Agnostic to Atheist

[mathemajician]

For a long time I have called myself agnostic

Comments

So am I

[anton_y_k]

As Laplace used to say "God? I have no need for that hypothesis" ;-)

Re: So am I

[mathemajician]

I would guess that 70% of my journal readers are also atheist.

Re: So am I

[anton_y_k]

And another 30% are agnostic ;-)

Re: So am I

[mathemajician]

I say there's 15% to 20% theists out there on my readership list.

I'd do a poll but I no longer have a paid account...

[yfel]

Your transition mirrors my own.

I'll see you in hell if we're somehow wrong ;-)

[mathemajician]

I think quite a few people are being pushed from agnostic to atheist due to similar forces.

The good news is that almost all of the interesting people I know will be in hell with us... unfortunately so will all the ultra religious wacko types who chose the wrong religion --- boy will they be pissed.

[radiantsun]

lol

you are the second post I've read today about theist/agnosticism. The other was from a scientist guy who explained his position of agnosticism and why if you were to pursuade him in either direction you must have proof.

[radiantsun]

Er sorry, why is is not an agnostic either. http://lifeofreilly.livejournal.com/450494.html?#cutid1

[mauitian]

First you get a girlfriend, and now this!
Welcome!

[mathemajician]

I don't think this change is all that big. I think it's mostly a change in terminology. When people say "God" what they typically mean is an Abrahamic god. If I say that I'm an atheist it makes it clear to these people that I don't believe in their brand of faith.

But if somebody said to me, "Maybe we're all living in a huge computer simulation." My answer would be, "I don't know, perhaps we are." In which case, maybe the guy running the simulation could in some reasonable sense be called "God"? Under such definitions you could then argue that I am, strictly speaking, an agnostic because I don't feel that there is enough evidence to totally rule out such things. But for most people these are somewhat strange concepts of "god" and "agnostic". Thus I think for the sake of clarity, it's probably better to just call myself atheist and be done with it.

[nerissacm]

Hmmm...I don't necesarily believe that there is one particular god out there who watches our every move (because seriously, who would want that kind of a job?). But I do think that there's a higher power somehow...
Is there a term for that?

[mathemajician]

I think most people in this category call themselves "spiritual", or if they want to be more explicit, "spiritual but not religious".