Marvin Long, Jr. wrote:
Type 1 Atheism goes something like this: "If lack of
> evidence leads me to disbelieve in Quetzocoatl and Zeus and Ishtar, then
> by that same reasoning I disbelieve in Jesus, the prophets, and the
> saints. Cool!" Type 1 atheism is a rational judgement. Type 2 Atheism
> sounds more like this, "I just can't bring myself to believe in the
> teachings of my church--or any church--anymore. Is there a God? There's
> no evidence. I can't bring myself to believe him Him anymore. I wish I
> could, but I can't." The Type 2 Atheist is depending on faith because he
> is beset by doubt, just as most religious believers are beset by doubts of
> their own.
>
> So, some atheists must exert their will to disbelieve in God, whereas
> other atheists might just say, "Heh, what's to believe in the first
> place?"
I would characterize myself as being closer to your type 2,
but I consider myself agnostic. I don't believe there is a
god, especially of the Christian variety, but I think it
would be arrogant of me to assume I knew enough about all
there is to know to rule out the possibility of a supreme
being of some kind. Or of unicorns or fairies, for that matter.
*I single out Christianity only because it is the religion I
am most familiar with, not because I have any particular
animosity towards it.
--
Doug
new email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.zo.com/~brighto
