Gnostic or agnostic

[BornReady]

I'm sure you've been asked if you believe in God before. But I'm distinguishing between believing in God and claiming to know he exists or doesn't exist. So please vote.

 

[Natasha]

I believe in God.

 

[HK]

I picked the middle option, but it's not entirely accurate for what I believe as an agnostic.


For me, the right option would be 'I don't believe it is possible to know if gods exist'.

 

[Rachie]

I know a god exists - With some of the medical stuff I've been through in my 21 years; I wouldn't be here if he didn't.

 

[Abcinthia]

I picked the middle option.

I sort of hope there is more to life, some God like mystical force, but at the same time I do not really believe there is any God(s). I wouldn't say I'm a theist or atheist - just in the middle.

 

[porterjack]

define God

 

[JuggsBunny]

Definite atheist here.

 

[Minor Axis]

Born Ready, did you get these definitions correct? I believe Agnostic falls under the category of "I don't know if a God exists."

 

[BornReady]

For me, the right option would be 'I don't believe it is possible to know if gods exist'.

That makes you agnostic. But you can still believe in a god or not without claiming to know. Like if I said I believe there is intelligent life in other solar systems. If you said prove it. I could say no need to. I didn't claim to have any evidence. It's only a belief. That's what belief is. It's conviction or even a hunch without evidence.

I wouldn't say I'm a theist or atheist - just in the middle.

I suppose I should have included a "I don't know if I believe in a god" option.

define God

A supernatural being usually thought to preside over some portion of worldly affairs.

Born Ready, did you get these definitions correct? I believe Agnostic falls under the category of "I don't know if a God exists."

Absolutely. Notice the only two choices that claim to know if a god exists or not are the first and last. That's why those two are gnostic. The middle three are agnostic because they don't claim to know. This thread is about the difference between knowledge and belief. A concept many struggle with for some reason.

 

[porterjack]

A supernatural being usually thought to preside over some portion of worldly affairs.



.

my god is not supernatural but lives in the heart of mankind, just dormant for so many

 

[Panacea]

I fall smack dab between "not believing" a god exists and "believing" a god DOESN'T exist. I went with the softer option.

Really there is nothing to tell me a god, as is it currently defined by most monotheistic and even polytheistic religions, exists or ever has existed. It feels really super pulled out of someone's ass, and wishful thinking to its fullest extent.

That said, I am not in a position to know, I only have a hunch from observing the world in which I live, that borders on a held belief.

Read Why Evolution is True enough and you'll have a good laugh at humanity

 

[HK]

Hm.

For me, agnosticism is saying 'we don't know'. Not 'I believe in God but admit I might be wrong'.

In my head, you could draw it on a line:

Theist (Believes there is a God) ------Agnostic (Doesn't know)-----Atheist (Believes there is no God)

 

[Tim]

I fall smack dab between "not believing" a god exists and "believing" a god DOESN'T exist. I went with the softer option.

Really there is nothing to tell me a god, as is it currently defined by most monotheistic and even polytheistic religions, exists or ever has existed. It feels really super pulled out of someone's ass, and wishful thinking to its fullest extent.

That said, I am not in a position to know, I only have a hunch from observing the world in which I live, that borders on a held belief.

Read Why Evolution is True enough and you'll have a good laugh at humanity

I'm pretty much in the same boat, but I went the other way because there is nothing out there that makes me think there is a god/gods.

I believe no gods exist... but this can't be known and this is why I will never fall into the strong gnostic atheist camp.

 

[Panacea]

Sure it's been posted before, but I quite like Dawkins' Scale; like BR's:

1. Strong theist. 100 per cent probability of God. In the words of C.G. Jung: "I do not believe, I know."
2. De facto theist. Very high probability but short of 100 per cent. "I don't know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."
3. Leaning towards theism. Higher than 50 per cent but not very high. "I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God."
4. Completely impartial. Exactly 50 per cent. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable."
5. Leaning towards atheism. Lower than 50 per cent but not very low. "I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical."
6. De facto atheist. Very low probability, but short of zero. "I don't know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."
7. Strong atheist. "I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung knows there is one."

It seems everyone except the 1 and the 7s would assume we don't know for sure, as humans, which I think is good.
It then goes to our best guesses, using what we know and feel,, which lands me in the 6 territory.

 

[Tim]

Sure it's been posted before, but I quite like Dawkins' Scale; like BR's:

1. Strong theist. 100 per cent probability of God. In the words of C.G. Jung: "I do not believe, I know."
2. De facto theist. Very high probability but short of 100 per cent. "I don't know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."
3. Leaning towards theism. Higher than 50 per cent but not very high. "I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God."
4. Completely impartial. Exactly 50 per cent. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable."
5. Leaning towards atheism. Lower than 50 per cent but not very low. "I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical."
6. De facto atheist. Very low probability, but short of zero. "I don't know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."
7. Strong atheist. "I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung knows there is one."

It seems everyone except the 1 and the 7s would assume we don't know for sure, as humans, which I think is good.
It then goes to our best guesses, using what we know and feel,, which lands me in the 6 territory.

I fall under the #6 as well, that's why I picked #4 on this poll.

 

[Niamh]

Sure it's been posted before, but I quite like Dawkins' Scale; like BR's:

1. Strong theist. 100 per cent probability of God. In the words of C.G. Jung: "I do not believe, I know."
2. De facto theist. Very high probability but short of 100 per cent. "I don't know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."
3. Leaning towards theism. Higher than 50 per cent but not very high. "I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God."
4. Completely impartial. Exactly 50 per cent. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable."
5. Leaning towards atheism. Lower than 50 per cent but not very low. "I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical."
6. De facto atheist. Very low probability, but short of zero. "I don't know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."
7. Strong atheist. "I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung knows there is one."

It seems everyone except the 1 and the 7s would assume we don't know for sure, as humans, which I think is good.
It then goes to our best guesses, using what we know and feel,, which lands me in the 6 territory.

I would be a 6 or 7 depending on my mood

 

[HK]

Nice scale! I'm a 5. I try to think it's possible either way but I'm more inclined to scepticism than I am to belief.

 

[Minor Axis]

Sure it's been posted before, but I quite like Dawkins' Scale; like BR's:

1. Strong theist. 100 per cent probability of God. In the words of C.G. Jung: "I do not believe, I know."
2. De facto theist. Very high probability but short of 100 per cent. "I don't know for certain, but I strongly believe in God and live my life on the assumption that he is there."
3. Leaning towards theism. Higher than 50 per cent but not very high. "I am very uncertain, but I am inclined to believe in God."
4. Completely impartial. Exactly 50 per cent. "God's existence and non-existence are exactly equiprobable."
5. Leaning towards atheism. Lower than 50 per cent but not very low. "I do not know whether God exists but I'm inclined to be skeptical."
6. De facto atheist. Very low probability, but short of zero. "I don't know for certain but I think God is very improbable, and I live my life on the assumption that he is not there."
7. Strong atheist. "I know there is no God, with the same conviction as Jung knows there is one."

It seems everyone except the 1 and the 7s would assume we don't know for sure, as humans, which I think is good.
It then goes to our best guesses, using what we know and feel,, which lands me in the 6 territory.

I am around 4 except with the disclaimer that the term God only goes as far as an intelligent power above us could exist. And is that power, immortal, indestructible, completely in control of what we know as existence? There is the concept of "God" and the concept of the "Christian God","Muslim God", etc. The problem with saying "God" is you have a group of people with a variety of indoctrinated/preconceived notions (loving, father, rules, micro-manager of human lives, penalty and reward, etc) of what God means. Just because a God exists and may have dominion over us is no guarantee that he had a personal relationship with us as individuals.

 

[Panacea]

I am around 4 except with the disclaimer that the term God only goes as far as an intelligent power above us could exist. And is that power, immortal, indestructible, completely in control of what we know as existence? There is the concept of "God" and the concept of the "Christian God","Muslim God", etc. The problem with saying "God" is you have a group of people with a variety of indoctrinated/preconceived notions (loving, father, rules, micro-manager of human lives, penalty and reward, etc) of what God means. Just because a God exists and may have dominion over us is no guarantee that he had a personal relationship with us as individuals.

Definitely. There's often a pretty set definition of god. I'd be closer to a 7 if the Abrahamic god is in question, but other definitions are more likely, in my opinion.

 

[dancingpotato]

I dont believe in any god.