Great post. :o)
Is being agnostic a choice?
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I had mixed emotions about joining this group but did so to make this point. I am an agnostic. Being an agnostic is not a choice. Either you believe in a supreme being or you don't. I did not choose not to believe, I just don't. I am fairly well versed in the Bible but I am not convienced. Atheist does not describe what I am because I do not deny the existance of a God, I just don't believe. I choose to be a fiscal conservative. I choose to be a libertarian. I do not choose to be an agnostic, I just am. I could see joining a group for fiscal conservatives or libertarians because that is my choice but to join a group just because that is what I am? Kind of like joining a group called "white people" or "old men" What do you think?
Top Opinion
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Dark Demonic™ ★ The Origina... 2011/07/07 00:32:20I just am an agnostic.
+7I have thought about this at great length, many times and I think it's highly probable that everyone is agnostic on some level, but some people favour ideas that bring them comfort, help them cope with their fears about mortality and they choose to think of those ideas as beliefs, as if that makes them more substantial and anti-religious people just like to be contrary to the aforementioned people and take an opposing stance, but that is equally ignorant of the fact that we don't really know much of anything.
Great post. :o)
It wasn't really a choice... actually I've always been one. I was just confused growing up.
I always questioned things in the bible and religion in general as a child.
I don't know if I will ever make the big leap to Atheism but I am open to experiencing whatever reality my study, intellect and inner truth take me.
"Atheist does not describe what I am because I do not deny the existance of a God, I just don't believe"
Atheism isn't the "denial" of gods, it's the absence of belief in gods. If you don't believe in any gods, you're an atheist.
Just because religions have been indoctrinated people to think that "atheism = evil" doesn't mean you have to buy into that.
Atheist: a person who does not believe in a god or gods.
Theist: a person who believes in a god or gods.
Polytheist: a person who believes in multiple gods, often in a pantheon.
Monotheist: a person who believes in a single god.
Deist: a person who believes in a higher “power”, or equates the Universe or Nature with “God”.
Non-religious: studies show this is almost always (90%) means “closet atheist”.
Then there are two modifiers of belief which are commonly misunderstood and misused:
Gnostic: Having knowledge. Agnostic: Not having knowledge.
Gnostic theists “know” their god(s) exist.
Agnostic theists worship a god(s), but admit they have no evidence or “proof” that this god exists at all, or in the way they imagine it does. Theists with doubts are agnostic theists.
Agnostic atheists do not believe in any gods, bu...
"Atheist does not describe what I am because I do not deny the existance of a God, I just don't believe"
Atheism isn't the "denial" of gods, it's the absence of belief in gods. If you don't believe in any gods, you're an atheist.
Just because religions have been indoctrinated people to think that "atheism = evil" doesn't mean you have to buy into that.
Atheist: a person who does not believe in a god or gods.
Theist: a person who believes in a god or gods.
Polytheist: a person who believes in multiple gods, often in a pantheon.
Monotheist: a person who believes in a single god.
Deist: a person who believes in a higher “power”, or equates the Universe or Nature with “God”.
Non-religious: studies show this is almost always (90%) means “closet atheist”.
Then there are two modifiers of belief which are commonly misunderstood and misused:
Gnostic: Having knowledge. Agnostic: Not having knowledge.
Gnostic theists “know” their god(s) exist.
Agnostic theists worship a god(s), but admit they have no evidence or “proof” that this god exists at all, or in the way they imagine it does. Theists with doubts are agnostic theists.
Agnostic atheists do not believe in any gods, but are open to the possibility that a god may exist, particularly a deist version of a god.
Gnostic atheists “know” that certain gods, or all gods, do not exist.
Many people mistakenly think “agnostic” is some neutral position between theism and atheism. This is incorrect. People either believe in god(s), or they do not. Just like unicorns. Agnosticism and gnosticism modify both views. However, due to the stigma which often still applies to the label “atheist”, many atheists used the term “agnostic” instead. “Agnostic” has become used for people who are more properly defined as “agnostic atheists”. This is unfair to the many theists who are also agnostic.
If you definitely know that Thor does not exist, you are a gnostic atheist in regards to Thor. If you are pretty sure that Allah isn’t real, but conceed that he could exist, you are an agnostic atheist in regards to Allah. If you think the Jewish god exists but maybe not as depicted in the Bible, and you attend a Christian church, you are an agnostic theist in regards to Yahweh (“God”). And if you are certain that some higher power exists, and claim to be able to prove it, you are a gnostic deist. Note that the same person could be all four, just in relation to different god concepts.
Well, no. It was indoctrination you received from your parents. But you are correct in it not being a choice.
Atheist: a person who does not believe in a god or gods.
Theist: a person who believes in a god or gods.
Polytheist: a person who believes in multiple gods, often in a pantheon.
Monotheist: a person who believes in a single god.
Deist: a person who believes in a higher “power”, or equates the Universe or Nature with “God”.
Non-religious: studies show this is almost always (90%) means “closet atheist”.
Then there are two modifiers of belief which are commonly misunderstood and misused:
Gnostic: Having knowledge. Agnostic: Not having knowledge.
Gnostic theists “know” their god(s) exist.
Agnostic theists worship a god(s), but admit they have no evidence or “proof” that this god exists at all, or in the way they imagine it does. Theists with doubts are agnostic theists.
Agnostic atheists do not believe in any gods, but are open to the possibility that a god may exist, particularly a deist version of a god.
Gnostic atheists “know” that certain gods, or all gods, do not exist.
Many people mistakenly think “agnostic” is some neutral position between theism and atheism. This is incorrect. People either believe in god(s), or they do not. Just like unicorn...
Atheist: a person who does not believe in a god or gods.
Theist: a person who believes in a god or gods.
Polytheist: a person who believes in multiple gods, often in a pantheon.
Monotheist: a person who believes in a single god.
Deist: a person who believes in a higher “power”, or equates the Universe or Nature with “God”.
Non-religious: studies show this is almost always (90%) means “closet atheist”.
Then there are two modifiers of belief which are commonly misunderstood and misused:
Gnostic: Having knowledge. Agnostic: Not having knowledge.
Gnostic theists “know” their god(s) exist.
Agnostic theists worship a god(s), but admit they have no evidence or “proof” that this god exists at all, or in the way they imagine it does. Theists with doubts are agnostic theists.
Agnostic atheists do not believe in any gods, but are open to the possibility that a god may exist, particularly a deist version of a god.
Gnostic atheists “know” that certain gods, or all gods, do not exist.
Many people mistakenly think “agnostic” is some neutral position between theism and atheism. This is incorrect. People either believe in god(s), or they do not. Just like unicorns. Agnosticism and gnosticism modify both views. However, due to the stigma which often still applies to the label “atheist”, many atheists used the term “agnostic” instead. “Agnostic” has become used for people who are more properly defined as “agnostic atheists”. This is unfair to the many theists who are also agnostic.
If you definitely know that Thor does not exist, you are a gnostic atheist in regards to Thor. If you are pretty sure that Allah isn’t real, but conceed that he could exist, you are an agnostic atheist in regards to Allah. If you think the Jewish god exists but maybe not as depicted in the Bible, and you attend a Christian church, you are an agnostic theist in regards to Yahweh (“God”). And if you are certain that some higher power exists, and claim to be able to prove it, you are a gnostic deist. Note that the same person could be all four, just in relation to different god concepts.
I also maintain that everybody must be born agnostic, because they don't know what they believe until someone else starts putting such supernatural thoughts into their minds, so by that logic, everybody must make a choice to either forever remain an agnostic or choose not to be an agnostic.
Atheist: a person who does not believe in a god or gods.
Theist: a person who believes in a god or gods.
Polytheist: a person who believes in multiple gods, often in a pantheon.
Monotheist: a person who believes in a single god.
Deist: a person who believes in a higher “power”, or equates the Universe or Nature with “God”.
Non-religious: studies show this is almost always (90%) means “closet atheist”.
Then there are two modifiers of belief which are commonly misunderstood and misused:
Gnostic: Having knowledge. Agnostic: Not having knowledge.
Gnostic theists “know” their god(s) exist.
Agnostic theists worship a god(s), but admit they have no evidence or “proof” that this god exists at all, or in the way they imagine it does. Theists with doubts are agnostic theists.
Agnostic atheists do not believe in any gods, but are open to the possibility that a god may exist, particularly a deist version of a god.
Gnostic atheists “know” that certain gods, or all gods, do not exist.
Many people mistakenly think “agnostic” is some neutral position between theism and atheism. This is incorrect. People either believe in god(s), or they do not. Just like unicorns. Agnosticism and gnosticism modify both views. However, due to the stigma...
Atheist: a person who does not believe in a god or gods.
Theist: a person who believes in a god or gods.
Polytheist: a person who believes in multiple gods, often in a pantheon.
Monotheist: a person who believes in a single god.
Deist: a person who believes in a higher “power”, or equates the Universe or Nature with “God”.
Non-religious: studies show this is almost always (90%) means “closet atheist”.
Then there are two modifiers of belief which are commonly misunderstood and misused:
Gnostic: Having knowledge. Agnostic: Not having knowledge.
Gnostic theists “know” their god(s) exist.
Agnostic theists worship a god(s), but admit they have no evidence or “proof” that this god exists at all, or in the way they imagine it does. Theists with doubts are agnostic theists.
Agnostic atheists do not believe in any gods, but are open to the possibility that a god may exist, particularly a deist version of a god.
Gnostic atheists “know” that certain gods, or all gods, do not exist.
Many people mistakenly think “agnostic” is some neutral position between theism and atheism. This is incorrect. People either believe in god(s), or they do not. Just like unicorns. Agnosticism and gnosticism modify both views. However, due to the stigma which often still applies to the label “atheist”, many atheists used the term “agnostic” instead. “Agnostic” has become used for people who are more properly defined as “agnostic atheists”. This is unfair to the many theists who are also agnostic.
If you definitely know that Thor does not exist, you are a gnostic atheist in regards to Thor. If you are pretty sure that Allah isn’t real, but conceed that he could exist, you are an agnostic atheist in regards to Allah. If you think the Jewish god exists but maybe not as depicted in the Bible, and you attend a Christian church, you are an agnostic theist in regards to Yahweh (“God”). And if you are certain that some higher power exists, and claim to be able to prove it, you are a gnostic deist. Note that the same person could be all four, just in relation to different god concepts.
Do people choose NOT KNOWING?
Understanding that because of the above, there are some things that are simply beyond me, and no way to guaranty any claim I make with 100% objective certainty makes my agnosticism not a choice, but the only reasonable result.
Actions are choices. Beliefs are not.
And congratulations on doing so - most people aren't capable of figuring out that religion is bunk. But your atheism, like mine, was not a choice; it was a logical conclusion that you came to.
We have lots of choices in life, but they're choices about our actions, and actions are very different than beliefs. We don't choose our beliefs, but that doesn't mean they can't change, if we learn new things, or think carefully about the beliefs we currently hold. I hope I have explained that clearly. I think it's interesting that people think they "choose" their beliefs, when they don't. Cheers.
People confuse their choice of actions, with their lack of choice over beliefs.