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[gcomeau]

17. Atheism and theism...

...are the two different states that people occupy regarding belief in the existence of a deity.

If you possess a belief in a deity, you are a theist. If you don't possess that belief you are an atheist.

Gnosticism and agnosticism are the two different states people occupy regarding what they believe about the nature of deity (WHETHER OR NOT they believe such a deity actually exists). If you believe that due to the way the nature of deity is defined certain knowledge about whether or not such an entity exists cannot be attained, you are an agnostic. If you believe acquiring certain knowledge about whether or not such an entity exists is possible you are a Gnostic.


I am an agnostic, because I recognize that an entity which is assigned supernatural powers is not subject to any rational investigative process, and the hypothesis that such an entity exists is unfalsifiable.

I am an atheist because I do not possess the belief that such an entity actually exists.


I cannot however be an agnostic as an alternative to being an atheist (or a theist). Because there is no such thing as an alternative to being an atheist or a theist. No matter how many people want to pretend agnosticism is such an alternative. (And it is an astoundingly large number of people, hence my frequent "arghs&quot