Theism Atheism Agnosticism

[nailit]

There often seems to be a lot of confusion over such terms here on AB.
Just a few of my own thoughts (OK, ramblings)….
I myself would consider myself both atheist and agnostic. Agnostic because I am open to the (slim) possibility that God may exist but Atheist because our (or at least my own) *present* knowledge would exclude that possibility.

But also can all Atheists also be lumped together as some religionists are prone to do? Ive know Atheists who believe in survival after death (and why not?), Atheists who believe in aliens (and why not?) and Atheists with beliefs in paranormal abilities (and again, why not?) But atheism seems to be seen as a faith of its own, when its clearly not.

Aren't Christians atheists when it comes to the ancient Greek and Roman gods?
What about somebody whose a Pantheist....believing that everything that exists is God? Are they Theists or Atheists? (Yes I know, they are Pantheists, just wondering how the religious would interperate that).

What about Polytheists? Would the religious condemn Polytheists as much as they condemn atheists like Richard Dawkins? Why would there be only one God rather than many (if Deity existed at all).

Just a thought or two.
Thanks.

[kvalidir]

I come from a very mingled religious background (Judaism, Catholicism and Paganism) and I feel most at home being agnostic as a result because all make equal sense or no sense depending on the day. I do like the spirituality of Paganism, the idea of the embodiment of the God and Goddess, spellcasting and ritual and that feels right, however culturally I feel quite Jewish and logically I ought to presume it's all a load of old flannel, yet I can't quite make that jump to rule it out entirely. for myself I try not to judge anyone's opinions because my own are so garbled even I don't know what I believe half of the time, so I pick and choose and mill about in a state of religious confusion :) x

[nailit]

Bit of a mixed bag of beliefs there Kval ;-)

[kvalidir]

Yeah that's why I dunno my arris from my elbow Nails :) x

[nailit]

^^LOL ;-)
I know the feeling Kval, I know the feeling....

[Mamyalynne]

No one should be 'lumped together', there is light and shade in everything.

[nailit]

//there is light and shade in everything//
I like that :-)
Not everything is black and white.

[woofgang]

Well but polytheists are religious....... I think most people who believe in some kind of religion, even those who evangelise (well maybe not satanists lol) don't condemn others because of what they believe or not....there's actually quite a lot in the New Testament about it....."judge not lest that ye be judged" and the story of the Good Samaritan come to immediately to mind; also the woman taken in adultery and Mary Magdalen washing Jesus' feet.....Also "Judgement is mine" saith the Lord "I will repay"
I have to confess that I don't know enough about the religious literature of other faiths to comment on them.

[Peter Pedant]

aaaargh
Theist - there is a god
Atheist - there isnt a god
agnostic - dont know - - - - - simples
oh - dont know is dont know if there is a god
and not 'dont know if Lidl is a good buy' ( it is )

do atheists believe in aliens ? no that is donald trump - ter daah !

[Old_Geezer]

IMO one is one or the other. Seems to me many agnostics call themselves atheists, then try and fail to justify it. Either you have faith that a deity doesn't exist, or you accept you can not know. I suspect 'agnostic' sounds wishy-washy and 'atheist' cool and confident, so they claim the latter and then make out that the definitions are different.

Believing in different deities doesn't make you atheist. And why would anyone need more than one God, one source of everything ? Having a community of them sounds more like wishful thinking, more like a myth. If there's a whole group of them that sounds like powerful beings, but not Gods as I understand the term.

[Peter Pedant]

.."judge not lest that ye be judged" or
mh krinete ina mh kriqhte
Matthew 7: 1 - oh sorry Maffew 7,1
There is quite a lot of lardy-dah on the internet on this one. - cleafly because all religions are exclusive - "if you arent one of us you will diiiiiiieee in hell!"

I will only say: if you look at the Greek there are two clauses and they differ by one letter
( judge / be judged)
This is a pericope and also an aramaism
and very likely to derive therefore from the first fifty years of the first century and be verbatim

and so the question arises - why bother to preserve these words and who said them ( in reality ) ?


"Judgement is mine" saith the Lord "I will repay"
is old testament
( above my pay grade ) so I cant comment

[well it makes a difference to the usual fare you get on AB innit]

[Peter Pedant]

hey whilst we are at ancient forrin ( sorry english only brigade !)
what about

credo quia incredibilis - - - Tertulllian

I believe because it is unbelievable

[ er that was some Latin]

[naomi24]

Theland, “We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.” Richard Dawkins

PP. //agnostic - dont know - - - - - simples//

Wrong. Agnostic: the belief that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God.

Woofgang. Mary Magdalen. Propaganda has a lot to answer for.

[mibn2cweus]

As you can see there are a variety of meanings for the terms in question. These meanings have changed often throughout the time they have been in use and continue to change, often from one minute to the next. I suspect this is because they are religious terms and therefore have no intrinsic meaning on their own. Even so, they might not be entirely without merit when considering the intent of those employing them and their implications.

[Theland]

It would be nice to simply be allowed to state ones belief and why one believes it, without being subjected to the third degree.
I certainly don't have all of the answers, but that does not prohibit me from having my belief and opinion just as you all do.

[naomi24]

What tosh, Theland! You regularly broadcast your beliefs and as for being subjected to the third degree, you rarely, if ever, answer questions anyway.

[beso]

kvalidir //I come from a very mingled religious background (Judaism, Catholicism and Paganism) //

I think that makes you a pantheist.

[woofgang]

PP there are two tiny passages in the whole of the bible that sound to me as though a real person said them. One is the Judge not thing and the other is John 14.2
"2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you."
That "if it were not so I would have told you".....I mean ok the language is archaic but to me it sounds like what you would say to a friend when you are trying to get over to them the truth of what you are saying.

[Theland]

See what I mean?
Nims portrays me as a complete idiot!
Ah well. We all carry our crosses!

[naomi24]

Stop playing the martyr, Theland. No one has portrayed you as an idiot. Disingenuous, yes ... but an idiot? No. Far from it.

[jno]

this will be you, then

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnostic_atheism