Yesterday, for "Ask An Athiest Day", I posted an invitation on Facebook, and was asked some excellent questions. When asked about the difference between and agnostic and an atheist, I posted the following. Everyone’s VERY welcome to comment on this, but please do not generalize about others. Talk about me and/or you. That will be far more useful.
Because there are so many ways people define themselves, because the words agnostic, atheist, humanist, etc, all can be applied in so many different ways, and because there’s so much cultural baggage around the words agnostic & atheist (especially the latter), I try to define myself with sentences or paragraphs, rather than with labels.
The definition of ‘agnostic’ I choose is someone who doesn’t know whether or not there is a god, creator, overseer, etc. In this sense, I am an agnostic.
The definition of ‘atheist’ I choose is someone who doesn’t believe there is a god, creator, overseer, etc. In this sense, I am an atheist.
The difference has to do with knowledge vs belief. Gnosticism is about knowledge, and theism is about belief. Again, this is about my own take on me.
The definition of humanist I choose is someone who has “a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively” and who chooses critical thinking and evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. In this sense, I am a humanist.
Usually, in conversation with believers or people whose stance I don’t know, I use the words humanist or non-believer. I see them as far less confrontational than ‘atheist’. I’d rather identify with what I do believe than with what I don’t believe, so ‘humanist’ usually is my go-to.
Everyone’s VERY welcome to comment on this, but please do not generalize about others. Talk about me and/or you. That will be far more useful.
3
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4 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.Well said. I suppose I could wear all of those labels as well.
I personally choose to identify with the term Atheist. Yes, it's a strong word & can drum up some negativity. To be honest, it doesn't come up all that much, and I typically lead up to it gently. No point in getting anyone's back up needlessly. I typically start with "I don't go to church".
I've not out-right posted (on Facebook) that I'm atheist, but I've posted some very pointed, pro-science memes & comments.
Oddly enough, now that I think of it, I'm holding back for the sake of others. For instance, there's a lady I met recently (& her daughter). We hit it off right away!! They knew my thought & I learned they are in a religious family & active in the (church) community. I got the impression that both she & her daughter have significant doubts. We've stayed friends on social media & it is for folks like (them) her, that I don't get too vocal. I don't want her to suffer any needless repercussions by association. I know she's well respected in her community and I don't want to jeopardize that by simply being her friend.
Maybe I'm making too much of it, and maybe I'll become more vocal, but for now I stick to Pro-Science; not Anti-Deity.
I went off on a tangent there... sorry.
scurry
Level 9
Apr 20, 2018
0
I think your explanation is thorough and very well done, Dan^3. I especially like how you stated that you are both an agnostic and an atheist. Too often I've had to explain that the two terms are not mutually exclusive.
I know there are people who do wish to make the two terms mutually exclusive, but that gets into some weird labeling. After all, you are either a theist or an atheist—either you believe in a god or gods or you don't believe in gods. It's a binary term, and there is no in between when dealing with an absolutist prefix like "a-".
So if you are either a theist or an atheist, then what does it mean when you're agnostic? If you cannot be both agnostic and an atheist, then the logical conclusion would be that all agnostics are theists, which causes a contradiction. Thus, not only should agnostic and atheist not be treated as mutually exclusive, they cannot logically be mutually exclusive.
Good post.
Kuildeous
Level 4
Apr 20, 2018
2
I think both words are absurd as both gnostics and theists both need to make assumptions to derive at their conclusions. I don't feel the need to label myself as apedophile or any of the other things I don't do as I think that it might only confuse people.
mt49er
Level 7
Apr 20, 2018
0
Enjoy being online again!
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