Greetings,
I have always wondered what brings many people to the point of saying they are "Atheist". I mean even at the most misinformed part of my life I would only be able to say I was Agnostic. This is not a debate, just honestly asking what makes it Atheist cross that gap (if any) going straight into Atheism rather in the belief that we cannot know?
Starting from the time when I was a kid I was more atheist than a believer. atheist was the natural position, and it also gave me a sense of liberation.
today this sense of liberation manifests in many current events. for example in the creation-evolution controversy, position of the GLBT community, etc.
my position is at odds with that of much of the organized religion around the world, whether if it is in my support of the TOE, or equal status in all walks of life for same sex couples. and while different scriptures offer a lot, whether academically, or otherwise, scriptures do not represent a 'Word of God' for me. I may have an ambitious hypothetical aim to get an image of the stream of religious experience through out history or parts of it, and I may also experience and witness the passions behind many religious phenomena, I still aspire to maintain a position of an observer, I'm interested in getting insights into the phenomena, but not the zeal.
Atheism is a natural position for me in a sense and on many levels, it keeps me opened to scientific insights which otherwise might have undermined religious sentiments, it also keeps me opened to historiography of ancient periods, and helps me to observe the passions and conflicts around the debates of the Iron Age in the Levant for example, and of course studying other hot periods such as first century Palestine and the first centuries of Christianity.
your idea of 'claiming that we don't know', is viewed differently by me. perhaps because of the reason that you uphold the Qur'an as a Word of God. while Islam is one of the major world religions, and one of the 'legit' religions of the world, and while the Qur'an is interesting and relevant for study in many ways, it cannot be considered as a Word of God for me. therefore there is no gap of 'not knowing' here. however, I do find the poetry about the divine by Rumi the Persian Muslim poet to be inspiring and it does enable me to connect to something bigger than myself. so while I acknowledge the intensity and fascination of the universe, I accept that trying to understand different phenomena in the universe is a huge quest in itself, before even going into contemplations of whether there is a God, a God or divinity that many people on this very forum have very different ideas about. most of these ideas do not resonate with me, however they ARE interesting to me, and relevant for me to explore.
my position in part is that we still have much to explore about our universe, and just our solar system and our planet, this in itself renders a quest to find divine 'truths' as futile in many ways. and certainly many of the religious stances out there simply do not sit well with objective research and exploration.
However I do believe that religion, mythology and theology can elevate themselves beyond the need for absolute truths. and manifest in personal or cultural journeys. where the need for conversion is meaningless, but the goal of personal and collective growth is a driving force.