Lee, As I said, I think I've done my best to explain it. However, to address two points from your post:
1) In your example of horoscopes, whether you choose to lack belief in horoscopes or positively disbelieve is up to you. Astrology is not quite "mundane" and this-worldly, so it's harder to bring empirical analysis against it than some things, but I've seen enough of it over the years to positively disbelieve it. In fact, as an intern at a local paper I had to make up the horoscopes. :) 2) Most agnostics fall under the umbrella of atheism, or specifically strong agnostics are weak atheists. The terms are not exclusive. Ian 2009/7/30 [email protected] <[email protected]> > > Yes Ian that does help explain a bit. However it is still not clear to > me the differance in disbelife and absence of belife, which is why > Iasked for a mundane example. > > Let me try this one out on you then. > > I'm reading my paper keeping myself to myself on my morning commute, > when I notice a bloke reading over my shoulder, when I turn to him he > brazenly and cheeckily asks me to flip back to the horoscopes page so > he can check out how his day will goe. > > I laugh and declare that that I do not accpet his claim that the > movments of other planets and stars has any bearing on how our day > will progress. > > Do I do so from an absence of belife in horoscopes or from a disbelife > in the concept of them? What in all reality is the differance. > > Also if no agrument sways me to except the idea of a creator God, but > at the same time I am unwilling to declare that I belive there exists > no such thing, then am I not agnostic? > > > > On 30 July, 14:43, Ian Pollard <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Lee, > > > > I'll try my best... > > > > The theist makes a positive assertion about the existence of God. An > atheist > > is someone who does not accept the theist's claim; thus they are an > > "a"-theist. Atheism is therefore only the absence of that theistic > belief. > > An atheist does not claim to know that God does not exist, only that the > > arguments presented in favour, thus far, are insufficient hold such a > > belief. > > > > Positively asserting that "there is no God" is further than any sensible > > atheist would go. An "in joke" that demonstrates this very well is the > > chapter of Richard Dawkin's 'The God Delusion' entitled 'Why There Almost > > Certainly Is No God'. I could well believe that the nuances of this were > > lost on some people, but there's no semantic word fuckery going on; this > is > > really what atheism is. > > > > What you continually describe, I think, is some form of escalated "strong > > atheism" or obnoxious forum trolling. I've started to wonder whether this > > particular kind of atheism only exists on Internet forums to antagonise > > theists (see Chazwin's posts). In a sensible discussion I don't know any > > atheist who would support such a position, hence I say your assertions > about > > atheism lead you only to a strawman. > > > > Look at the atheists you chat with here Mind's Eye; do I, Chris, Fran, or > > anyone else, claim "there is no God"? > > > > Ian > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
