10 Apr '10 21:03>
It seems like a mainstreamed label for American atheists to me. Am I mistaken?
Originally posted by UzumakiAiWhat I disagree with is the notion that atheism is the 'neutral' ground upon which all claims of deity are assessed. It isn't clear at all that atheism is a neutral position, nor that atheism is the default viewpoint of human beings when they become sufficiently conscious of the world. For instance, it is more likely, given that the vast majority of the world's population are theists, that theism not atheism is the default viewpoint of human beings (although, I don't intend to make that claim here). IMO, agnosticism is the default viewpoint of human beings, which we can never really abandon, whatever we come to believe about ultimate reality. In this respect, agnosticism can be considered truly neutral. Claiming that atheism is the neutral ground, on the other hand, begs the question; the proposition to be proved (that God doesn't exist) is assumed implicitly.
It seems like a mainstreamed label for American atheists to me. Am I mistaken?
Originally posted by UzumakiAiPretty much. 'Agnosticism' is only useful for people who buy into the mistaken notion that atheism necessarily means 'hard atheism' and who therefore think they need a separate term to distinguish themselves from that.
It seems like a mainstreamed label for American atheists to me. Am I mistaken?
Originally posted by UzumakiAiIn practice, it means the same as "atheist" with the emphasis that it's weak atheism, not strong atheism. These people think atheists are all strong atheists and realize this is a ridiculous position to hold.
It seems like a mainstreamed label for American atheists to me. Am I mistaken?
Originally posted by Lord SharkWell said.
I'm an agnostic atheist.
Having said that I think that the nomenclature is not important for its own sake. If you want to know what I think then it will probably become apparent through dialogue. If you don't, then no amount of squabbling about passive versus active or strong versus weak atheism will settle it.
If you ask me if I believe that god e ...[text shortened]... to be able to say anything at all, let alone whether existence is an applicable concept.
Originally posted by UzumakiAiWhat do I think of agnosticism? Well on the one hand I find it appealing but on the other hand I don't. In fact, I'm not sure what to think? 😛
It seems like a mainstreamed label for American atheists to me. Am I mistaken?