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Are Agnostics Welcome Here?

Nicole Friedman

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Reading through many of the threads on this forum, I am honestly wondering how posters on this site feel about agnostics, particularly agnostics with "hope" that there is an intelligent force in the universe.
For the record, I consider myself to be a very rational thinker. I cannot commit myself to saying that G-d exists 100% because I have no tangible proof. However, I refuse to say that G-d does not exist for the same reason. Also, I honestly hope that there is some intelligent, good force in this universe; I admit my unscientific bias but even Einstein believed that there was something behind all of this... which leads me back to my thread topic "Are agnostics welcome here?"
 
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Did you bring cookies or any other form of baked goods?
 
In my experience, anyone is welcome. However, expect everything you say to be picked through with a fine-toothed comb. It's nothing personal, it's just the way this community works. If you can handle that, you'll get along fine; if not, you won't. Your religious beliefs aren't really a factor.
 
Generally, labels don't mean the same thing here as they do other places. I call myself an atheist, but an agnostic atheist, because the terms are not describing the same thing.

And many people here (including myself) have said they wish there were a benevolent power, that protected humanity and had similar moral standards as they do. What generally turns people off here is insults, strawmen, bigotry and refusing to discuss things honestly. Stay away from those and you'll find friends here. Not with everybody, of course, but quite a few of us are perfectly fine with hopeful agnostics or even theists, as long as they are not jerks.
 
I have no problem with anyone of any level of faith or non-faith posting in these forums, as long as they are happy to discuss their opinions and positions and not retreat from that discussion.
 
I consider myself, like Tricky and many others, an agnostic atheist, in that while I don't believe God exists, I don't know it for a fact.

I think people who want to engage in honest discussions about a variety of topics are welcome here, no matter their beliefs. But if you want to bring up arguments that may be contentious with skeptics or atheists, you better be prepared to defend them well, because people won't let you get away with weak arguments.
 
Nicole Friedman said:
Reading through many of the threads on this forum, I am honestly wondering how posters on this site feel about agnostics, particularly agnostics with "hope" that there is an intelligent force in the universe.
For the record, I consider myself to be a very rational thinker. I cannot commit myself to saying that G-d exists 100% because I have no tangible proof. However, I refuse to say that G-d does not exist for the same reason. Also, I honestly hope that there is some intelligent, good force in this universe; I admit my unscientific bias but even Einstein believed that there was something behind all of this... which leads me back to my thread topic "Are agnostics welcome here?"
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Of course anyone is welcome. But as said, your arguments will be scrutinized.

As for your agnosticism, does it extend into the Flying Spaghetti Monster as well? If not, why not?
 
Nicole Friedman said:
Reading through many of the threads on this forum, I am honestly wondering how posters on this site feel about agnostics, particularly agnostics with "hope" that there is an intelligent force in the universe.
For the record, I consider myself to be a very rational thinker. I cannot commit myself to saying that G-d exists 100% because I have no tangible proof. However, I refuse to say that G-d does not exist for the same reason. Also, I honestly hope that there is some intelligent, good force in this universe; I admit my unscientific bias but even Einstein believed that there was something behind all of this... which leads me back to my thread topic "Are agnostics welcome here?"
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We have, as has already been noted , people of a variety of ways of belief and ways of thinking and ways of responding. We have, though most are in no way proud of, holocaust deniers, truthers, haters of almost any group you can think of. We have people who like almost any group you can think of and we have people of all persuasions of general and specific religious belief. I like some in every category except that first set so my prejudices are clear up front.

Arguments from fact always appropriate and welcome. Defended/defendable positions defended well, the same.

Welcome in and enjoy!!!:):):)
 
lionking said:
Friedman=jewish I guess.
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I was thinking that, as it's mostly Jews and some very conservative Christians who spell it like that.

It was just a little strange seeing someone who identifies as agnostic spell it like that, but I guess it could be culturally learned behaviour.
 
P.S. The evidence on Einstein tends to be that he really didn't - the thing about god and dice re: Universe was just a way of saying the Universe doesn't have changeable rules of operation/is not random (he appears to have been wrong as the evidence for quantum functions seems to show him wrong for the quantum level).
 
Lamuella said:
I have no problem with anyone of any level of faith or non-faith posting in these forums, as long as they are happy to discuss their opinions and positions and not retreat from that discussion.
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Actually, I don't mind people who don't simply wish to discuss their beliefs or lack thereof.

However, I can quickly lose respect for someone who will start a new thread with some strongly-worded deprecation of my worldview (or, for that matter, anyone else's worldview) and then ignore the swift, inevitable counterpoints.

I suspect that Lamuella's attitude is similar to mine.

(and just to be clear, I don't consider the OP to be a strongly worded deprecation of anybody's worldview)
 
atheistcatdemotebymarsm.jpg
 
I think it's fairly likely that many of the atheists here, in addition to the ones above, are also agnostic. So I doubt you'll get much guff from us.

Unless you're one of those phony "agnostics" who's actually just a wishy-washy theist. :P
 
Nicole Friedman said:
Reading through many of the threads on this forum, I am honestly wondering how posters on this site feel about agnostics, particularly agnostics with "hope" that there is an intelligent force in the universe.
For the record, I consider myself to be a very rational thinker. I cannot commit myself to saying that G-d exists 100% because I have no tangible proof. However, I refuse to say that G-d does not exist for the same reason. Also, I honestly hope that there is some intelligent, good force in this universe; I admit my unscientific bias but even Einstein believed that there was something behind all of this... which leads me back to my thread topic "Are agnostics welcome here?"
Click to expand...
Also, check out Leumas in this thread: http://www.internationalskeptics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=222343
 
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