Are you agnostic?

[Guy-jin]

Ya think so? He is one of my heroes when it comes to Evolutionary Biology. What do you think makes him obnoxious? His aggressive anti-religious stance, or do you think his logic is bogus?

I think Christopher Hitchens is much more obnoxious, actually. Equally militant, but not so well spoken as Dawkins.

I am so sorry! I meant Christopher Hitchens, not Robert Dawkins. One would think a student of genetics wouldn't make such a mistake. That's embarassing, but thanks for the correction.

Anyway, I haven't read a full book of his beside The Selfish Gene, so I'm certainly no expert on the content of his books on Atheism. It's been about six years since I read it, so I claim temporary Alzheimer's in regards to the mix-up in staunchly Atheist authors.

Not sure if you've read it, but as for that book, I at least partially agree with him, but not completely. I do not see genes themselves as the ultimate, physical unit of evolution, but instead it seems to me that it is the biochemical framework surrounding the genes in addition to the genes themselves that account for evolution, and that evolution actually acts more rapidly as a result of differences in the levels at which genes are expressed as opposed to through novel mutations in the genome. I think this is fairly well established because we end up having almost all of the same genes as a mouse, and yet end up being significantly different from them even though the majority of our effective genome is the same sequence as theirs.

Anyway, sorry for going off-topic.

I certainly haven't read Hitchens' works. He seems quite inflammatory for the sake of selling books as opposed to the sake of making a point, and I'm not particularly interested in why I shouldn't believe in a god when I already don't, or hearing about how Theists are lapdogs to their churches or whatever else is being said in them, based on what I've see him say in articles or on TV.

 

[D_Clumbert Cocksicle]

I believe in Existentialism, nothing exist before or after us.

 

[seahorses]

What I find amusing about western religions is man’s vanity to assume their god (gods) resembles man. What I find sad is attaching one’s self to a belief solely because the though of life after death, or the lack of it, is unacceptable. What I find abhorrent about religion is the number of people killed in the name of it. However, rather like the Internet, I doubt the creators of the various mythologies intended for fanatics etc,. to put their own spin on things, they just wanted to create a code of conduct for us all to live by within our own environments; what we would call “Christian values”. Unfortunately, we’re not born with “Christian values”, we have to learn them and to make sure we’re practising them we’re told we’re being watched by god who will take such terrible retribution if we don’t comply. Yet when the innocent perish in disasters such as bomb blasts, tsunamis and earthquakes etc., we’re told, “Ah, that’s the will of good”, or “the lord moves in mysterious ways.” Ho fucking ho. Am I an agnostic? You tell me.

 

[snax]

I'm not particularly religious here but just curious- what evidence needs to manifest for you being an agnostic to believe that there is a God?

If you can't answer that I'd say you are an atheist.

I am an agnostic because I do not have a belief concerning the existence or non-existence of God. If God were to reveal himself, I'd be perfectly fine with it, but it wouldn't affect the way I live my life.

 

[Love-it]

Atheist here, but since I want to be at least slightly open minded I tell people that I am an atheisticly(sp) leaning agnostic.

I received my values from my parents, New England stock, they didn't bring us up in any religion or with any religious beliefs, thankfully.

 

[Elmer Gantry]

Religious skeptic here. Socrates was one of the founding fathers of my movement, I believe.

 

[seahorses]

I wasn't christened as a child, nonetheless both my sister and I were made to go to church on Sunday morning's as kids, just so our parents could have a lie in and shag the arse of each other, uninterrupted; mother could be quite vocal at times!

 

[Kassokilleri2ff]

Nope, i'm atheist. Pretty similar i know lol.

 

[seahorses]

JA, I am highly offended that a learned man such as yourself would make such an insensitive attempt at humor. I will have you know that I am dyslexic.

I'm kidding of course, I wasn't at all offended. :smile:

I truly am dyslexic and am so word blind that I first took agnostic and read it as coasting. Sectarian I thought was ascertain, atheist I read as hi seat and theology as ethology (the study of animals in their natural environment – yeah, a ring of truth in there somewhere!) But best of all was dyslexia which came out as daily sex. Being dyslexic I’m allowed to poke fun at myself, but nobody else can, ok? :wink:

 

[DC_DEEP]

There have been quite anumber of threads in this general subject area, and one of the problems that always comes about (especially when I put in my 7 cents worth) is defining deist, theist, atheist, and agnostic. I'm sure there will be some dissent, but I have to give my simplistic definitions before I give my opinion...
Deist: believes without doubt in a god who created, and left his creation alone;
Theist: believes without doubt in a god who created, and is actively involved with his creations;
Atheist: believes without doubt that god does not exist;
Agnostic: isn't really sure whether believes in a god or not.

I'm not really unsure, so I don't call myself agnostic. I flatly reject the label "atheist" for two reasons; I don't feel I can truly state that god does not exist, even though I do not believe in any god(s). Also, atheism has taken on a religion of its own, through the work of Madalyn Murray O’Hair. She did a few good things, but mostly, I couldn't stand her... mainly because she transformed atheism into a religion.

So, I guess I tend to describe myself as a non-theist non-deist.

I truly am dyslexic and am so word blind that I first took agnostic and read it as coasting. Sectarian I thought was ascertain, atheist I read as hi seat and theology as ethology (the study of animals in their natural environment – yeah, a ring of truth in there somewhere!) But best of all was dyslexia which came out as daily sex. Being dyslexic I’m allowed to poke fun at myself, but nobody else can, ok? :wink:

Lysdexics, UNTIE!

 

[earllogjam]

earl,
I was raised as a Methodist, but gave it up in middle school when I found it to be devoid of anything intellectually interesting.

As a college student Physics major, my sense of the numinous was awakened. It drew me towards the "Spinoza's God" that many scientists end up contemplating.

An experience much later in life put this on a collision course with a very heartfelt emotional component during something that was life-changing.

It took me a few years to reconcile that heartfelt part of it with my Deism, with the help of some briliant Pastors. The result was Lutheranism.

As for science or empiricism and Christianity, it is understandable but naive to think they are incompatible. In fact, the Catholic church was the very crucible from which science was born, before it became an institution of its own. The notion of studying the universe as a creation that is "not God" but runs with an elegant precision built into it by a creator is a fundamental notion of mainstream Christian theology.

Not surprisingly, I have become a real student of that strange but fascinating boundary between science and religion. In the process I have come to gain even more respect for the process scientific inquiry. But at the same time, I have come to understand why empiricism might be an incomplete way to universal truth.

So these days, you will find me in front of many a Sunday School class lecturing on why Intelligent Design is so much nonsense, and defending the local science curriculum against attacks on teaching Evolution.

This is not inconsistent with the official opinion of most of the mainstream Christian denominations in the world, including Catholicism. All of which have embraced science as the way to understand the natural world, and have accepted Evolution as the best explanation for the diversity of life on the planet.

JA, I would never have thought of the Catholic Church as being a "crucible" from which science was born. I do know that early scientists from DaVinci to Galileo and Copernicus were silenced by the church. I am suprised that mainstream Catholics have accepted science and have accepted Evolution to explain biodiversity. It is contrary to all communication from the Vatican and funadmental Christian groups today. I would think you have your work cut out for you lecturing to Sunday School classes.

I'm not up on Christian theology being a Sunday School drop out myself - and not being an active "Christian" - much of this is over my head so I am at a loss to discuss this with any intelligence.

But it would be interesting, however, to find out how you came to understand why empiricism might be an incomplete way to universal truth. Being a scientist yourself what have you discovered that science can not explain? What is universal truth to you?

 

[B_lillothomas9]

well i dont believe in a creator god iam a evolutionist.To me the believe in creation and evolution are opposed ideas. So basically i think that religions are bullshit.

 

[Cycleman]

How can there be anything OTHER than agnostic or aethiests on here?
The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin and that they will go to Hell.
Any homosexual would not want to confront or accept what the Bible says, so they would consider themselves agnostic or aetheist.

 

[dongalong]

I believe in astrotheology!

 

[D_Iskepee_Longwoodee]

I'm not particularly religious here but just curious- what evidence needs to manifest for you being an agnostic to believe that there is a God?

If you can't answer that I'd say you are an atheist.

Guess your all wondering why I asked this question....

A recent study was condicted at UC Berkely which said that there are more gay and bisexual agnostic people than there are straight people.

Now for the question....Why do you think this is?

 

[AquaEyes11010]

I don't believe there is a conscious heavenly being of any kind, but I do see how doing so can be good for you. I, myself, don't feel I need someone watching over me to be as good as I can be, because I'm watching over myself constantly.

 

[B_Swimming Lad]

For the sake of people i've lost, I would really love to believe in somthing.

But its difficult. I plan on gettin married in church and havin my kids christened and stuff (My mum will see to that anyway).

So back to the question I think I'll have to go with... no

lol

 

[AquaEyes11010]

Guess your all wondering why I asked this question....

A recent study was condicted at UC Berkely which said that there are more gay and bisexual agnostic people than there are straight people.

Now for the question....Why do you think this is?

Ah, an intellectual discussion. Here's my take on it:

Gay people undergo a period of self-evaluation, because at some point, we realize that the stories and plans we've heard since we were children won't work out for what we want out of life because marrying and settling down with the opposite sex seems foreign to us. This means we can't just blindly follow the patterns set forth by our parents, which for many, is their default. We have to set our own plans for our lives, taking a different path from our parents. Often we start reexamining other aspects of our parents' lives, including religion. For most people, religion is another piece of the default we simply follow from our parents without question, like continuing a family tradition. Since we gay people are beginning our own family tradition, we often decide to leave or change religions as well. I believe we gay people have an important function in society because we do not usually devote ourselves to the raising of children, and as such, have more opportunity to devote to ourselves and life around us. I think this is why there is such a strong faction of gay people in the arts and fashion and design, because we have more time and energy to notice and enhance the aesthetics of life that can't always be fully appreciated by family-rearing heterosexuals. OK, I'm going off on a tangent, which means my cold medicine is kicking in...

 

[silvertriumph2]

I am not an agnostic, nor am I an atheist. I am a believer!

I was raised as a Protestant, but as an unhappy and unfulfilled adult, I studied various religious faiths looking for an answer. I found that the teachings and the faith of Eastern Orthodox Christianity answered my needs and I converted. Therefore, I believe in the Trinity.

However, I do not believe that all that is written in the Old and New Testaments is true, nor do I believe that it is the actual word of God.
I do believe in Evolution and do not see that this belief is incompatible
with my Orthodox faith.

I also believe that my God is a loving and just God, and that it was His design for me to be Gay or BI, and it was done for a reason. I don't know this reason, nor do I understand it, but I do know that He loves us all, every one of us. That satisfies and fulfills the needs of my soul.

 

[2322]

What is the point of a Deist church? Why bother worshiping at all? May as well have reading rooms and discussion groups like Christian Scientists.