get less crap from Christians than if you tell them you're an atheist?

I'm sure most agnostics are sincere, don't get me wrong. To tell you why I asked -- I called myself an agnostic for years (even though I thought God couldn't possibly exist) because it helped my avoid a lot of crap from Christians. It was easy just to say, "I try to be open-minded about it. So I have to say that I just don't know." In my case, I was just being chicken. Any other chickens out there?

I meant to say, "it helped ME avoid a lot of crap," not "my." My bad on the whole typo thing.

My understanding is that agnostics claim that the existence of God can't be proven or disproven. A person who believes in God but follows no organized religion would be a "Deist," or something like that.

"3" -- If I'm "agnostic" to any extent it's only because God has been constructed such that he can't be disproven. I can't disprove the existence of ghosts and invisible sprites, but if you asked me if I believe they could exist, I'd confidently say "no." That is how I feel about God.

Answer 1

I went through the same experience you did. I was just to chicken to admit that the concept of any God is logically impossible.

Not anymore!

Answer 2

Let's see, I'm agnostic, and while I believe that God doesn't exist, I do feel that the world is a strange place and NO ONE can ever REALLY know what is out there (that being God, among other things). I call myself agnostic, because that's what I feel I am. If I thought I was an atheist, I would call myself an Atheist. I have nothing to hide; I respect people's believes and just hope they respect mine (even though it is not always the case)

Answer 3

I'm both agnostic and atheistic - agnostic because there's no proof for or against a god, and atheistic because there's no reason to live life as if a god exists. I think it's open-minded to accept the possibility of a god because the very definition of an omnipotent being precludes the possibility of being disproven - I'm sort of forced to accept the possibility of one's existence.

It's not because I'm "chicken," it's because God's not impossible. After all, I freely admit that I'm an atheist as well; it doesn't matter what other people think.

Answer 4

Don't agnostics believe in God by definition? If you don't believe in God, you're an atheist.

No self respecting atheist will tell you that he is 100% certain there is no God.

Although this article isn't the last word on agnosticism, it may give you some idea about what I'm saying.

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

It suggests that agnosticism is a position taken by many believers. Those that don't believe would be termed atheists. Atheists are a subset of agnostics since practically every (if not every) atheist will not claim certainty about the non-existence of God.

Answer 5

I think all atheists are agnostic... few will stand on "strong atheism"... declaring that a creator cannot possibly exist.

That is a ridiculous assertion, and most people know it. Don't get me wrong - I'm atheist in the most real sense... but you cannot prove or even logically confirm the non-existence of a creator.

Edit: I'm going to email you on this...

Answer 6

Aesity means self-existence. Aesity explains the metaphysical nature of God as a purely self-existent being that exists in complete actuality. God is not a being that is created by another god; neither does God create himself into existence. Rather, God has always existed as an unchanging, completely actualized being.


God has his Being of himself and to himself such that he is Absolute being and the definition of existence.
Since God’s essence is his nature and God’s existence is the same as his essence it follows that God is existence.

Answer 7

I am agnostic because there is no way to be sure.

Although I consider the probability of Pantheism lower than no deity, I have no means of assessing between the two. I'm not up to Einstein's level of thinking.

As for an anthropomorphic personal God, I find the probability trivial.

Answer 8

I think logically you have to accept that it's a "possibility" that god exists. Because in a logical sense, absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence. However, while maintaining that possibility, you can still completely disbelieve in his existence.

Here's a test. Get in an argument about god's existence with a religious friend. Culminate with repeating what I said above and adding: "And I am willing to bet my life on his non-existence, for if he does exist, may he strike me dead!"

If you suffer a heart attack of get struck by lightening, then he did exist, maybe, and sucks to be you for denouncing him in those final moments. If you don't immediately die, well then win.

Answer 9

I always ask agnostics, who think they have doubts about God, "Are you sure?"

Maybe you should have doubts about your doubts too. I'm asking you to re-evaluate your doubts. It matters!

A lot of Christians are equally displeased with agnostics.

Close only counts in horse shoes.

Make up your mind about God. Doubts are just a form of unbelief. Getting half way into heaven would be just as bad as missing out completely!!!

When it comes to heaven, it's either "in" or all-the-way out of the family of God.

A car driving down the centre line is just as likely to die as one on the wrong side of the road!

Sitting on the fence, in a war, gets you dead!

This struggle to live, forever, with Him, is WAR! Your eternal soul is on the line!

Better be right!!!

Answer 10

Whoa nelly! An atheist doesn't believe in God. That's it. So anyone, and I mean anyone, who doesn't believe in God, is an atheist. If you don't believe but think it is possible that some kind of god thing exists, then you are still an atheist. 99% of atheists fall into this category.