? FROM THE ' WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ' THREAD

[gssixgun]

the complicated version...

Strong agnosticism (also called "hard," "closed," "strict," or "permanent agnosticism")

the view that the question of the existence or nonexistence of a deity or deities and the nature of ultimate reality is unknowable by reason of our natural inability to verify any experience with anything but another subjective experience. A strong agnostic would say, "I cannot know whether a deity exists or not, and neither can you."

Weak agnosticism (also called "soft," "open," "empirical," or "temporal agnosticism")

the view that the existence or nonexistence of any deities is currently unknown but is not necessarily unknowable, therefore one will withhold judgment until/if any evidence is available. A weak agnostic would say, "I don't know whether any deities exist or not, but maybe one day when there is evidence we can find something out."

Apathetic agnosticism (also called Pragmatic agnosticism)

the view that there is no proof of either the existence or nonexistence of any deity, but since any deity that may exist appears unconcerned for the universe or the welfare of its inhabitants, the question is largely academic

Agnostic atheism

Agnostic atheists are atheistic because they do not have belief in the existence of any deity, and agnostic because they do not claim to know that a deity does not exist.^[15]

Agnostic theism

the view of those who do not claim to know of the existence of any deity, but still believe in such an existence.

Ignosticism

the view that a coherent definition of a deity must be put forward before the question of the existence of a deity can be meaningfully discussed. If the chosen definition is not coherent, the ignostic holds the noncognitivist view that the existence of a deity is meaningless or empirically untestable. A.J. Ayer, Theodore Drange, and other philosophers see both atheism and agnosticism as incompatible with ignosticism on the grounds that atheism and agnosticism accept "a deity exists" as a meaningful proposition which can be argued for or against. An ignostic cannot even say whether he/she is a theist or a nontheist until a sufficient definition of theism is put forth.

<sup>Simply put There might be "A God(s)" but you nor I can prove it, definition of "a God(s)" being a Cognitive entity...


Atheist= There is no Cognitive entity, period....

That however, does NOT, rule out anything else as in, Afterlife, Re-incarnation, or any other belief...</sup>

[holli4pirating]

As I understand it, athiests believe there is no god/gods while agnostics suspend judgement.

[HNSB]

Much like the above, to me, an atheist believes there is no god and an agnostic isn't sure.

[BingoBango]

As mentioned, atheists specifically believe there is no god. Agnostics are a little more difficult to describe. Some have simply not decided, some have decided that they don't know, and some have decided that humans can not know - as in they are incapable of knowing. (Glen's links might be a little more informative and touches on some more specific types of agnosticism.)

I personally think the last question - Are humans capable of understanding god? - is the most interesting. It generates all sorts of questions about the limits of our understanding, our ability to define deities, the limitations of god(s), what it means to be "omnipotent" or "omniscient" or any other "all-whatever" qualities, etc. I think the ability to ask these questions seriously lends one to be agnostic.

IIRC, Bertrand Russell talked a lot about agnosticism. Wikipedia would know. My BA in Philosophy only gets you this much info.

[paco]

Thanks Glen, that's what i was trying to get at, so many different thoughts, but now i know they have names.

[Desdinova]

Much like the above, to me, an atheist believes there is no god and an agnostic isn't sure.

further to that, my understanding is than an athiest has no belief in what cannot be seen. No God(s), psychics, UFOs etc

[JimmyHAD]

further to that, my understanding is than an athiest has no belief in what cannot be seen. No God(s), psychics, UFOs etc

I don't think that you can generalize with any accuracy on what an atheist believes beyond their unbelief in a supreme being. My mother, grandfather, sister and one of my two fathers were atheists. I was raised an atheist and remained so until my early teens when I became an agnostic. No atheists in foxholes type of thing. In my thirties I became a believer and have vacillated between agnosticism and belief since.

Not without investigation but with a great deal of research and study. I am the only one of the fore mentioned family members who came to believe. My sister is 70 and still an atheist. The other family members went to their grave unbelievers. At present I am a believer for whatever that is worth.

[Desdinova]

I don't think that you can generalize with any accuracy on what an atheist believes beyond their unbelief in a supreme being.

\I suppose you are correct ina way. We are just debating what the proper definition of an athiest is.

[Pete_S]

I don't think it would be inaccurate to say most atheists or agnostics don't believe in supernatural phenomena, certainly if it was something like ghosts or having to do with some entity thats "beyond the grave"-or part of a religious system, like demons or angels, for example. Belief in something like that would make them something other than an athiest.

But some might believe in ESP or that UFOs have visited earth, things that might be scientifically possible, albeit unlikely.