What do YOU believe? - Page 8

December 4, 2008, 1:29 PM

Actually Francie was correct there - What i described would be called Agnostic Theism.

Quote:

Actually, you sir, misunderstood it. As I've been an agnostic for most of my life I've decided to enlighten you...

Apparently you don't know what the word means then. Agnosticism is simple a method. You are a method?

To quote the originator of the term:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huxley

Agnosticism, in fact, is not a creed, but a method, the essence of which lies in the rigorous application of a single principle. That principle is of great antiquity; it is as old as Socrates; as old as the writer who said, 'Try all things, hold fast by that which is good';

What you describe is closer to closed agnositicism - Agnostic itself isn't really a belief system.

I used the theist argument with francie because they said they were prone to bouts of agnosticism, but then someone does something that proves god can't exist.

I was pointing out that agnosticism in all its forms is unconcerned by the actions or inactions of god - only gods existence and if a person doing something and god allowing it or whatever is what changes your mind, then that wasn't really agnosticism in any of it's forms, since agnosticism makes no claims about what a god does or should behave like, or even if it should exhibit any behaviour at all.

Hope that clears things up for you, and i especially hope it helps you with your understanding of what the word agnostic means

December 4, 2008, 3:22 PM

Sir, I quoted the *dictionary*. If the dictionary's wrong, then a lot of people on this planet are wrong. I don't care of what anyone, even the possible originator of the term, calls it. If the dictionary, and therefore society in general calls it:

Quote:

A denial of knowledge about whether there is or is not a God. An agnostic insists that it is impossible to prove that there is no God and impossible to prove that there is one.

...then that's what I'll follow rather than some hotty-totty quote you souped up. I don't think of agnostic as a creed so much as a belief system, because my *belief* is the above, not "some higher being created the universe...that dosen't exist in any other religion".

I ought to call Angelus over here, or Words as they, as agnostics, could confirm what I mentioned. Or you know, just believe the dictionary itself.

December 4, 2008, 3:28 PM

myself being a pagan i dont follow 'common' religion. I Obviously dont preach or go extremist with my religion, i respect that other people belive what they choose to believe and if that isnt what i believe that doesnt matter to me everyone has their own choice

December 4, 2008, 3:31 PM

That's a good way to be. Everyone has a right to their belief system/religion and as long as it's not infringing on the rights of another person. It's when it actually affects another person that it must be examined, with all points taken into consideration.

December 4, 2008, 3:43 PM

I am a Roman Catholic.

Roman Catholocism is the more tradition section of the Church. It holds to the old beliefs such as only heterosexual, male priests. Belief in the words of Jesus and nelief that he is the son of God, as well as leading a good life, will see you into heaven.

December 4, 2008, 8:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Decado

Francie, i think you've misundestood agnosticism then

Agnostics believe in a higher power who created the universe. They don't neccesarily believe he created humans or "watches" us, or in a heaven etc etc. Just that there is a creator that isn't depicted in any existing religion =)

Going into specifics means it is no longer agnosticism, but is a new religion =P

That, my friend is Deism, Agnostic literally means 'Without knowledge,' all Atheists are Agnostic Atheists, because even though we can never KNOW that God exists, we think his existance is as ridiculous as trolls, hobgoblins, faeries, the flying spaghetti monster, etc etc etc.

December 4, 2008, 11:25 PM

I've actually heard several different definitions of agnosticism, one of which includes believing that it's impossible to know whether or not god exists. All the people I know who claim they are agnostic, however, say they do not know whether or not god exists. I've already said this, but when I say I'm an atheist-agnostic, I mean that I don't know if god exists, and since I don't believe in things I don't know exist, I don't believe in god.

December 9, 2008, 6:11 PM

Atheist
Born in an Atheist household. Although that does not mean I was TAUGHT to be an Atheist. Religion just wasn't something my family did. Don't need it as far as I'm concerned.

December 18, 2008, 2:53 PM

Honestly I'll try to keep this short, but to explain this in depth it would take over 2000 words.

I believe not in the Jewish God, not in the Christian God, not in the Muslim Allah, not in the Hindu (200+ gods and goddesses), I am not Polytheistic.. here's what I believe.

The closest I can say is I'm agnostic, but some things I can prove, so it makes me a bit of a gnostic. In my life I grew up as a Presbyterian went to church everyday and adapted some of their values to mine. When my family began to overshelter me with covering up a suicide for a naturally caused death, I dropped my belief system of Jesus and God being one being.

I thought the Jewish God seemed more realistic but some things really erked me about the believers. They are very exclusive for one, like orthodox catholics for example. If you wish to convert, you have to do a trial of things in order to become one, which is odd because Religion to me is something what you just "believe" not something you act on.

After years of life experience I came down to the conclusion that there is a system of Karmas set into place. If you wish to do bad, one day it will bite you in the ass. If you wish to do good, well you get repaid, but not immediately always and sometimes not in the ways you expected. I have seen many signs in my own life to sway me to believe that there is a God, but to honestly go to church for him every day is pointless. He/she expects you to live your life as you would but to have integrity doing so. Maybe a thank you every now and again isn't so bad, but just to believe in something is better than not to believe in anything at all, like a nihilist or an athiest would. As long as you are not hurting yourself or hurting others you are doing what God intended. That's all I got.. and it has been working well for me since 2003.