| TheLastStarFighter said: Definition of a·the·ism Dane, you are agnostic. |
In case you missed this:
Some people need to understand what atheism is
Atheism/theism is completely different spectrum from agnostic/gnostic. Atheism and theism deals with what a person believes. Agnosticism deals with what a person knows (or at least what s/he think he knows). If you believe in God, then you are a theist. If you don't, then you are an atheist (which doesn't necessarily mean you believe God doesn't exist). If you believe you know whether God exist or doesn't exist, then you are gnostic. If you believe it's impossible to know, then you are agnostic.
Agnosticism isn't some middle ground be atheism and theism. Agnosticism is compatible with both atheism and theism. With that said, there are four categories that a person can fall into:
- Gnostic Theist - A person who thinks there is enough information to know that at least one deity exists.
- Agnostic Theist - A person who believes that at least one deity exists, but accepts that thre isn't enough information to know.
- Agnostic Atheist - A person who does not believe in a deity, but accepts that there isn't enough information to know.
- Explicit Atheist - A person who believes in the inexistance of a deity, but accepts that there isn't enough information to know.
- Gnostic Atheist - A person who thinks there is enough information to know that no deity exists (This group is composed solely of explicit atheists).
There's two types of atheists. One, those who explicitly assert that no deity exist. And then there's everyone else, those who simply do not believe in a God.
To describe all atheists, the only definition acceptable is "those who lack a belief in a deity". Once you start referring to people who explicitly believe in the lack of a deity, then you're talking about a specific group of atheists who DO NOT represent all atheists.
I'm sure you won't agree with it, but at least now you know that many self-proclaimed atheists don't follow the worldview you think they follow.
When did I ever claim to know the views of other people? Quite the opposite, I've been saying that we don't know what is in others minds and thougthts. I also haven't gotten into my own views on theism. I've simply talked about being open to other trains of thought, that there is such a thing as a passionate atheist, and that many people who call themselves atheist are by enlish definition terms better described as an agnostic. People are free to describe themselves however they want but they can't change what dictionaries say. That said, I'm not sure why I even posted in this thread in the first place, as I have little interest in the topic, lol.
