Why choose atheism?

[LuisDantas]

I think Agnostic is the 'default' position.
Might depend on the person. Theres a good chance I can't force myself to a atheistic position.

And there is a huge chance that you should not even try. I can't figure a reason for anyone to.

Accept it if it turns out to fit you, but don't make a point of seeking, much less forcing it.

 

[Desert Snake]

And there is a huge chance that you should not even try. I can't figure a reason for anyone to.

Accept it if it turns out to fit you, but don't make a point of seeking, much less forcing it.

Yeah, I see.

 

[LuisDantas]

I think the difference between us is that I don't see a 'problem' with theism. If people want to be nasty, they don't need theism to justify it.

I have seen far too many people justifying unwise and destructive choices with theism to agree, but to each his own.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I think Agnostic is the 'default' position.
Might depend on the person. Theres a good chance I can't force myself to a atheistic position.

Im sure default indicates no formed opinion one way or another.

I would think this falls closer with Atheism by way any concept of God still first needs to be introduced in order to even take on an agnostic position.

 

[ArtieE]

I think Agnostic is the 'default' position.
Might depend on the person. Theres a good chance I can't force myself to a atheistic position.

Agnostic has to do with knowledge not belief. Don't mix them up. No belief is the default regardless any knowledge or lack thereof.

 

[Valjean]

Keep in mind, there are two common definitions of agnosicism, with different epistemic implications.

Are we talking about simply eschewing an opinion regarding God, or the positive assertion that the existence God cannot be determined?

 

[Desert Snake]

Keep in mind, there are two common definitions of agnosicism, with different epistemic implications.

Are we talking about simply eschewing an opinion regarding God, or the positive assertion that the existence God cannot be determined?

The second. Though I suppose it would lean to both.

 

[Desert Snake]

Agnostic has to do with knowledge not belief. Don't mix them up. No belief is the default regardless any knowledge or lack thereof.

O.k., but I don't have a 'dis-belief' in deity.

 

[Desert Snake]

Im sure default indicates no formed opinion one way or another.

I would think this falls closer with Atheism by way any concept of God still first needs to be introduced in order to even take on an agnostic position.

That sounds like my definition of agnostic, not atheism.

I started a thread about these terms, no resolution.

 

[ArtieE]

O.k., but I don't have a 'dis-belief' in deity.

Atheism is no belief in deity, not 'dis-belief'.

 

[ArtieE]

That sounds like my definition of agnostic, not atheism.

I started a thread about these terms, no resolution.

Agnostic: No knowledge, atheist: no belief.

 

[Desert Snake]

Agnostic: No knowledge, atheist: no belief.

I think there might be a problem of definition, not understanding here.

I think you might...be saying, 'agnostic means one believes that one CANNOT know the existence of deity, whereas atheist simply has no opinion'.

Now, the problem with that is that almost always, people take atheism to mean that one is definitely stating that there is no deity.

 

[ArtieE]

I think there might be a problem of definition, not understanding here.

I think you might...be saying, 'agnostic means one believes that one CANNOT know the existence of deity, whereas atheist simply has no opinion'.

No, agnostic means not knowing. An agnostic is a person who doesn't claim to know for sure if any gods exist or not. Stop using the word 'belief' in connection with agnostic. Agnosticism isn't about belief but knowledge. And stop using the word 'opinion' in connection with atheist. Atheism is about belief as in no belief. Forget 'opinion'.

 

[Desert Snake]

No, agnostic means not knowing. An agnostic is a person who doesn't claim to know for sure if any gods exist or not. Stop using the word 'belief' in connection with agnostic.

That is a belief.

A belief is a notion that we hold.

 

[ArtieE]

That is a belief.

A belief is a notion that we hold.

Agnosticism is about knowledge, atheism about belief. An agnostic has no knowledge, an atheist has no belief. Stop mixing them up.

 

[Sabour]

No, agnostic means not knowing. An agnostic is a person who doesn't claim to know for sure if any gods exist or not. Stop using the word 'belief' in connection with agnostic. Agnosticism isn't about belief but knowledge. And stop using the word 'opinion' in connection with atheist. Atheism is about belief as in no belief. Forget 'opinion'.

The way I understood it is:

Agnostic: Not sure if God exists and I don't care

Atheist: God doesn't exist.

Is that true? I always had mixed the two terms.

 

[ArtieE]

The way I understood it is:

Agnostic: Not sure if God exists and I don't care

Atheist: God doesn't exist.

Is that true? I always had mixed the two terms.

Not true. Agnostic: Don't know if gods exist or not. Atheist: No belief in the existence of gods.

 

[Valjean]

Agnostic:
1) Don't know if gods exist or not.
2) Not possible to know if Gods exist or not.

From the mighty Wiki:

According to philosopher William L. Rowe, in the strict sense, agnosticism is the view that human reason is incapable of providing sufficient rational grounds to justify either the belief that God exists or the belief that God does not exist.[2]

 

[LuisDantas]

The way I understood it is:

Agnostic: Not sure if God exists and I don't care

Atheist: God doesn't exist.

Is that true? I always had mixed the two terms.

Not really. You are conflating apatheism with agnosticism, and restricting atheism to the strong variety.

Agnostic: It is not possible to know for certain whether God exists.

Atheism: I either don't know whether God exists or don't think he does.

Apatheism: It makes little to no difference whether God exists.

 

[ArtieE]

Not really. You are conflating apatheism with agnosticism, and restricting atheism to the strong variety.

Agnostic: It is not possible to know for certain whether God exists.

"Agnosticism is the view that the truth values of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, as well as other religious and metaphysical claims—are unknown or unknowable." Agnosticism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Meaning either 'can't know' or 'don't know'.

Atheism: I either don't know whether God exists or don't think he does.

For the last time: Atheism is about belief! Belief! Belief! Belief! A person who doesn't know is an agnostic not an atheist!