To Believe or Not to Believe - Is that the question?
This thread is created due to the ongoing conversation in the thread called
Agnosticism is Atheism in Denial
That thread is dealing with a subject/argument which comes up from time to time.
The claim is "Agnosticism is Atheism in Denial" and I and others took the position that it wasn't a true claim.
My last post in that thread was made just before I had to go to work and in it I made the observation that "the question is a loaded one".
The question under scrutiny is "Do you believe a god(s) exist?" and is related to the claim "Agnosticism is Atheism in Denial".
The argument continues of course, but I spent all morning thinking about the question and is it really a loaded question and if so, what is the better question, and is that just as loaded?
My thoughts evolved around these questions and I have come to the realization that the problem with the question has to do with belief.
But really, what has belief got to do with the question of god(s)?
By framing the question around belief, this only serves to separate individuals into 2 main categories, which are Theists and Atheists and thus every individual on the planet can be sorted into one or the other of these.
Q: Do you believe god(s) exist?
This is relevant only to certain types of atheists and theists, but not to anyone outside these types.
It assume and insists then that everyone has to be either/or and all else can then be a subset of these two main identifiers.
However, belief of any sort is not here nor there.
Personal belief of any sort is irrelevant. It might be precious to the believers, but that does not make belief relevant, or logical.
The correct question regarding god(s) existing or not should not be one involving belief or lack of belief.
The correct question therefore would be:
Q: Do you know god(s) exist or do not exist?
The possible answers therefore can be:
"I don't know" or "I do Know".
If "I don't know" then another question can be asked.
Q: Why don't you know?
A: Because I have found no way to know."
If "I do know" then another question can be asked.
Q:What way have you found this knowledge?
A: "_______________________________" < Place answer here.
Agnosticism is most likely not atheism in denial at all if the question was changed from a belief based one to a knowledge based one.
For that matter it most likely is not even a sub category of atheism, if the question wasn't framed around belief.
This thread is created due to the ongoing conversation in the thread called
Agnosticism is Atheism in Denial
That thread is dealing with a subject/argument which comes up from time to time.
The claim is "Agnosticism is Atheism in Denial" and I and others took the position that it wasn't a true claim.
My last post in that thread was made just before I had to go to work and in it I made the observation that "the question is a loaded one".
The question under scrutiny is "Do you believe a god(s) exist?" and is related to the claim "Agnosticism is Atheism in Denial".
The argument continues of course, but I spent all morning thinking about the question and is it really a loaded question and if so, what is the better question, and is that just as loaded?
My thoughts evolved around these questions and I have come to the realization that the problem with the question has to do with belief.
But really, what has belief got to do with the question of god(s)?
By framing the question around belief, this only serves to separate individuals into 2 main categories, which are Theists and Atheists and thus every individual on the planet can be sorted into one or the other of these.
Q: Do you believe god(s) exist?
This is relevant only to certain types of atheists and theists, but not to anyone outside these types.
It assume and insists then that everyone has to be either/or and all else can then be a subset of these two main identifiers.
However, belief of any sort is not here nor there.
Personal belief of any sort is irrelevant. It might be precious to the believers, but that does not make belief relevant, or logical.
The correct question regarding god(s) existing or not should not be one involving belief or lack of belief.
The correct question therefore would be:
Q: Do you know god(s) exist or do not exist?
The possible answers therefore can be:
"I don't know" or "I do Know".
If "I don't know" then another question can be asked.
Q: Why don't you know?
A: Because I have found no way to know."
If "I do know" then another question can be asked.
Q:What way have you found this knowledge?
A: "_______________________________" < Place answer here.
Agnosticism is most likely not atheism in denial at all if the question was changed from a belief based one to a knowledge based one.
For that matter it most likely is not even a sub category of atheism, if the question wasn't framed around belief.
via International Skeptics Forum http://ift.tt/1BEgHF9
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