Quote:
Originally Posted by pdamoc  That's atheist not agnostic. I use to think that agnostic is somehow between atheist and theist BUT, agnostic is another dimension. You've got atheist-theist in one dimension and agnostic-gnostic in the other. Each person that thinks about this subject a little bit more falls in one of the 4 sections created by the 2 axes.
Theist-gnostic: knows that God exists
Theist-agnostic: doesn't know if God exists BUT believes that God exists
Atheist- agnostic: doesn't know but believes that God doesn't exists
Atheist-gnostic: knows that God does not exists.
Agnostics tend to be less aggressive. |
Huh? I only agree with the last sentence, though I'd rephrase it as "agnostics tend to be less proud", at least the atheists I've known were somewhat proud (not bad or anything, just had pride in managing "on their own"), the agnostics are easygoing, and the believers are humble. The good ones, of course... the fanatics of all kinds are just fanatics.
But, I disagree in your definition of agnostic as opposed to gnostic. Agnostic can be a way of approaching spirituality on its own, without any need of defining it as opposed to "gnostic". I don't think we need to define something by bringing up an opposite.
Atheist: From the Greek prefix
A- (less, without), and
Theos (God), means the ones who believes, states and claims there is no god.
Agnostic: From the Greek prefix
A- (-less, without) and
gnosis (knowledge), means "the one who doesn't know".
Believer: the one who believes.
I consider myself agnostic because I don't know if there is a god or not, if there are supernatural and paranormal stuff or not. I have always considered agnostic means "the one who doesn't know". I never opposed it to "gnostic" or anything. You can be agnostic without being theist or atheist. I am agnostic: I don't believe because I don't know. I disagree in that division of terms: you can be just agnostic without being theist or atheist. I consider myself agnostic and I certainly consider myself far, far away from both atheism and theism or any kind of faith whatsoever. I just don't know.