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Originally posted by googlefudgeSo do you believe that people calling themselves "agnostic" are really "atheist" or that they are actually "agnostic"?
Your paraphrasing bears no relation to what I actually say.
Twhitehead is correct in saying that there are [multiple] meanings people have when they use the
words atheist and agnostic.
My argument is that some/many of them are wrong. Often because of sustained long term propaganda
from theists [Christians] who deliberately promote definitions t ...[text shortened]... accurate and [yes] correct definition.
So, no, your caricature of my position is not correct.
You're so eager to always prove me wrong that you always trample all over whatever I say, just to naysay me.
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Originally posted by SuzianneIf someone lacks a belief in the existence of a god or gods, then they are by definition an atheist.
So do you believe that people calling themselves "agnostic" are really "atheist" or that they are actually "agnostic"?
You're so eager to always prove me wrong that you always trample all over whatever I say, just to naysay me.
Most, if not all, people who call themselves 'agnostics' lack a belief in god/s, and are thus ALSO atheists.
An agnostic is a person who claims not to know if a god or gods exist, and/or claims that it cannot be known
if a god or gods exist. As belief is semi-independent of knowledge [belief is required for knowledge, but knowledge
is not required for belief] there are many different belief states that an agnostic could hold, ranging from believing
that gods do exist, to lacking belief that they exist, to believing that they don't exist. Two of those positions make
the agnostic also an atheist. The third makes them a theist. I know plenty of people who would qualify for the third
category. Who are agnostics, and also theists [Christians in this instance].
What label a person WANTS to use [if any] is up to them, if a person wants to identify as an agnostic then they
are free to do so.
However, if we are talking about which labels correctly apply to that person, they don't get such a choice.
The definition of atheist is someone lacking a belief in god/s. Thus anyone who doesn't believe that gods do exist
is unavoidably an atheist. Whether they like it or not.
Given the number of times that I, and others, have explained this I would have thought you would have understood this
by now.
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Originally posted by SuzianneI hear some people from Europes are describing themselves as Atheist.
So do you believe that people calling themselves "agnostic" are really "atheist" or that they are actually "agnostic"?
You're so eager to always prove me wrong that you always trample all over whatever I say, just to naysay me.
Do you think they are Atheists or really Europeans?
Originally posted by FMF (Page 3)No; nor would I ever be capable of doing so. All believers in Christ are members of His Royal Family
Originally posted by avalanchethecat
avalanchethecat, your mention of the name "Odin" here reminded me of my own Scandinavian [Swedish] Ancestry. Specifically of tales my brothers and I were told of the ancient hatreds of Norwegians toward the Jewish People in Viking mythology [which had something to do with sources of energy though I haven't a clu ...[text shortened]... think you could decide ~ or choose ~ to stop believing in Jesus and start believing in Odin instead?
at the moment of the second [spiritual] birth. Nobody becomes unborn physically or spiritually.
Originally posted by avalanchethecat (Page 4)Nor do I "hate anybody" or believe that "atheists hate god". None of us can effectively "hate" any being that doesn't even exist.
I don't hate anybody, real or imagined. I do see this "atheists hate god" nonsense repeatedly posted in this forum though, so I wondered if it had it's birth in some hidden hatred that christians feel for gods not their own.
Originally posted by wolfgang59 (Page 4)wolfgang59, thanks for the simplicity of your "one simple question". Answer:The "Tooth Fairy" in our childhood home was my dear Mom, so of course "No". Still think of her often though she departed this life to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ a few day before Christmas, 2011. -Bob
Just answer this one simple question.
Do you hate the Tooth Fairy?
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Originally posted by DeepThought (Page 4)As always, you've provided an objective and well reasoned reply. By "authority" I mean the absolute authority beyond which there is no appeal. As a child it was my parents. In sports it was my coaches. At a major university in Boston it was my Professors. Did I ever disagree with any of these human beings? Of course. In the spiritual realm my sole authority is the Word of God which provides us with absolute truth and specifically the Mind of Christ. One question for you with reference to your statement, "I'm not sure I'm in need of either of those", what do you need?: -Bob
The definition given'll do. I tend to regard atheist as meaning "one who believes there is no god", rather than "one who does not believe there is a god." which I'd class as agnostic. The former is a stronger statement not implied by the latter. I still regard myself as agnostic and agnostic meaning something different from atheist. The technic ...[text shortened]... to questions or who tells me what is right and wrong? I'm not sure I'm in need of either of those.
Originally posted by googlefudgeMy error; no excuse. "Matt Slick: President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. Matt earned his Bachelors in Social Science from Concordia University, Irvine, CA, in 1988. He earned his Masters of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, CA, in 1991. He now resides in the Boise, Idaho area with his family. He is ordained. Matt started CARM in October of 1995 to respond to the many false teachings of the cults on the Internet." https://carm.org/matt-slick
Well Mr Slick was the person you quoted in your OP... Have you forgotten who you plagiarised so soon?
FMF: Do you think you could decide ~ or choose ~ to stop believing in Jesus and start believing in Odin instead?So if you yourself can't just decide to believe in something - like Odin - that you don't believe in, why do you keep declaring that this is all anyone has to do to gain immortality when you are addressing people who simply don't believe it and who - like you now admit about yourself - cannot choose to think credible something they in fact think is incredible?
Originally posted by Grampy Bobby
No; nor would I ever be capable of doing so. All believers in Christ are members of His Royal Family at the moment of the second [spiritual] birth. Nobody becomes unborn physically or spiritually.
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Originally posted by Grampy BobbyAs for the other word...
My error; no excuse. "Matt Slick: President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. Matt earned his Bachelors in Social Science from Concordia University, Irvine, CA, in 1988. He earned his Masters of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, CA, in 1991. He now resides in the Boise, Idaho area with his fami ...[text shortened]... o respond to the many false teachings of the cults on the Internet." https://carm.org/matt-slick
You can figure that out for yourself. it's not hard.