> -----Original Message----- > From: Ian Skinner [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:27 AM > To: cf-community > Subject: Re: This is comforting to me. > > > Jim Davis wrote: > > Atheism is a recognition of the lack of evidence > > for "something". > > I always thought that was closer to the definition of an agnostic then > an atheist which is what I have always identified with. > > From Dictionary.com > agââ¹â¦nosââ¹â¦tic > ââ¬â ââ¬â/ægÃËnÃâstêk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation > [ag-nos-tik] > ââ¬ânoun > 1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, > and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that > human knowledge is limited to experience.
I'd agree with that - the very question is not answerable. An Agnostic would deny that that the question can be answered - it's more subtle than the popular "they don't know". > aââ¹â¦theââ¹â¦ist > ââ¬â ââ¬â/ÃËeêøiêst/ Show Spelled Pronunciation > [ey-thee-ist] Show IPA > ââ¬ânoun > a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or > beings. I think this correct, but also missing the point: Atheists don't (in fact can't) deny that a God COULD exist. It's not logically possible to deny that something omnipotent COULD exist or to prove that one doesn't. Rather an atheist would deny (or disbelieve) the evidence for them. Most dictionaries will (rightly) define "Athiest" as "somebody who does not believe in deities" - and that's fine, as far as it goes. What I'm talking about however is WHY atheists don't believe. It's an old bumper-sticker line: "Christians know, Atheists think." (It's actually a great one... both sides think that it's the other side being mocked!) Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:291259 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
