Atheism & Agnosticism are not the same thing!

Pompous wrote: »

Yet boards mods seem to think so. There is actually a forum that goes by the title 'Atheism & Agnosticism'.

I am disappointed that boards is perpetuating the misconception that atheists are agnostics, and vice versa. They are so different from eachother that having a forum with this title is like having a forum called 'Catholicism & Protestantism', or 'Agoraphobia & Claustrophobia'. Sure, they have the same theme and all, but to call them the same thing is ignorant and offensive.

I have put this thread in AH because I would surely be banned for voicing my opinion elsewhere on this site.

There is also a Forum called Beer guts and Receeding hairlines, by your logic they are also the same thing. :rolleyes:

Actually, they are. All agnostics are atheists but all atheists are not agnostics. A bit like squares and rectangles. Contemporary usage of the term atheist is usually incorrect, as one just has to lack belief in a deity to be an atheist, not believe for sure that none exist.

I really do believe it is butter.

talkinyite wrote: »

MagicMarker wrote: »

Believing you're not capable of knowing is the same as not knowing, ergo you're an agnostic, and an atheist.

that's why i liked his comment but no atheism and agnosticism aren't the same things at all.

Theist and atheist are opposite ends of belief. They make no claim to knowledge of said belief. They tell you what follows the words "in relation to the existence of god(s) I believe... "

agnostic and gnostic are at opposite ends of claims to knowledge. What muddies the whole issue is the fact that most atheists are agnostic and most theists are gnostic. Though not all are. People who say "id like to think there's something (in relation to deities)" would be agnostic theists.

Then you have people that claim to be right on the fence of theist/atheist and so describe themselves as agnostic but some of these people actually do hold a belief in one or the other but think the terms are gnostic in definition, so they refuse to answer on belief.

Then you also have ignostics which is what most people that describe themselves as purely agnostic probably mean.

Throw in terms like deist etc. and things can get messy! Oh and the op would have been allowed their say in the a& a forum imo. At the end of the day though, descriptors are just that, they mean to be shortcuts in conversation. I can tell you I'm an atheist and that should fill in blanks faster than telling you what I believe, think, feel and so on. As with any shortcut though it relies on both sides having the same understanding of the underlying definition.

ShooterSF wrote: »

I can tell you I'm an atheist and that should fill in blanks faster than telling you what I believe, think, feel and so on.

WHY DO YOU HATE GOD?!

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

WHY DO YOU HATE HARRY POTTER, BOY WIZARD?

I love Harry Potter.

Check, and, Mate.