From: bill@iglobal.net
Date: Fri Nov 29 1996 - 07:24:22 MST
Unfortunately, the words "agnostic" and "atheist" are not very
precise and have a great deal of overlap, and yet are not synonyms.
One of the most lucid discussions of the various kinds of atheism and
the meaning of the word itself is the introduction to atheism faq for
the ald.atheism newsgroup. It clears up much of the fog surrounding
the words "atheist" and "agnostic". It can be found at:
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/atheism/introduction/faq.html
> > The self-proclaimed agnostic must still designate whether he does
> > or does not believe in a god -- and, in doing so, he commits himself to
> > theism or he commits himself to atheism. BUT HE DOES COMMIT HIMSELF.
> > Agnosticism is not the escape clause that it is commonly thought to be.
> Disagree.
> I don't maintain that there is or is not a god. I don't definitely
> believe in god. I don't definitely disbelieve in god. Neither do I
> believe that it is unknowable whether there is a god or not. Just
> that I don't know, or know how to know. I could invoke Kosko and say
> that I both believe and disbelieve. I *definitely* don't believe in
> forcing black/white divisions on something that is as fuzzy as human
> belief. :-)
> -- Bob Grahame : <bdg@mm-croy.mottmac.com>
> -- Agnostic and proud of it!
Peace,
William Kitchen
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