There is no such thing as an agnostic

startingover

I think Judith Hayes says it well:

http://www.thehappyheretic.com/02-10.htm

Hi, I'm Rabbit.

I am agnostic. That proves your author -- wrong. Personally, I believe (don't/can't know everything) Atheists & god-believers are self-delusional. They cannot prove their positions, they just feel it.

I say, "I don't know." because, I don't know. If 'it' could be proven, fine, but, don't expect me to love, worship or even care for a god. Knowing me...I'd get into a heated argument with 'It'.

Merriam-Webster sez:

1 ag·nos·tic

noun \ag- ' näs-tik, ?g-\

Definition of AGNOSTIC

1 : a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly: one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god 2 : a person unwilling to commit to an opinion about something <political agnostics> — ag·nos·ti·cism \-t?- ? si-z?m\ noun

Origin of AGNOSTIC

Greek agnostos unknown, unknowable, from a- + gnostos known, from gignoskein to know — more at know First Known Use: 1869

VampireDCLXV

No such thing as an agnostic? If you say so...

Centuries ago there was no such thing as an atheist either.

V665

cyberjesus

an agnostic claims no knowledge, an atheist claims no God/Gods due to lack of evidence. So in a way and agnostic is really an atheist since the agnostic doesnt have a deity. Thus the statement that there are no agnostics.

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Atheism vs. Agnosticism What's the Difference? Are they Alternatives to Each Other?

By Austin Cline, About.com Guide

See More About:

Question:
If atheism is just disbelief in gods, then what is the difference between that and agnosticism?

Response:
Many people who adopt the label of agnostic reject the label of atheist — there is a common perception that agnosticism is a more “reasonable” position while atheism is more “dogmatic,” ultimately indistinguishable from theism except in the details. This is not a valid position to adopt because it misrepresents or misunderstands everything involved: atheism, theism, agnosticism, and the nature of belief itself. It also happens to reinforce popular prejudice against atheists.

Prejudice Against Atheism, Atheists

Agnostics may sincerely believe it and theists may sincerely reinforce it, but it relies upon more than one misunderstanding about both atheism and agnosticism. These misunderstandings are only exacerbated by continual social pressure and prejudice against atheism and atheists. People who are unafraid of stating that they indeed do not believe in any gods are still despised in many places, whereas “agnostic” is perceived as more respectable.

Atheists are thought to be closed-minded because they deny the existence of gods, whereas agnostics appear to be open-minded because they do not know for sure. This is a mistake because atheists do not necessarily deny any gods and may indeed be an atheist because they do not know for sure — in other words, they may be an agnostic as well.

Agnostic Atheism & Agnostic Theism

Once it is understood that atheism is merely the absence of belief in any gods, it becomes evident that agnosticism is not, as many assume, a “third way” between atheism and theism. The presence of a belief in a god and the absence of a belief in a god exhaust all of the possibilities. Agnosticism is not about belief in god but about knowledge — it was coined originally to describe the position of a person who could not claim to know for sure if any gods exist or not.

Thus, it is clear that agnosticism is compatible with both theism and atheism. A person can believe in a god (theism) without claiming to know for sure if that god exists; the result is agnostic theism. On the other hand, a person can disbelieve in gods (atheism) without claiming to know for sure that no gods can or do exist; the result is agnostic atheism.

It is also worth noting that there is a vicious double standard involved when theists claim that agnosticism is “better” than atheism because it is less dogmatic. If atheists are closed-minded because they are not agnostic, then so are theists. On the other hand, if theism can be open-minded then so can atheism.

In the end, the fact of the matter is a person isn’t faced with the necessity of only being either an atheist or an agnostic. Quite the contrary, not only can a person be both, but it is in fact common for people to be both agnostics and atheists. An agnostic atheist won’t claim to know for sure that nothing warranting the label “god” exists or that such cannot exist, but they also don’t actively believe that such an entity does indeed exist.

ambersun

In the end, the fact of the matter is a person isn’t faced with the necessity of only being either an atheist or an agnostic. Quite the contrary, not only can a person be both, but it is in fact common for people to be both agnostics and atheists. An agnostic atheist won’t claim to know for sure that nothing warranting the label “god” exists or that such cannot exist, but they also don’t actively believe that such an entity does indeed exist.

This makes perfect sense to me. My gut instinct tells me there is no God in the same way I don't believe in pixies, goblins, unicorns or the Loch Ness Monster but if someone asked me to prove 100% that none of them exist I couldn't do it. Neither would I be willing to stake my life on the non-existence of any of them. Therefore I must be an agnostic athiest.

Snoozy

I am agnostic as I have yet to see/hear God, I do however believe in Santa and Unicorns..

OK, so if I am being attacked and I scream, not knowing if someone is there am I wrong to scream out?

I say prayers just in case someone is listening.

If I am being attacked I will scream out just in case someone is listening.

Sometimes I believe more that others, so I guess I am a part time agnostic....

Snoozy

BTW, the article was pretty good but it was a lot of overkill...sometimes people tend to overthink a situation..

MsDucky

I'm agnostic. I don't know what "the force" is?

JWoods

We recently had a thread which debated the meaning of the word Athiest. I have seem several such threads here.

I am always amused when die-hard Athiests make a big deal out of the meaning of this word - the evangelical Athiests (the ones who go out of their way to limit public religious activity as a political statement) seem quite religious to me. As was said above, the insistence on any unprovable belief is essentially an act of faith.

The agnostics seem more to not claim to know, nor care, what they or others believe about god.

read good books

I kind of like Thomas Jefferson's reasoning on the existence of God,

"Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because if there be one he must approve of the homage of reason more than that of blindfolded fear."
-- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Peter Carr, August 10, 1787

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When he refers to blindfolded fear of God I think, of course, of the JW's.

Quentin

I'm a diest. My friends Terry and Rabbit ARE agnostic's. Agnostics are real, so are athists, less your in a foxhole...