Re: America As We've Known It Is Finished

thomas p. wrote:
 > "strabo" <strabo@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> skrev i en meddelelse
 > news:1197626441_855@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>

 > Some atheists say that. Atheism itself is lack of belief. I am an 
atheist.
 > I make no positive claim about the possible existence of a deity; I 
merely
 > do not believe in the existence of any I have heard of; because I 
have never
 > seen any objective reason to do so.  I am not "rejecting" any god; I am
 > rejecting the claims of theists as being unsup****ted with evidence.  It
 > would be nice if you stopped telling us what we really think, and it 
would
 > be honest.
 >

Agreed. From what you say you're an agnostic, not an atheist so you
can stop wearing the label.  If you continue, it indicates that you
wish to make a political statement, and atheism is a socio-political
movement.

I might add that it is closely related to the more virulent forms of
Communism and Socialism so be careful about your alliances.

 >
 >>
 >>>> Just like the most fervent religious person, who may actually
believe
 >>>> based on perceived interactions between himself and a god (belief as
a
 >>>> result of witnessing something apparently divine).
 >>>>
 >>>> The Atheist has No evidence either way, yet fervently believes.
 >>> No, repeating your erroneous claim will not make it true.
 >>>
 >>>> This would be like a person believing that there are NO Tibetans,
has
 >>>> Never been any Tibetans, nor could there ever be Tibetans, simply
 >>>> because he has never seen one, or never having been to Tibet.
 >>>>
 >>>> The Agnostic, is the only logical person, with his "I don't know"
 >>>> belief.
 >>> Both believers and unbelievers can be agnostic or gnostic. Gnosis is
a
 >>> different problem.
 >>>
 >> You blew that one.
 >
 > No, gnosis has to do with knowing not believing.
 >

How can one know and not believe?

 >
 >  Agnostics believe that
 > actual knowledge of a deity is not possible, but, based on faity, some
 > agnostics believe in a god.  Actually if a theist think, as some say 
that
 > they do, that faith is necessary for belief, he/she is an agnostic.
 >

While the etiology of 'gnostic' is related to Gnosticism, the term
'agnostic' (a + gnostic) refers to those who claim that such existence
is not knowable.


 >
 > snip
 >
 >