Is agnosticism a cop-out?
- Thread starter Cypress
- Start date
NiftyNiblick
1960s Chick Magnet
Can't one simply be too indifferent about a subject
to hold an unprejudiced opinion?
Aren't, for some people, many things too irrelevant
to be contemplated beyond superficial musings at most?
Too many things exist in this,
by my guess,
infinite universe.
We can only be aware of the existence of a tiny number of them
Of that tiny number, the manifestations that we actually care about,
many of them actually just ideas or theories more than physical manifestations,
will likely be another small percentage of the small percentage.
Then, when one gets old and jaded like myself,
many of the things about which one actually once concerned him/herself
suddenly get re-filed into the "I don't give a shit anymore" folder.
Atheism is merely a word I use to describe my observation
that no real tangible evidence of the existence of a supreme being
has ever revealed itself to me,
but countless evidence to contradict that
has indeed revealed itself more than I ever needed to see it.
to hold an unprejudiced opinion?
Aren't, for some people, many things too irrelevant
to be contemplated beyond superficial musings at most?
Too many things exist in this,
by my guess,
infinite universe.
We can only be aware of the existence of a tiny number of them
Of that tiny number, the manifestations that we actually care about,
many of them actually just ideas or theories more than physical manifestations,
will likely be another small percentage of the small percentage.
Then, when one gets old and jaded like myself,
many of the things about which one actually once concerned him/herself
suddenly get re-filed into the "I don't give a shit anymore" folder.
Atheism is merely a word I use to describe my observation
that no real tangible evidence of the existence of a supreme being
has ever revealed itself to me,
but countless evidence to contradict that
has indeed revealed itself more than I ever needed to see it.
I do not click on those kinds of links, Cypress...so I did not hear what that guy (or those people) had to say , but I fail to understand how saying, "I do not know" can possibly be a "cop-out."
I do not know if no gods exist. I realize there are people who make the blind guess that no gods exist...but I see no value in making that blind guess.
I do not know if at least one god exists. I realize there are people who make the blind guess that at least one god exists...but I see no value in making that blind guess.
How can that possibly be construed as a cop-out?
If the people in that linked piece did make a good case for something, perhaps you can give us a Readers Digest version of it.
NiftyNiblick
1960s Chick Magnet
Frank is back!
We're both still on this side of the grass, Frank.
May as well make some noise, no?
I don't think it's a cop out, but I also believe in self criticism. I'm willing to listen to the argument that fence-sitting agnosticism is a cop out, but at the end of the day I believe agnosticism might be the most rational response to the ultimate questions about the reality.
Yup. Makes sense.
I was saying away. The loss in November hit me a LOT harder than I ever thought it would...mostly because I never thought it could happen.
Keep fighting the good fight, Nifty!
Agnostics are just skeptics. Nothing substantial.
NiftyNiblick
1960s Chick Magnet
I was never aware that atheists frequently give agonistics heat.
I never did.
I must be more of an indifferent atheist than an ideological one,
but people who try to insert their religious superstitions into the law of the land
are generally people that I'd like to burn alive.
The prominent atheist Richard Dawkins claimed agnostics are just people who are too chickenshit to admit they are atheists.
Neoclitorus
Best
"agnosticism is just way to get through dinner. "-- Neoclitorus
God damn I sound like Mark Twain.
I'm the shit.
God damn I sound like Mark Twain.
I'm the shit.
Interesting that Dawkins thinks one should have to "admit" to being an atheist. With advocates like him, atheism does not need enemies.
No. Agnostics are just indecisive.
Neoclitorus
Best
Where did they get their idea of God from? It is not innate.
Neoclitorus
Best
from mind control freaks who keep bringing it up?
No idea what you wrote. Try using standard grammar and write coherent sentences.
Daylight63
Verified User
There are some people who hate atheists so badly that they can't allow even the CONCEPT to exist.
Is agnosticism a cop out? Yeah, kind of. But it's still a legit position. Albeit one that most people never apply to ANYTHING ELSE but God.
If I claim there is a 29' tall live human man standing next to me right now you would be quite rational in saying you don't believe me. You would likely NOT claim agnosticism, even though there is no way for you to know if I am telling the truth or not.
Agnostics want you to think that they are being rationally consistent when, in fact, they almost never are. If they were it would be quite easy to claim agnosticism is NOT a cop out in any meaningful way.
But given how most people conduct their "agnosticism" I'm thinking "cop out" is usually why they go for it. Hoping God won't be offended if they just say "Gosh I couldn't really tell!"
Bullshit.
I am agnostic on many questions. Are there any sentient beings living on any planet circling the nearest 25 stars to Sol?
I AM AGNOSTIC ON THAT.
Where do homo sapiens rank in the intelligence spectrum of being living on the planets circling the nearest 1000 stars to Sol?
Could be in the lower 25th percentile; in the upper 25th percentile...or in the middle percentiles between those two.
I AM AGNOSTIC ON THAT.
I am also agnostic on how best to grow our society toward a point where everyone has, at very least, sufficient to live a reasonable life. I would love to get unproductive people out of the work force, but I see no reason for them to have to starve or live without shelter or clothing. One way to get that done is to see that EVERYONE has sufficient to start with...and allow only the ones who want to work...or who want more than just sufficient...to actually do the work.
And, like anyone with a brain, I am agnostic on the major questions of how all this came into existence (if it did come into existence)...and whether there are any gods involved or not.
NiftyNiblick
1960s Chick Magnet
This all reminds me of the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard in criminal law.
It doesn't mean the same thing to all people.
I've served on juries where fellow jurors didn't seem to have a clue what reasonable doubt was.
Their prime motivation was peer pressure from other jurors.
Their opinion was whatever the majority thought.
My disrespect for people like that is not something that I tried too hard to disguise,
but that's a totally different subject.
Agnostics don't think the possibility of a supreme being is beyond a reasonable doubt.
I think there's sufficient evidence to pretty much prove
that an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and all-loving god
doesn't exist. I'm not absolutely positive because I'm not omniscient myself,
but I'm sure enough to call myself an atheist rather than an agnostic.
It doesn't mean the same thing to all people.
I've served on juries where fellow jurors didn't seem to have a clue what reasonable doubt was.
Their prime motivation was peer pressure from other jurors.
Their opinion was whatever the majority thought.
My disrespect for people like that is not something that I tried too hard to disguise,
but that's a totally different subject.
Agnostics don't think the possibility of a supreme being is beyond a reasonable doubt.
I think there's sufficient evidence to pretty much prove
that an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and all-loving god
doesn't exist. I'm not absolutely positive because I'm not omniscient myself,
but I'm sure enough to call myself an atheist rather than an agnostic.