Originally posted by @dj2becker Would you agree that you don't know everything there is to know that that there may well be ample evidence for the existence of God that you are not aware of?
Not only do I lack belief that God exists, I lack belief that God's existence is possible. This is simply an inventory report on my beliefs on the topic.
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24 May '18 08:50>
Originally posted by @js357 Not only do I lack belief that God exists, I lack belief that God's existence is possible. This is simply an inventory report on my beliefs on the topic.
On what basis do you deny the possibility that God exists? That seems like an untenable position.
Originally posted by @js357 Not only do I lack belief that God exists, I lack belief that God's existence is possible. This is simply an inventory report on my beliefs on the topic.
You lack this belief based upon the current knowledge you have which amounts to less than 1% of everything there is to know. Would you admit that there may well be evidence to suggest that God's existence is possible in the 99% of knowledge that you don't currently possess?
Originally posted by @tom-wolsey The "true" agnostic (with respect to Christianity specifically) claims something along these lines: "I don't make a claim for or against the existence of God because we couldn't possibly know, even if He did exist.
Is this a fair statement, before I proceed? Serious question.
No it is not a "fair" statement because it asserts something not in evidence. Leave it at this; "I don't make a claim for or against the existence of God."
Originally posted by @js357 No it is not a "fair" statement because it asserts something not in evidence. Leave it at this: "I don't make a claim for or against the existence of God."
Originally posted by @dj2becker So you are open to the idea that God may exist?
I have no belief on whether God "may exist" because I don't know everything you mean when you say "God." You might or might not have a belief about God that renders His existence impossible, There have been many heresies.
Originally posted by @dj2becker You lack this belief based upon the current knowledge you have which amounts to less than 1% of everything there is to know. Would you admit that there may well be evidence to suggest that God's existence is possible in the 99% of knowledge that you don't currently possess?
I don't possess knowledge about the possibility that something is possible. Its an area of epistemology I'd like to study and will look into it.
It leads to statements like "Hence, answer to your question is NO, even if anything is possible it can not be said that 'something-is-impossible' is possible."
Originally posted by @romans1009 On what basis do you deny the possibility that God exists? That seems like an untenable position.
Have you gotten over the erroneous view that to lack belief that something is possible, is to deny that it is possible? Yes or no.🙂
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Originally posted by @uzless No response to this one?
Are you aware that the Bible consists of 66 books written by 40 people over thousands of years? It’s not a single book that was dashed off in a fortnight.
Originally posted by @tom-wolsey Ok so. The simple refutation is, if God does exist, then there is no reason whatsoever to conclude we can't know. If an omnipotent God exists, of course it's possible He could (and would) open lines of communication. Therefore, the agnostic, claiming we can't know, is wrong... if God exists. So in order for the agnostic not to make a se ...[text shortened]... st types avoid associating themselves with agnosticism. It's factually a position of ignorance.
I do think that i see where you are going with this, but I am not sure if I can completely agree.
I think the fairest statement of the agnostic position is that there is no evidence for a hard conclusion either way, and it really is that simple. Many even say that they are open for persuasion and they are deadly serious about not being caught in the crossfire.
Originally posted by @philokalia I do think that i see where you are going with this, but I am not sure if I can completely agree.
I think the fairest statement of the agnostic position is that there is no evidence for a hard conclusion either way, and it really is that simple. Many even say that they are open for persuasion and they are deadly serious about not being caught in the crossfire.
That is a superior position, I agree. But it's not what I'm being told is the actual agnostic position. We "can't know" is a necessary part. By today's official definition according to most atheists I talk to about it and according to Dictionary.com -- agnostics believe "that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena."
And then my issue and argument: Since if God exists--which they allow for on the surface--their statement is rendered non-factual. The definition forces the agnostic into an atheist, assuming he or she has any intent on making a rational truth claim.