jayriginal:

It makes no difference as the result is the same. Lets use your modification.

Question : Do you believe there is a god ?

Atheist : No. (Very clear and direct).

Agnostic: Maybe (just trying to avoid saying no, which is where the joke about having balls comes into play). Saying you dont believe there is a god is not the same thing as saying you believe there is no god.

Lol

Or it could be trying to avoid saying yes in order not to submit to one, don't you think?
Is anyone definitely sure there's no God? Are even the theists definitely sure there's a God? Where then does doubt come? Does one who is certain ever doubt?

I speak for myself when I say I don't and can't know everything.. That's why I consider myself agnostic. Wonder why no one says agnosticism is a religion?

jayriginal:

I'm very familiar with them. They simply try to pin point your precise position. It takes nothing from what the general term "atheist" means.



Richard Dawkins did something similar in one of his books, I think The God Delusion. If my memory serves me well, his own scale was from 1 to 7, with 1 being very religious and 7 being completely atheistic (as in positively knowing/believing that gods do not exist). It may surprise you that Dawkins put himself on a 6 not 7. What does that tell you ?

As for the facebook poll, those who subscribed to the poll, their backgrounds may count. I was discussing with a friend who lives in Atlanta and she said in the US, if you call yourself an atheist, it goes more than not believing in god, it means you believe there is no god. Who knows, majority of those who put themselves on 10 may have similar backgrounds.

In any case, I havent seen the poll and the description of each of the elements of the scale. Like I said earlier, there are atheists that hold that there is no god. There are those that do not believe there is god but will not assert that there is no god. Both groups are atheists.
You have a demarcation when you want to single out a person (for instance) so as to know what kind of arguments to employ against that person.

Let me use an example. Its like plants and animals. They are both living things. Or, dogs and cats; both animals. The word atheist is a general classification encompassing everybody who does not believe in god. It is only when you go into specifics that you may encounter these other terms.

I agree with the bolded.

musKeeto:
Or it could be trying to avoid saying yes in order not to submit to one, don't you think?
Is anyone definitely sure there's no God? Are even the theists definitely sure there's a God? Where then does doubt come? Does one who is certain ever doubt?

I speak for myself when I say I don't and can't know everything.. That's why I consider myself agnostic. Wonder why no one says agnosticism is a religion?

Brilliant !!!

Now you see something, one could say that if atheism = no god, there can hardly be any atheist. However, atheism = a lack of belief in god, which covers agnostics.

No one, but no one can say for certain whether there is god or not. ESPECIALLY our theists who assert there is a god, do not "know".
What we have are different interpretations of "evidence". The easy way out is to say "god did it".

You my friend are an atheist and a very reasonable one. The man who says he knows that there is no god has a lot to tell us.

You dont believe there is a god, Im quite certain of that, but you dont extend that by asserting that there is no god.

@jayriginal:

At what point does one become an unreasonable atheist? The point at which one positively asserts that NONE of the Abrahamic gods exist, or that point when one who dismisses all the numerous god concepts altogether?

Personally, I am largely convinced that neither the Christian God nor the Muslim Allah exists.

Purist: @jayriginal:

At what point does one become an unreasonable atheist? The point at which one positively asserts that NONE of the Abrahamic gods exist, or that point when one who dismisses all the numerous god concepts altogether?

Personally, I am largely convinced that neither the Christian God nor the Muslim Allah exists.

I mean reasonable in your manner of approach.

Its not difficult to write off the Abrahamic gods, but that will not invalidate the existence of a god/s.

jayriginal:

Brilliant !!!

Now you see something, one could say that if atheism = no god, there can hardly be any atheist. However, atheism = a lack of belief in god, which covers agnostics.

No one, but no one can say for certain whether there is god or not. ESPECIALLY our theists who assert there is a god, do not "know".
What we have are different interpretations of "evidence". The easy way out is to say "god did it".

You my friend are an atheist and a very reasonable one. The man who says he knows that there is no god has a lot to tell us.

You dont believe there is a god, Im quite certain of that, but you dont extend that by asserting that there is no god.

Alright, but I doubt me and logicboy share the same beliefs/non-beliefs...

jayriginal:

I mean reasonable in your manner of approach.

Its not difficult to write off the Abrahamic gods, but that will not invalidate the existence of a god/s.

That's true, I agree.

musKeeto:
Alright, but I doubt me and logicboy share the same beliefs/non-beliefs...

LOL. Logicboy is more of an antitheist than he is an atheist. For some reason, I see him converting back to Christianity some day.

musKeeto:
Alright, but I doubt me and logicboy share the same beliefs/non-beliefs...

Maybe not everything, but Im sure there is some common ground.

Purist:
LOL. Logicboy is more of an antitheist than he is an atheist. For some reason, I see him converting back to Christianity some day.

One that takes pride in being neither a sezzually-frustrated, g-A-y, basstURd nor a VagioPhile/Anu-sphile of little boys and girls. AKA messiah/prophet!!!

One that can keep his own damn commandments before instructing his 'drunken' prophets to spread his ignorance and lack of spiritual, brain matter.

More to come.

*Switches off phone*

Purist:

That's true, I agree.



LOL. Logicboy is more of an antitheist than he is an atheist. For some reason, I see him converting back to Christianity some day.

Cyrexx maybe.. logicboy, I suspect, would rather commit suicide...

musKeeto:
Cyrexx maybe.. logicboy, I suspect, would rather commit suicide...

Since his main grouse appears to be slavery, he only needs someone in the mould of viaro to change his mind.

Purist:

Since his main grouse appears to be slavery, he only needs someone in the mould of viaro to change his mind.

When slavery doesnt work, he switches to tithes, then evolution... you just have to love the guy..

Just recently accepted i'm agnostic.i'v been quite indecisive 4 a while,not wanting 2 accept what i knw i am,pretending 2 b a theist even here on NL.Well,i decided a couple o' weeks ago 2 break outta my shell.But yet i'm stil careful not 2 offend any1 by my "unbelief" of religions.i do not think d god of d bible exists though.i followd blindly afta xtian teachings for yrs n got not an iota of proof of his existence.instead as i began 2 reasn n reasn more,i found out dat such a god as was being portrayed by d bible couldnt hv existed.dis finding answered d questn of why i didnt get answers 2 my prayers.my major problem with d xtian god is his absolute indifference 2 d plight of man whom he supposedly loves so much.I'd like a god who acts,who isnt impassive,whose luv can be expressly n clearly seen everyday,a god whose presence man can b inerrantly certain of...without doubt.I really wish for such a god,but it's clear such doesnt exist.if a god exists,then he must b 1 dat doesnt give a hoot about us.

Beretta92: my major problem with d xtian god is his absolute indifference 2 d plight of man whom he supposedly loves so much.

In the words of Edward Current, god is very good at pretending he is non existent. (Or something like that).

musKeeto:
Cyrexx maybe.. logicboy, I suspect, would rather commit suicide...

i aint going back to no religion, especially abrahamic ones. it stinks so bad.

thats official

jayriginal:

To test for atheism only one question is necessary; "Do you believe in god ?". The rest na jara.

So, would you say an agnostic believes in god?

it depends on the idea of "god".agnostics dont believe in the god potrayed by the major religion,but many a time,they are open to an idea of a deity or a religion that goes along with their idea of what a god should be.an agnostic would be more open to the idea of partaking in a religious festival irrespective of the god or deity been worshipped than an atheist

Delafruita:
it depends on the idea of "god".agnostics dont believe in the god potrayed by the major religion,but many a time,they are open to an idea of a deity or a religion that goes along with their idea of what a god should be.an agnostic would be more open to the idea of partaking in a religious festival irrespective of the god or deity been worshipped than an atheist

Im an agnostic, and I have no idea what a god should be like.

white or black?
afro or low cut?
loving or punishing sin?
freewill until it becomes a threat to others?

cyrexx:



i aint going back to no religion, especially abrahamic ones. it stinks so bad.

thats official

Sorry, then. But you know anony and tbaba claim they are not religions, that there is this peace that comes woith 'knowing'...

heck, even some hindus over here have tried to confuse me with that crap..

i simply tell them Christianity/Islam/hinduism is a religon, Love isn't.. :-)

Delafruita:
it depends on the idea of "god".agnostics dont believe in the god potrayed by the major religion,but many a time,they are open to an idea of a deity or a religion that goes along with their idea of what a god should be.an agnostic would be more open to the idea of partaking in a religious festival irrespective of the god or deity been worshipped than an atheist

You might be a deist then.

A God that gets things right the first time, without jumping from Old Testikules to New Testikules!

A God that does not have e badu belle and e jolosi like the reetarrds "it" created!

A God that looooooves ORAL SSSessss!!!!

A female GOD with the baddddddest arzzzz!

A REAL GOD. . . .more powerful/less timid than his Deputy(SATAN)!

A God of love! Not BIGOTRY!!!
A G-A-Y Lord!!!!

A God that cannot be unwitted by a common SERPENT!

A God that does that feels no shame about nooDITY.
Why should he be the only one to look at free po-rn?
Good job Adam and Eve!!!!

musKeeto:
Sorry, then. But you know anony and tbaba claim they are not religions, that there is this peace that comes woith 'knowing'...

heck, even some hindus over here have tried to confuse me with that crap..

i simply tell them Christianity/Islam/hinduism is a religon, Love isn't.. :-)

no, you dont need to apologise.


And christianity is a religion but they will tell you its not a religion and that atheism is a religion. Wrong.

christianity (including catholicism, protestantism, pentecostalism, Jehovah witnesses and thousands of all the different denomination) is a religion.

I made my choice to turn back on christianity and "embrace" atheism after careful deliberation and deep thoughts. i dont like sitting on the fence. christianity has already said "whoever is NOT for me is AGAINST me" thats why i wont call myself agnostic, though i'm very open minded to the truth and i will follow the truth wherever it leads me.

paraphrasing my favorite quote from one of your posts, my stance is:

I am just wandering in this cold world with lots and lots of questions hoping to find answers. religion did not give me the answers and science has done better. but until i find all the answers i remain a humble follower of REASON and LOGIC. they are the only Gods who had been kind to human beings and solved most of their problems.

A God that is not a BABARIAN. Chopping off hands and feet for common adultery or fornication! Afterall, his HOLY GHOST doked another man's VIRGIN wife AUSPICIOUSLY, with his E*K*T 2-inch invisible blokos!

If God happens to exist, and judgement thus begins I REALLY HOPE WE GET TO APPEAL WHATEVER JUDGEMENT HE HANDS TO US.

A God that is not a RITUALIST!
Always looking for "sacrifice" like a spiritual, GRAND-WIZARD!!!

Blood-thirsty MOFO!