So while I sit on this fence, I'm noticing all the Christians and Athiests arguing in their own threads, so I am making a thread for all the fence loving Agnostics.
Feel free to discuss religon and Athiesm just don't get carried away like the other threads.
I have a question for those that consider themselves agnostic.
What's the split, or how do you consider the odds of each either side being true? 50/50?
My problem with agnosticism is that it acknowledges possibility, which is good as it's keeping an open mind - but it discards skepticism and probability.
@ HiddenDistance - There are so many different types of agnostics that nobody can answer for all agnostics.
Agnosticism can be subdivided into several subcategories. Recently suggested variations include:
* Strong agnosticism (also called "hard," "closed," "strict," or "ermanent agnosticism"
â"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"
â"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 more evidence we can find something out."
* Apathetic agnosticism (also called Pragmatic agnosticism)
â"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.[citation needed]
* Agnostic atheism
â"the view of those who do not claim to know of the existence of any deity, and do not believe in any.[9]
* Agnostic theism (also called "spiritual agnosticism"
â"the view of those who do not claim to know of the existence of any deity, but still believe in such an existence. Søren Kierkegaard believed that knowledge of any deity is impossible, and because of that people who want to be theists must believe: "If I am capable of grasping God objectively, I do not believe, but precisely because I cannot do this I must believe." (See Knowledge vs. Beliefs.)
* Ignosticism
â"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 isn't 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 better definition of theism is put forth.[10][dubious â" discuss]
What's the split, or how do you consider the odds of each either side being true? 50/50?
To answer your question, I believe the odds of god being real to be about 15% and not being real 85%. I'm very skeptical towards religion, but I can't be sure it's false.
What's the split, or how do you consider the odds of each either side being true? 50/50?
I would say I'm at about....80/20. Science and evolution being 80. If there's ever proof that the religious ideas are possible though I wouldn't be as against it.
I believe (in): natural selection we are not programmed to understand god/gods M-theory pangaea ghosts (possible because electromagnetic field?) emotions misdirecting labels (miracle = false, etc.) the human mind alone can kill you life on other planets religions are outdated
don't believe (in): all of bible is true strict religion pride is good budda aliens taking over
Do you know what an enlightened state is or know what other people to consider and englightened, there are many perceptions to what it is and I don't think you can just dismiss it like that without first reaching an enlightened state. Oh yeah Bhudda*
always being challenged if i know something...-L-... bhudda is reached by a caste system, this way of life was founded by (from what i recall a bhutan or nepalese) prince siddhartha guatama (yes last name is mispelled) while on his travels
I don't think you can just dismiss it like that without first reaching an enlightened state.
if i do not believe it exists how am i to reach it? do you have to become a god to say there isn't one? hypocrisy
