What do you think of agnostics?

by Ben Posted 2012/07/06 12:52:55

Related Topics: Cake, God, Eat

15 votes
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	I'm an agnostic too!
	They'll be judged and condemned along with other non-believers
	They'll be judged but forgiven by God (or specific other deity/deities that you believe in)
	They just lack the guts to be atheists.
	They just want to have their cake and eat it.
	What's an agnostic?

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	I'm an agnostic too!	8 votes	53%
	They'll be judged and condemned along with other non-believers	0 votes	0%
	They'll be judged but forgiven by God (or specific other deity/deities that you believe in)	0 votes	0%
	They just lack the guts to be atheists.	2 votes	13%
	They just want to have their cake and eat it.	2 votes	13%
	What's an agnostic?	3 votes	20%

I'm a proud agnostic but am often puzzled at how others perceive agnosticism. So what's your view?

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Fanghur 2013/02/03 13:41:35

I'm an agnostic too!

Agnosticism and atheism are not mutually exclusive; in fact they are part of two independent exhaustive true dichotomies: theist/atheist and gnostic/agnostic. Everyone is by definition an agnostic theist, an agnostic atheist, a gnostic theist, or a gnostic atheist. There are no other options, and saying that there are is a violation of the Law of Excluded Middle and is logically nonsensical.

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☣Filth☣ 2012/07/07 02:40:53

They just want to have their cake and eat it.

i have no opinion of them

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TheCouchF*cker 2012/07/06 17:44:09

They just lack the guts to be atheists.

Calling yourself an agnostic is a cheap dodge so you don't upset people at parties.

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Ben to TheCouc... 2012/07/09 10:19:02

But then how do you explain myself, who is an agnostic and well known for upsetting people at parties?

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Scandalf to TheCouc... 2012/07/30 12:26:08

+1
I thought the same thing but it's not really the case. An Agnostic is simply someone who purely isn't sure (and doesn't feel sure) about what's outside the "sandbox".
I'm a Catholic with very strong Agnostic views (so I'm probably unworthy of being a Catholic). But don't think my decision of becoming Agnostic wasn't a suffered one.

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xprimale to TheCouc... 2012/10/03 23:27:32
Metaldane 2012/07/06 14:52:16

What's an agnostic?

From the ones I've had contact with they seem to be either atheists who don't like that label or following select parts of multiple religions but idk for sure.

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Outta' Here. 2012/07/06 14:34:37

What's an agnostic?

+1
Other. I think the same of them as I do anyone else, believe whatever you want, but don't try to force it on me.

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AM 2012/07/06 14:16:45

They just want to have their cake and eat it.

IMO it's used far too often as an excuse by some.Taking a pass for accepting behavior that would otherwise be outside a faith driven moral compass. Please note the "some" not all and I'm not in any position to condem anyone and I do believe some are truly fearless and searching for answers.Needing verification of some sort.While others have lost faith by an event in their lives.Religous belief or lack there of is a very personal thing and desrves respect.

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Ben to AM 2012/07/09 10:35:30

But then there are many examples of people with strong faith whose moral compass has been a little...shall we say....not pointing true north?

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CｻïCｻï xχx 2012/07/06 14:01:01 (edited)

They just lack the guts to be atheists.

kidding! i didn't know about any of the other options.

i think, to each his own. if you want to be agnostic, cool.
i don't know much about agnosticism, do you mind making it clearer to me?
I mean, from what i've heard about it, it's believing in different parts of different religions, or something like that? i have friends who claim to be agnostic.

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Ben to CｻïCｻï xχx 2012/07/06 14:05:55

Essentially, agnosticism (for me) is believing that it is impossible to prove which religion is correct, whether there is or is not a God or even an afterlife.

It's about keeping an open mind and not believing in something until its been proven but also crucially, not writing anything off as false until its been disproven.

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TheCouc... to Ben 2012/07/06 17:47:47 (edited)

The problem is you're giving an epistemological answer to a theological question. It would be the same if I asked you if you thought the Rolling Stones were the greatest band in human history and you said, "Well, I don't think we, as humans, are ever able to define what makes music great or even what greatness or music even is." I didn't ask you that. I asked you what you thought about the Rolling Stones as a band at this point in time.

Also, if you really believe in that position, then you have to accept that it's possible Tucan Sam and the Noid are real, which is ridiculous.

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Ben to TheCouc... 2012/07/09 10:33:04

Not at all. I can go and see the designs behind Toucan Sam, I can see he was the product of an imagination that was then drafted and redrafted. I can get the minutes for the meetings that designed and shaped him.

Where-as I cannot find evidence that says there is or is not a supreme deity or deities in this Universe.

As for the Rolling Stones analogy, it's doesn't really work. The Rolling Stones question was asking an individual to compare the Rolling Stones to other bands. That is a great analogy to 'which religion is the best' (or the other example of 'what do you think of God at this moment in time') but doesn't equate to the same type of question as 'is there or is there not a God'.

Essentially, it's about evidence. There is evidence Toucan Sam is designed and developed by humans. There is also evidence that although the Rolling Stones were good, Queen was greater (Greatest Hits 1 = biggest selling album ever etc).

However, I know of no reliable evidence that points to there being a supreme being or there not being a supreme being. Nor to which of the many religions and the countless divisions withion each religion is the correct one. Until someone brings me evidence one way or the other, I'm going to keep an open mind. And I apply this thinking to many areas: whet...

Not at all. I can go and see the designs behind Toucan Sam, I can see he was the product of an imagination that was then drafted and redrafted. I can get the minutes for the meetings that designed and shaped him.

Where-as I cannot find evidence that says there is or is not a supreme deity or deities in this Universe.

As for the Rolling Stones analogy, it's doesn't really work. The Rolling Stones question was asking an individual to compare the Rolling Stones to other bands. That is a great analogy to 'which religion is the best' (or the other example of 'what do you think of God at this moment in time') but doesn't equate to the same type of question as 'is there or is there not a God'.

Essentially, it's about evidence. There is evidence Toucan Sam is designed and developed by humans. There is also evidence that although the Rolling Stones were good, Queen was greater (Greatest Hits 1 = biggest selling album ever etc).

However, I know of no reliable evidence that points to there being a supreme being or there not being a supreme being. Nor to which of the many religions and the countless divisions withion each religion is the correct one. Until someone brings me evidence one way or the other, I'm going to keep an open mind. And I apply this thinking to many areas: whether to believe that String Theory provides an accurate model behind the Universe, what exactly is dark matter made of, where do all my teaspoons go? Until I get evidence pointing in a specific direction, I kep an open mind as to all the possibilities.
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Chris - The Rowdy One! #187 2012/07/06 14:00:01

What's an agnostic?

+1
For lack of a better option, here is my thought. I don't think anything about them. I take every person at face value and leave it at that.

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