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As of now I'm Agnostic. Wondering if I should fully convert to Atheism. Thoughts? Or facts please? Thanks in advance.

AtheistLJ 5 Mar 1
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0

It is not a matter of converting. It is a simple matter to deciding that you are certain that you do not believe in any god or religion.When you decide that, you are an atheist.

14

Just do what feels right to you. I personally don't see the allure of labelling

10

As someone else pointed out, the term "Agnostic" has nothing to do with religion.
You're either an:
Agnostic Atheist--Doesn't believe, but doesn't claim absolutely that there is no God.
Gnostic Atheist--Doesn't believe, and claims there is NO God.
Agnostic Theist--Believes in God, but doesn't claim absolutely that there is a God
Gnostic Theist--Believes in God, and claims there is absolutely a God.

A visual. You’re already one or the other.

Yes, the two words refer to two different things.

I thought the term was first used to address religion. If true then that's it's roots.

Gnostic and agnostic refer to knowledge about whatever subject you’re speaking. Theism and atheism refer to belief. @JeffB

@JeffB I should have worded my statement as: "Not exclusive to religion" as I think the word has evolved from the original reference.

@NothinnXpreVails I'm aware that the word gnosic means knowledge, and this a-gnostic uses the normal rules to mean without knowledge. We are on the same page there. But.... I'm pretty sure no one used the term before Huxley, who used it to refer to religion. If he didn't invite the word, then he is likely responsible for it's appearance in the English language. All I'm saying is that you cannot call it not legitimate usage if that is how it was introduced into the language and used that way for years and still used that way.

@AgnosticLJ I am Agnostic Atheist, as well. That, to me, seems like the most logical position to take at this time.

10

There is no "should". Some time with research, and closely examining your own feelings might help you find the right path for YOU. No requirement to "follow the crowd" - too much of that already !

5

Convert? How does one go about converting to atheism? Are there rituals? Does it involve eating a baby bbq or danicng naked in a science lab? 😉

Actually, I'm agnostic for a lot of reasons, and very happy to be so. I have atheist friends and get along great with them, but I'm me, and they're them... I would say, "Go where your heart leads you," but instead I'll say, go where you're most comfortable.

5

I'd say don't "convert" to atheism for the sake of it. It you come to truly believe there is no supernatural beings that guide us, then in fact you are automatically an atheist. Otherwise, you just make it sound like another form of religion, which it is not.

godef Level 7 Mar 1, 2018
4

Logically, atheism is really untennable. agnosticism makes more sense to me

I think you might be confusing antitheism with atheism.

Only if you view atheists as close minded and unwilling to accept new evidence to change their minds if warranted. Atheism is logical.

I don’t think so. @Sheitelhau

@Gatovicolo are you saying that you're a theist then? Agnosticism and atheism are not mutually exclusive. There are agnostic theists and agnostic atheists. Atheism-theism is a matter of belief and agnosticism-gnosticism is a matter of certainty.

Atheism is a matter of certainty without proof while agnosticism is the acknowledgement of the impossibility of proof. @Sheitelhau

@Gatovicolo No, you're simply wrong, even down to the etymology of the word.

In this variation of the word, the prefix "a-" means "without or opposite," with the distinction being "or" from the prefix "anti-." For example, "asocial" refers to an indifference or aversion to social activity, whereas "antisocial" refers solely to aversion to social activity.

Furthermore, the term originated as a designation of those that did not follow the popular religion of Greece, later applied by the Romans to the growing Christian communities.

Your definition of atheism also ignores the ideas of "positive" and "negative" atheism, with the positive claiming certainty and the negative claiming uncertainty.

If you have no foundation for your asserted definition, I'd suggest you check out the work the work of one of the many atheistic speakers of our day. Richard Dawkins is a good example of a reputable agnostic atheist, and I think there's a lot for anyone to gain from his work. The Atheist Experience is a favorite of mine, and they have quite a few episodes archived on YouTube.

Not really. @Sheitelhau

@Gatovicolo Haha, alright then

Given I didn’t define anything, your assertion has no base. I suggest you look into the Oxford dictionary of philosophy rather than you-tube to get your information, but that’s just me. You could also just read the appropriate sections of Wikipedia, they parallel the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, but Wikipedia has a pretty bad reputation. Maybe you could read the appropriate sections of a History of Modern Philosophy. @Sheitelhau

"Atheism is a matter of certainty without proof while agnosticism is the acknowledgement of the impossibility of proof." That looks like a basic definition to me.

I did as you said and looked through a History of Modern Philosophy, and from the wording of the text, the author seems to have a negative bias toward atheism. The vast majority of it's mentions are needlessly derogatory in the context of the passages they come from.

Looking through the Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Atheism is not referred to as anything claiming certainty that god doesn't exist but the mere belief that he doesn't exist. It even begins the passage saying that the common usage of the term is not inconsistent with agnosticism. It says "A stricter sense denotes a belief that there is no God," which is consistent with the idea of strong and weak atheism.

I think there's more to these concepts than what you've decided on. Agnosticism does not preclude the belief or disbelief in god.

Having been raised and educated in the Catholic Church, I can say that it asserts in it's dogma that there is no way to be certain of anything regarding their god (the sacred mysteries), even his existence, but that doesn't stop them from believing in that god. In this way they are dogmatically agnostic theists. Although, a priest of Catholicism will most likely preach gnostic theism in his homilies. The latter stance is unsatisfying in its arbitrary nature, and the former simply tries to obfuscate the arbitrary bits.

I would like to say that I'm sorry if I've come off as offensive to you, as I think I might have. My friends say I have no tact when presenting my ideas, and I agree. I hope you can look past this and speak to my points. @Gatovicolo

You’re entitled to your opinion. Have a nice day. @Sheitelhau

@Gatovicolo nah, you miss the point entirely. I don't want my opinion. At any point I have no way of saying that anything at all that I believe is valid. I want to combat my own opinions with the opinions of others, and if my opinions lose it is to my benefit.

Bugger off mate. @sillysketcher

4

I grew up in an a Athiest family and never knew the hardship of leaving a religion. I sympathize with how you feel and bid you welcome.

Gohan Level 7 Mar 1, 2018
4

The hard truth is that there is an awful lot of prejudice against atheism should you choose to go down that path. If you decide to, you must be able to articulate clearly and defend yourself against the huge amount of ignorance surrounding all religion. That being said, there is a clarity in shedding superstition and embracing science and empirical data. The universe (In my opinion) becomes more awe inspiring and just beautiful. Good luck on your journey!🙂

4

No conversion needed. at this point you question the possibility that there is a god. be comfotable that you have taken that step. later you may decide that the whole idea of god is a crock which is fine. enjoy the joy and calm that you have found in deciding that the idea is in question.

3

There is no time limit on learning. Let it come naturally as you go through your personal journey. Humanity and science is still evolving and discovering new information. You'll get there when you get there. 🙂

Betty Level 8 Mar 1, 2018
3

convert....such a word....I don't think atheism has a heiriarchy like catholicism or judaism...so you don't have to get permission...my first thought would be to look at how you see The Question. I think converting is for people who feel they have the answer. So maybe 'converting to atheism' is apt. That's a big maybe....as is everything else.

3

Considering that all religions are man made, you could definitely become an atheist. That said, I would continue to do research and explore what is going on inside you. Look at the factors that are causing your doubts. Also look at why you have not taken that final step and become an atheist. Perhaps the old fears of retribution by an angry god could still be there.

2

Just do it. The only way god could possibly exist is if he were defined as something that could possibly exist, but he's just not. And if you change the definition you're just cheating anyways.

2

I would be interested to know why you have become 'agnostic' and what agnostic means to you.

Atheism is purely a disbelief of the claims by theists that a god/s exists. As others have said, Theism and gnosticism are different prongs of the same question - gnosticism is what you claim to know and theism is what you believe.

You say you 'decided' to become agnostic on your bio, which seems like an odd choice of words. Most people (in my experience) realise that the god of the bible/quran/insert religion of choice doesn't exist and then start to question their belief in any god. Believing isn't generally a choice.

Think things through, read through the posts on here, ask questions (which you have obviously already started to do) and take your time.

When you start to question the 'facts' you had always been told were true, it takes time a courage to challenge that. Especially when those that you trust around you are telling you that you that you are wrong.

I wish you well in your transition and hope you find answers to your questions.

Oh - and welcome in. I think you'll like it here.

2

No need to convert, do what you want. There is a lot of pretty pointless mental masturbation going on about the differences between agnostic and atheist. Pick a label or just call yourself a non-believer. Anything you choose is ok. You don't need to defend or justify your choice to anyone.

FWIW, I agree with @atheist

2

Those words aren't really levels of non-belief. They mean 2 different things. Agnostic means you don't KNOW if there is a god or not. Atheism means you don't BELIEVE there is a god. Therefore I am both, I don't BELIEVE there is a god (atheist), but I can't KNOW for sure if there is one or not (agnostic).

2

Make it your own decision. Nothing will be stronger.

1

Use the word atheist because it decreases the chances of holy rollers trying to convert you.

1

I think the main advantage of being an agnostic versus an atheist is: If there is an afterlife and you do find yourself before the Almighty, you can say, "God. I didn't see you." It's a poor defense, but it is better than saying, "God. I won't see you." For me it breaks down to is the believers say they know there is a God. Atheist say they believe there is no god. Neither side has provided overwhelming evidence to prove their position or deny the other's. Jury is still out. I apply Sagan's Standard. Wait until one side or the other proves it.

1

If you view the definition of agnostic, it says you have no theist or atheist view either way. If you are already leaning towards atheist, sounds like you are already an agnostic atheist. It is not a simple yes or no. There are levels of confidence or doubt for both theists and atheists. I am an agnostic atheist. I feel pretty confident that there is no God, but I also know that I cannot know that absolutely. To say you are 100% certain either way, you would be a gnostic atheists or gnostic theist, which in my opinion is not intellectually honest. No one on either side can "know" absolutely.

The main reasons I am an x-Christian are many but basically:

  1. many ambiguities, contradictions, and in some cases outright incorrect Bible information
  2. no verifiable evidence of a God ever
  3. no verifiable evidence of an afterlife ever
  4. given massive indiscriminate random suffering from natural disasters and diseases, if there is a God it is a sadistic and evil entity, or completely powerless not worthy of worship
  5. animal and sea life is a complete blood and guts world, another sign that if there is a "designer" God, it is a sadistic and evil entity
  6. most people strongly believe that their religion (and there are many) is the one "truth" based primarily on their random birthplace. Born in India, probably Hindu. Born in Mexico, likely Catholic. Born in Egypt, Muslim....
1

You believe or you don't

0

You don’t convert, there is no catechism, no graduation. If you have doubts about there being a master being but unable to let go of the need to feel something controls you life and fear the absolutism of death, you are Agnostic. If you no longer need to believe that there is more than the life you are living, that yourself and chance control what happens to you, and that when you die, you no longer exist, then you are an Athiest. There should be no stigma attached to either appellation. Then there is always Humanist and non-believer if you don’t feel like you need to choose one of the other labels.

0

You don't convert you evolve

0

We're not saying we "know", we're saying we don't "believe "

0

I was in limbo as an agnostic for years, then questioned why I was "on the fence" . As an agnostic, you believe there is room for doubt. Once I realized I had no doubt, I became an atheist

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