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You're an agnostic until you state that you believe there is no God.

..., one problem with the term "atheist" is that it has different meanings to different people.

DrAwkward wrote:Oh good, we've moved into the semantic argument portion of the thread.

Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Second Edition

Here is how the OED defines "atheism":

atheism Disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a god.

disbelieve 1. trans. Not to believe or credit; to refuse credence to: a. a statement or (alleged) fact: To reject the truth or reality of.

deny

1. To contradict or gainsay (anything stated or alleged); to declare to be untrue or untenable, or not what it is stated to be.
2. Logic. The opposite of affirm; to assert the contradictory of (a proposition).
3. To refuse to admit the truth of (a doctrine or tenet); to reject as untrue or unfounded; the opposite of assert or maintain.
4. To refuse to recognize or acknowledge (a person or thing) as having a certain character or certain claims; to disown, disavow, repudiate, renounce.

Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary Unabridged

Here is Webster's definition of atheism:

atheism n 1 a: disbelief in the existence of God or any other deity b: the doctrine that there is neither god nor any other deity--compare AGNOSTICISM 2: godlessness esp. in conduct

disbelief n: the act of disbelieving : mental refusal to accept (as a statement or proposition) as true

disbelieve vb vt : to hold not to be true or real : reject or withold belief in vi : to withold or reject belief

Here there comes a practical question which has often troubled me. Whenever I go into a foreign country or a prison or any similar place they always ask me what is my religion.

I never know whether I should say "Agnostic" or whether I should say "Atheist". It is a very difficult question and I daresay that some of you have been troubled by it. As a philosopher, if I were speaking to a purely philosophic audience I should say that I ought to describe myself as an Agnostic, because I do not think that there is a conclusive argument by which one prove that there is not a God.

On the other hand, if I am to convey the right impression to the ordinary man in the street I think I ought to say that I am an Atheist, because when I say that I cannot prove that there is not a God, I ought to add equally that I cannot prove that there are not the Homeric gods.

None of us would seriously consider the possibility that all the gods of homer really exist, and yet if you were to set to work to give a logical demonstration that Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and the rest of them did not exist you would find it an awful job. You could not get such proof.

Therefore, in regard to the Olympic gods, speaking to a purely philosophical audience, I would say that I am an Agnostic. But speaking popularly, I think that all of us would say in regard to those gods that we were Atheists. In regard to the Christian God, I should, I think, take exactly the same line.

Do you think that both agnostics and atheists are in the category of 'non theist'

Rick Reuben wrote:

newberry wrote:I do believe there is no god

newberry wrote:So I'm not certain there is no god

http://www.electrical.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=632901
You would think you could keep your story straight for two consecutive posts, but maybe not.

Rick Reuben wrote:

Mark Van Deel wrote:

Do you think that both agnostics and atheists are in the category of 'non theist'?

Not necessarily.

That's retarded. Neither agnostics or atheists are theists.

Rick Reuben wrote:Newberry, March 25, 2008:

newberry wrote:No problem, I just don't want my views to be mischaracterized (for one thing, I would call myself agnostic, not atheist).

http://www.electrical.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=630682

Newberry tonight:

Newberry wrote:So I'm not certain there is no god, but I'm definitely not a theist. Therefore, I'm an atheist.

I really think that Newberry doesn't want a certain Someone who may or may not exist hear him deny the G-man outright.

So I'm not certain there is no god, but I'm definitely not a theist. Therefore, I'm an atheist. But I hesitate to call myself that, even though that's what I am, because to many atheism means something different.