"Most Of The Religious Right Are Not Stupid, Just Willfully Ignorant"

**WarDubO** · 09-03-2011, 02:39 PM

Atheist tenRAB to mean "there is no god" to the people who claim to be atheist. They are quite sure "there is no god". For those who say "well, maybe, but I dont' think I can believe in god, because I don't think we can know if such a god exists..." would tend to regard themselves as agnostic.

I know you're trying to take some kind of moral high road by transliterating the root worRAB in "atheist", but I think more atheists would agree with my definition than yours. Feel free to post up a poll, though.

1) Atheist = I don't believe there is a god
2) Atheist = I believe there is no god
3) Atheist = I can't tell the difference between 1 and 2, so I chose this one

**Matilda Rose** · 09-04-2011, 05:26 AM

You can be an agnostic atheist, gnostic theist, agnostic theist, gnostic atheist... etc.

Gnostic atheist would be what you're describing... someone who KNOWS that there are no deities.

Most rational people are agnostic atheists.

**ompelle** · 09-04-2011, 07:20 AM

My position is that I see no particular reason to believe in supernatural entities. But if you do, then that's fine by me. Which is similar, in my opinion, to the gay marriage debate.

The way they are similar is that as long as I can believe in whatever I choose, then I have no interest in limiting your choices. If you try to force your beliefs on me, then I have an issue. Equally, I want to be able to marry any consenting adult I choose, but I would be opposed to being forced to have a gay marriage myself.