@paul1967

No need to start another mudslinging contest.

Never was bitten by the Jesus bug.

As an atheist since age 13, I chose rational thought, not magical beliefs.

Read the dictionary to get a common use of the language then get back to us.

I've always understood agnostic to mean that one is not completely certain that there is or is not a divine being but either leans toward the opinion that there is not or that we can never know for sure. Please note that this is MY understanding of the word and not necessarily a dictionary definition. I choose to be known as an atheist because the very word shows my belief: "a" (not) and "theist" (one who believes in a divinity). I do NOT believe in any such "being" nor have I seen any convincing proof of such a being and plenty of arguments against it.

Good words.

I'll go for a vodka with ice!

agnostic
/aɡˈnɒstɪk/
noun
a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God
Isn't this enough 'lack of belief' for you?
Punctuation in your text shows exactly what you said about not 'accepting' the dictionaries verdict!
Although I'm in favor of language evolution, dictionaries are not there to 'match' your 'meanings'! This way of thinking is fine but if had the upper hand can create a chaos! Not a creative one though!

I think you are confusing agnosticism (a philosophy) with narcicism ( a form of mental illness). Agnostics don't expect 'acceptance' or 'recognition'. Narcicists do.

Dictionaries are not necessarily authoritative.

This site has made me realize how tricky it can be to delineate the terms. I've always looked at it as being theist means you believe in a God or divine Supreme Power, atheist means you don't believe at all in a God or divine Supreme Power, and agnostic exists on a wider spectrum between the two. I think there are some agnostics who simply don't want to eliminate the possibility, lest they be wrong in the end, so are, in effect, on the fence. Others definitively do not believe in an anamorphic God such of that in a theistic philosophy, but feel we don't have sufficient evidence based answers to the big questions that religion and belief serve to answer, and therefore content to accept we don't know the answers to the hows and whys of life and have but a fragment of understanding of the world in which we exist, but that maybe someday an explanation will present itself that does answer the big questions. While 100% sure it's not going to equate to some all knowing guy in the sky, perhaps enough scientific discovery and understanding to connect the pieces and achieve greater understanding. Who the fuck knows? Maybe there is some element we've yet to discover, some natural law we've yet to comprehend that ties it all together scientifically and answers the big questions. One might view that as some sort of natural or cosmic Supreme Power. I've always viewed that part of the spectrum somewhat overlapping atheist. Definitively not believing in a theistic God does not exclude one from being open to greater understanding as evidence presents itself, either. I lie in the latter category. I definitively do not believe in a theistic God, but beyond that, don't feel there is sufficient data, and/or ability to comprehend, to make a definitive determination of any kind.

And keep in mind that you can be both a theist (to some gods) and an atheist (to other gods) at the same time.so consider, I have an idea that there is some “higher power”, it told me (and, perhaps, others) of opportunities that I could not have known on my own. This “feeling”might make me somewhat of a theist.

OTOH if the deity(deities??) described in the Bible is your chosen god I find that lots of evidence that should be there if that god exists is absent. Thus I cannot support belief in that particular god. Meaning that I am an atheist to that god.Thor could be a different case. And, of course, YMMV.

who cares? what does a label matter? what do you believe?

I AM an Atheist because I do not believe in any gods or goddesses. I use to be a catholic until I got the internet and did the homework. IF someone calls themselves Agnostic and does not actually believe in any god or prays to their invisible man in the sky, they are actually Atheist.

ah and while we're on the subject, dictionaries are bought by rich whores specifically in order to deceive ppl, "talent" used to mean "money" and never had anything to do with innate ability until about 400 years ago i guess, and there is even a thing "dictionary wars" which im pretty sure i didnt just make up...ya, there's a book with that title, but i bet it mostly obscures the real truth. Ppl die over definitions, and theres a reason the 1858 unabridged Webster's is so valuable i guess

i guess the meaning has changed in the last hundred years, but a lot of the point initially revolved around "gnossis" or knowledge, agnostic (originally) meaning "against knowledge" which maybe sounds like a bad thing, but as you pointed out no one can prove Yah "exists," so it was that kind of "knowledge" that agnostics (and the Bible btw) were opposing i guess
test everything, and keep what is good

How can one come to hold a position that is upheld by logic and language that has been used to define these terms and not have an open mind. If I hold a belief (that there is no god) then I have come through some process in this society to arrive at that point. I studies Religious Philosophy in College and it was a total trip. I came away with some knowledge that the Christian God did not exist, never could, no how, period. That was not the same point of view the instructors had. I came up to it on my own, and in my further readings I have not yet come across anything that would change my mind in any way. Now if someone came up with an argument that held some idea, thought, experience, or other evidenced proof otherwise, I would listen. If you want to try to change my mind you will have a chore in front of you as I am some number of years ahead of you in reading. I want proof, something I, as long as others, can hold in their hand and experience the same proof and meaning provided. One persons say so is nothing.

You can be both christian (or an other religion) and agnostic or atheist and agnostic. Or just agnostic. Agnosticism is saying that you are definite that there is no way to know that there is or is not a God. I feel like agnostics are constantly in the middle of both sides of most debates. While their personal beliefs may side one way, they are not quick to defend any religion. They look for an understanding of other views over defending personal truth.

The definition of words and terms in common usage don't necessarily mean what their root origins might indicate. Webster's or other similar sources might provide a brief definitio or basic meaning of the term, but lack some of the more nuanced or in depth meanings. You may want to read an article or two on the terms to get what one of these terms means to those who identify themselves as such.

Me, being agnostic, makes it more acceptaning than atheist or God fearing theists. I don't understand religion, yet I am more acceptaning of both groups. It's not fence sitting, it's acceptance of people's differences. They are welcome to their own delusions or beliefs, as I am mine as an artist and of the great unknowns.
Although, to prepare your whole life, for the forever after, would not make good sense to me. Since I base my life on good sense. God feels like a Santa Claus for adults that never arrives. I need more physical results for my happiness.

Simple!!!

Fuck them if they can not take a joke!!!

I am referring to them as a joke!!!!

I don't generalize about people based on how strongly they do or don't disbelive in deities. I myself am an atheist. That doesn't mean i have drawn, or care to draw, conclusions about my fellow atheists or about agnostics.

g

What is your "position"? These labels are sometimes ridiculous, and just that, labels. I never preoccupy myself with labeling what I am. And actually, the only thing that matters to me is that I do not believe in any gods and any religions, or as I call the whole gods/religion crap...bullshit. In a nutshell, I do not believe in bullshit.