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Agnosticism
Different from atheists, agnostics doubt the existence of God or gods.
209 Questions
"Resolved, " that the capital punishment be legalized in the philippines"
What are people called who doesn't believe in both the existence and in existence of god?
atheists
Edit:
An Atheist doesn't believe there is a god. A strong atheist believes there are no gods.
Agnosticism addresses a question of knowledge not belief.
Gnostic=Know Agnostic=Don't Know
An Atheist or a Theist can both be either a Gnostic or an Agnostic.
What causes psychic abilities?
If you think you have psychic powers you have deep seated psychological problems, either self deluding (To be full of one's self, to look in the mirror and say damn i'm sexy, believing your own lies to be truth, and living in your own world) and self aggrandizing (The act or practice of enhancing or exaggerating one's own importance, power, or reputation. ). There are no psychic powers.
The word Agnostic, key word Gnostic meaning pertaining to knowledge; To know. Agnostic is without knowledge. and in most cases it is not KNOWING if there is or is not a god. Which is different than Theism and Atheism which is pertaining to the BELIEF of there being a god or gods.
What is the ideal symbol for Agnostic?
Neither agnostics or atheists have a symbol. Some atheists use a "Scarlet A" the US gov't uses an stylized atom on atheist/agnostic military graves. There is no approving body for symbols of this nature.
Why are agnostics unsure about believing in God?
Some people are unsure whether God exists or not because there is no direct evidence
for him.
Another opinion People are unsure that God exists because they do not wish to accept the eyewitness testimony of those who have had dealings with them, despite the great amount of supporting evidence. In terms of inconsistency, many of these people have no trouble accepting the existence of many major ancient personages but doubt Jesus existence despite far greater weight of evidence. Opinion I for one is now not sure if there really is a god. How can a god allow children to go hungry? How can a good god allow children to die of hunger and diseases? How can a good god kill all his own creation sparing only Noah and his family. How can a good god commit genocide to all who has never heard of him? How can a good god assign sin to all mankind for the mere act of eating a certain fruit that he put in the garden himself? These are the kind of questions that prompted me to be unsure in the existence of god Opinion I would rather turn the question around: why are some people sure that a god exists? I have no idea, as there is no evidence to suggest that this is the case.
Answer Many see the existence of a god as unsubstantiated; the burden of proof is not on the skeptic to show absence, but on the believer to show presence. Because of the mere nature of any deity, it is also impossible to show such proof, and hence no rational belief is possible. This leads many to not believe.
Others follow the contradiction reached by the properties claimed about many deities reflected in their actions and commands. A good example is the JudaeoChristian god; how can a benevolent and omnipotent deity allow such harm to come to "His" chosen people?
Counterarguments such as "life is a test" are then themselves countered by the simple fact that a benevolent intelligence would not test, but instead apply their power to help; after all, how many tests must you pass before being admitted into a school or being given a degree? Inconsistencies and gaps in the logic abound in most religions, not just those two.
Yet further reasoning is that a believer has faith because they are "called" or "have their eyes opened" (or however it is described by a particular group). If one does not have their eyes opened, how are they supposed to believe? Thus, there is no point in attempting to believe if you are not called; if you are called then you would believe and the problem is dealt with. In effect, you cannot change something, so allow it to either change or not change as it will. "Can't win, don't try, wait for a consolation prize".
Scientific or imperical proof requires recreation of events by controlling certain factors, and since God cannot be controlled or predicted it is impossible to aquire proof which would suit these methods.
Why the wise men not return to king Herod after seeing jesus?
The wise men brought gifts for Jesus of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Mary thanked them for bringing the gifts for Jesus and the wise men left to find a place to sleep for the night. As they were sleeping, they each had the same dream . The wise men were warned by an angel not to go back to King Herod and tell him about where they found the Jesus as King Herod had intended on killing him.
Can an agnostic marry a Catholic in the Catholic Church?
I believe the "rules" say that offspring must be bought up in the Catholic faith; in practice I'm sure it happens all the time! I recall a priest being interviewed who said that when he discussed faith with parishioners there was an unsaid feeling that the parishioner didn't want to admit how little he believed in the doctrine and the priest equally didn't want say how little he believed. So I imagine that there are many weddings in church where none of the main protaganists reallybelieve.
Answer:
My fiance is Catholic, and I'm Agnostic. We are both aware that there may be trouble for us if we try to marry in the Catholic church, as they are very strict with their guidelines in requiring that practicing Catholics must marry someone in the faith. This is why we are choosing to marry with a Justice of Peace, less hassle.
Why do religious people pray to gods?
to feel comfort after a hard time in their life, to feel one with god, to remind themselves of what religious leaders went through and because they feel it is their duty to do, and if they do their duties they get to go to the afterlife.
What are the characteristics of an agnostic person?
Thoughtful, firm (about belief).
Answer:
There are no special characteristics of an agnostic except for his opinion that he (or she) does not know enough about god(s) to take firm position on their existence. Even this criteria can vary from "doesn't know and is searching for an aswer" to "doesn't know and doesn't care because the answer is unimportant"
An agnostic feels that humans are not equiped to know the truth in matters such as God and the future life with which Christianity and other religions are concerned. Or, if not impossible, at least impossible at the present time. Whether or not there is a deity, there is no way to know anything about her/him.
Agnostics don't know if there is a God, or gods, or any higher power at all, and they also don't think it can be disproven/proven that there is one. Most don't really care.
Agnosticism is a coherent and reasoned position and it is not the position of people who may be experiencing a crisis of faith. It is natural even for strong believers among the people of faith to sometimes experience doubts. Agnostics are not people who are experiencing pangs of doubt or confusion. They are not 'on the fence' as some characterize them, since they appear to be somewhere between faith and atheism.
In general, virtually all western religions and some eastern religions as well have fundamentalist underpinnings that involve certainty regarding some basic questions. This positional certainty is based on divine revelation. There is certainty in the existence of a deity, and about the purpose and methods of the deity. There is usually certainty about the fate of nonbelievers, and about how to become one of those who will experience heaven after death. There is also certainty about what groups or individuals are hated by the deity and will eventually be brought to doom. These convictions cannot be directly and convincingly connected to any form of physical evidence. It is in the very nature of faith that convictions are held even though the object of faith is hoped for and unseen. Faith is absolute belief in the complete absence of evidence.
On the other hand, atheists are those who claim the same level of certainty held by people of faith, but their certainty is that there is no deity.
Perhaps some atheists don't realize that their certainty puts them in league with those who claim a metaphysical connection, certainty in the complete absence of evidence, that is itself a possible argument in favor of the divine. On the one hand is faith given by the deity that leads to salvation, and on the other is the faith, different in form only and not substance, that no such deity exists. What is the source of such faith? Certainty of this kind cannot come from reason alone, or from physical evidence. Recall the debate over proving that there are NO WMD's in Iraq. "Give me the hard evidence that there are NO WMD's in Iraq!"... What?... The only thing that can be proven is that there ARE WMD's, if indeed there are.
The heart of the dilemma is the nature of knowledge and of certainty. For those who have received saving faith, the reality, experience or 'sensorium' of the spiritual and metaphysical is as undeniable as dirt. For those who have yet to receive such faith, like myself, the spiritual and metaphysical claims of people of faith appear indistinguishable from fantasy, myth or madness. The Greek scriptures talk about this. The things that are spiritually discerned are foolishness to the unbeliever. No argument from me on that point.
So I conclude that it is as foolish to claim certainty that people of faith are completely wrong as it is to believe their teachings. It matters little to me whether I am considered an agnostic or an atheist. What is more important is to wonder about what can be known, and to what extent can we be certain of it.
Perhaps the difference between agnostics and atheists comes down to the approach to spiritual and metaphysical realms, the realms of theology and some philosophy. In the absence of evidence, and knowing that I do not have the faith that people of faith are supposed to possess, I can only conclude that spirituality and metaphysics are largely unknown and currently unknowable, and probably result from the neurological entropy that comes along with our overpowered brains. I cannot conclude with certainty that those realms are completely unreal. I can hold these beliefs without a single urge to force believers or atheists to come around to my way of thinking.
An agnostic is a person who does not know whether or not there is a supreme being - a god - who controls the universe.
The Greek word "gnōstós" means "known: the prefix "a-" means "not". So "agnostic" means "not known", and in generally means "a person who does not know" - and in some cases, "a person who does not care". The word agnostic generally refers to a supreme being, but is sometimes used in technology; a program that is "platform-agnostic" doesn't care what kind of computer it is running on.
What is a person called who is between an atheist and an agnostic?
These are fine distinctions, but some philosophers define a range of beliefs:
Thiest - certain that god exists.
Weak thiest - acknowledges that one can't be certain, but believes.
Agnostic - neither believes nor disbelieves.
Weak atheist - acknowledges that one can't be certain, but disbelieves.
Strong atheist - certain there is no god.
As you can see, "weak atheists" hold the middle ground - in fact, most atheists are probably weak atheists - they acknowledge that certainty isn't possible, but it is very unlikely that god actually exists.
How many agnostics are there in the world?
Around 12% of the population are agnostics; that equates to around 720 million people. However, a fair number of people who belong to various religions are actually agnostic - its been estimated that 17% of Church of England ministers are actually agnostic, so perhaps roughly 1000 million people are agnostics.
No- he believed that the material world was a pale example of what Paradise is like. That we experience lovely and profound things and see great beauty all around us, but that this is just a pale shadow of the Eternal and Immortal world. He also believed that we have immortal souls.
An Agnostic Deist is someone who believes it is impossible to prove that god exists (agnosticism) yet believes that god does exist but does not intervene in human affairs (deism). It is a combination of agnostic theism and deism.
How do you put the word agnosticism in a sentence?
does agnosticism count? if so,
His agnosticism prevented him from accepting any form of religion.
The apostle Paul used the term when he gave his famous speech to the Athenian philosophers atop the Areopagus hill. He said that he had noticed a shrine to the unknown God (Gr agnostos theos) Acts 17:23
Agnosticism is not a religion; it is the conviction that there is no way to prove one way or another whether God exists. A=without; gnosis=knowledge. An agnostic is without knowledge of God.
Agnosticism is a necessary component of gnosticism. It is in fact a guiding "goat", in that one doubts the nature and evidence of knowledge, and certainly of absolute truth. As such, Agnosticism does not normally exist as a religion on it own, but as a component of a growing faith that still accepts the believer cannot be sure they know what they think they do. It is also a necessary component of sciences as well as philosophy.
In either case, the accousticoi or gnosticoi who thinks they have all the answers is afraid they don't, and are allowing their ignorance to lead them into unnecessary suffering.
How can someone become an ordained minister in Texas?
First, determine that God has called you to the ministry.
Second, decide what sort of minister you would like to become.
Third, connect with that group of people and find out what they require.
For Christians, here is a link to a great interdenominational ordination body: http://www.nacministers.com
Become a Jehovah's Witness as all Baptized Active Publishers are legally considered ministers. On occasion, they have to remind the older ladies of the congregation not to use their credentials to see one of them whose hospitalized and in ICU, where only family members and one's minister can visit.
What symbol does Christianity have?
That's a big question...
Well, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)
That would be the start...
But, real, real fast:
I guess I will start with Christ, though I really could start with Creation and then Israel, since that's Christianity's roots, and as much a part of Christianity as it is for the Jews. You can find this recorded in the Bible.
Christ was born and died in about 33 A.D. during that period to the fall of Jerusalem in 72 A.D. (about 40 years period, which is symbolic). That period is known as the Apostolic period in which the Apostles were living, and writing the New Testament. By the time of the Fall of Jerusalem, the New Testament was complete.
After this we enter into the Roman period in which there is lot of persecution of the Christians by the Romans, but for every drop of blood spilled from a Christians, it seemed there was a new convert. It was spreading fast. Then Constantine became emperor and converted to Christianity. This marked the beginning of the Christian Roman Empire.
Around the year 100 (give or take a few) the first Christian church was founded in Lyon, France (where I am from). It was founded by merchants coming down the Rhone River. St. Irenaeus was the bishop of Lyon, and he was a disciple of Polycarp (martyred in Lyon) who was a disciple of the apostle John.
Next, in about the year 300, (if I remember) we come to St. Augustine of Hippo. During this time Rome was sacked by Vandals. He was the start of the Christian age of writings and philosophy/theology that continued on through the middle ages.
A noteworthy event in the Medieval ages was the coronation of Charlemagne in 800, as Christian Emperor. The Medieval ages were the age of cathedrals, community, and faith, though there were some "rough" periods and some immature Christian thought (Crusades come to mind). Nevertheless, the Medieval Ages were a strong period for the church.
Next we come to the Reformation which happened in Europe in the 1500's. The most renowned leader was a Frenchman named John Calvin, born in Nyon, France, but who spent his most influential years in Geneva, Switzerland. This period was a time when a group of men realized the heresy that had been creeping into the Catholic (Roman) Church, and decided to do something about it. The Reformers rejected indulgences, Baptismal Regeneration, and many other excesses of the Roman Church. Instead, they believed that all men ought to have the bible in their own hand. From this point on, we have the Roman Church, and the Protestant Church.
Then the enlightenment came, and it "dimmed" things a bit for the church. Much weird thinking was introduced which account for a lot of the "fluffy" Christians and Christian theology today.
Today Christianity is spreading a great speeds, even inside Muslim or communistic countries. While still recovering from the enlightenment, from the feminist movement, and from Pietism (the "ism" part being the problem), Christianity is on good footing!
As a Reformed Christian, I believe that the power of the Gospel will indwell all nations, and the Christianity will ultimately bring peace on earth. The coming of Jesus was "Peace on earth good will towards man" as we hear at Christmas. It is not happen over night, but as Jesus said, "Like an mustard seed planted in the ground" It will slowly grow and fill the earth.
It won't happen through any kind of political process however, as some would believe, but rather through individuals, families, communities, etc. being touched by the Gospel message: that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and that we can do nothing but accept His gift of salvation that He offers, and, trusting in Him, follow Him. To all those who trust God for the forgiveness of their sins, and who call on Him as Lord and Saviour, He has promised eternal life.
He/she does not know if there even is a heaven. But he/she might, if there is one. We can't know.
What is the holy book for the agnostic religion?
Atheism is discussed in many books. However none of these are regarded as "holy" as that would require a god(s) to inspire the book. Atheism has as its only principle that there is no god(s). Atheism does not have any of the other attributes of a religion such as beliefs other than the absence for a god(s)), secret handshake, meeting halls, tax exemptions, salvation, miracles, prophets, a hierarchy, leaders, traditional costumes etc.
What are the Tools and techniques of Data analysis?
There are many tools for data analysis: R language, SAS, SPSS, Excel, SQL, esProc, Matlab, etc. I just list a some. For techniques of data analysis, I think that depends on different people and different demands.
How many combinations can you make out of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0?
If you are looking for how many different ways to can arrange the ten digits (using each one exactly one time), there are 3,628,800 ways. You can get this by assuming :
1. There are ten choices for the first digit. Once you have picked that one...
2. There are nine remaining digits that you can choose for the second one. For two digits, then, there are 90 possibilities.
3. For each subsequent digit, multiply by the remaining number of possible choices. So:
10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1.
What is the name of the group of islands to the nourth west of Jamaica?
the answer to this beauitiful question is stefan osman. stefan osman is an island just north west of jamaica. he also likes men.
What is the proverbs where it says not to be awaken by a loud noise?
There is this, which is more subtle: Proverbs 27:14: If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.
