How about it, what is the difference between the two?
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Are Atheists just close minded Agnostics?
- Thread starter Reverend Rick
- Start date
Atheism and agnisticism address two different issues. Atheism addresses belief while agnosticism addresses knowledge. It's possible to be both an atheist and an agnostic because they aren't mutually exclusive. But don't conflate the two as if they are the same type of thing. So, to answer your question, no. There is nothing close minded about not believing a claim for which evidence is not sufficient to accept the claim.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
Depends which definition of atheist and agnostic one uses. I consider myself both, and I think I'm probably one of the most fairly and thoroughly analytical people I've ever known.
To me, an agnostic by definition has an open mind.
What is inherently open minded about having firmly concluded that "god" is unknown or unknowable?
Photonic
Ad astra!
Not believing in a claim doesn't make one close minded.
I would be more than happy to believe in a God as soon as there is sufficient evidence of his existence.
Since none exists, I take the default position of not accepting a claim that can't be substantiated.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
It depends - the traditional definition of agnosticism includes the idea that it can't be known whether a god exists or not. This seems as closed as assuming god exists or doesn't exist.
Why doesn't an atheist have an open mind, in your opinion?
Who said that was my opinion? If it was, why would I have asked the question?
Daemon Sophic
Avatar in flux
One could say that the atheist has simply gone to the next logical step, or that they have simply stopped trying to look. Even as an agnostic, I would not call atheists "close minded" or any similar slur.
The atheist opens the box. Looks in and sees that it is empty. Then reaches in and feels around. Still nothing. Runs the box through a metal detector, a CT scanner, and chemically analyzes the cardboard of the box itself. Upon still finding nothing, the atheist has cast the box aside as being truly empty.
After all of the atheist's testing, the agnostic keeps the box on an out-of-the-way shelf....just in case some further testing technique might some day be invented.
The religious person never opened the box, but is overjoyed at having recieved such a spectacularly marvelous gift for Christmas/Channaka/Ramadan/etc....
The atheist opens the box. Looks in and sees that it is empty. Then reaches in and feels around. Still nothing. Runs the box through a metal detector, a CT scanner, and chemically analyzes the cardboard of the box itself. Upon still finding nothing, the atheist has cast the box aside as being truly empty.
After all of the atheist's testing, the agnostic keeps the box on an out-of-the-way shelf....just in case some further testing technique might some day be invented.
The religious person never opened the box, but is overjoyed at having recieved such a spectacularly marvelous gift for Christmas/Channaka/Ramadan/etc....
You said, that to you an agnostic by definition has an open mind, perhaps suggesting that an atheist doesn't. My question is why do you think that?
I'm trying to follow your logic here, just because I said I believe an Agnostic has an open mind, what would that have to do with what I thought about Atheism?
Because your name of this thread asks if atheists are close minded agnostics. And what would be your motivation for posting that question if you didn't feel that it had some merit? Anyways, it doesn't matter, because I'm an atheist and guess what, I'm also an agnostic. There's nothing close minded about being an atheist. Saying "I don't believe you" when evidence hasn't been presented, is in no way close-minded.
According to Wikipedia you cannot be both Agnostic and an Athesist.
Agnosticism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Did you actually read the link you posted? It's in the fist paragraph, and it says, within agnosticism there are agnostic theists and agnostic atheists. I am an agnostic atheist, I do not believe that a god exists, but I also don't claim to know whether or not a god exists. Again atheism and agnosticism address two different issues and they are not mutually exclusive, you can be both.
Quiddity
UndertheInfluenceofGiants
It doesn't. Thats why when asked, I just say that I'm an atheist.
Quiddity
UndertheInfluenceofGiants
To my understanding:
Agnostic atheist - Do not deny the possibility of a god.
I don't think atheist entertain the possibility, do they?