Why do some agnostics here seem to have something against atheism, talk down atheism, etc...?

For the record, agnosticism is not directly related to a belief in God. It is simply the notion that one can not have certain knowledge in general. It is therefore quite possible for one to be an agnostic atheist or even an agnostic theist.

I don't know why anyone talks down to anyone, no one really holds any position that justifies doing so.

This idea, though, that atheist are as ridiculous in their mindsets is absurd, I think. I base my thoughts on the perceived likelihood of truth. For that reason I am agnostic, because I don't claim to actually know anything. However, I find that the likelihood of there existing a God to be rather low, and I am therefore also an atheist. That is, I do not think a God exists. That is actually the definition of atheism. The two are not mutually exclusive, and I think that a better understanding of each others' positions would do a lot to help people.

Similarly, many religious people are agnostic. They think that it is quite likely that a God exists, and therefore believe in a God. However, they can be agnostic in that they do not claim to know that God exists.

Of course, there are extremists on either side, but then, extremism is found in everything: patriotism, racism, etc.

We need to stop lumping whole masses of people together, it is wholly unfair and unjustified.

Just to finally clarify my point: Agnostic means to hold uncertainty, to not profess certain knowledge. One can have an opinion that heavily favors one side of any argument and still be agnostic. Unless the person specifically believes that they are absolutely correct with a 0% chance of being wrong, then that person is agnostic. Very few people are not.

I try not to talk down anyone for anything. After all, he cornerstone of what I believe is that I don't know anything for certain, so anybody could be right!

Saying that however, it is sometimes the agressive atheists that get to me personally; particularly those that believe any kind of consideration of spirituality or God is 'stupid', and make their porition on it very very clear. Also, those that attack particular denominations, or label certain mainstream denominations as 'cults' frustrate me, because there are some major differences.

However, it is also the other extreme - extreme religious people - that get to me too. When they start calling atheists ignorant, or going on about how they are the only ones to be saved, that frustrates me; but again, that's based on my own beliefs that it's difficult if not impossible to know the things they are displaying as pure fact. The other major issue is when they tell good people that they are going to hell because they haven't accepted Jesus or read the Qu'ran etc etc (although that could be a personal peeve). Again though, as far as I am aware, any of them could be correct!

The bottom line is, everybody here is talking down somebody else based on what they personally believe. I don't see why agnostics should be the only group that aren't respected for this, especially when we don't tend to talk people down for what they believe; but rather for how some people put it forward and how arrogant some individuals can be when they are talking to others with perfectly respectable opinions.

And don't forget that agnostics get a lot of stick themselves for being 'middle of the road' or 'unwilling to take a side' and therefore cowardly, when really agnosticism is based on a very strng belief; that we just don't know and may never know for sure.

Thanks for listening! And thanks for the interesting question even - agnostics are so often totally forgotten here.

My brother always used to identify as Agnostic, not Atheist", which kind of annooyed me because he'd actually done an epistemology component when he went to university. Then again, he did it at a catholic university, where the Philosophy teacher failed him for questioning the existence of God...

After I explained that a/thesim regards belief (which is an on/off, yes/no proposition) while a/gnosticism refers to the certainty of knowledge (is it or is it not possible to be 100% certain of anything?) he finally understood that he was an Agnostic Atheist: someone who doesn't have belief in God/s, but accepts the possibility (slim though it may be) of one.

Unfortunately most other "agnostics" don't like to accept that. Maybe taking "Option C" in a Yes/No question makes them feel safe from being involved in all this argument hooplah we go through in situations like Y!A:R&S...

Pocket Protectorate explains the point clearly enough. True Atheists do not believe in a God, but an Agnostic doesn't believe if a God exists or not due to the lack of information.

In reply to the comment above mine; I've been looking into the true definition of Atheism, and it appears to be a gray area. Some people say one thing and other people say another.

It does seem agnostics should be the least likely folks to do this given that translated to Latin, agnostic means ignoramus.

Agnostics easily take a fence.

Maybe because Atheism is like a faith.

Faith in the belief that something is not.

Personally I try not, to talk down too anyone.

I don't really know, to be honest. I don't think "atheism" is a dirty word.

Actually, I have considered one possibility - that some agnostics (not all, but a few) consider the mantra "we cannot know" to be sacrosanct, and therefore condemn atheism as much as theism for claiming "certainty".

Then again, I don't know many atheists who actually DO claim certainty, but... I never said that those particular agnostics necessarily "got it right".

the keyword is most, meaning not all are "agnostic athesits" some are agnostic diests. Diffrent strokes for different folks.

Agnostics just haven't taken that leap over to the dark side yet, that's all. Come on guys, jump, it's better over here on the atheist side, we have cheese doodles!

Atheists, being a vast minority, are just using cheap tactics in an attempt to seem larger than they are by shading the definition between agnostic and atheist. "Agnostic atheist" is a relatively new term, as is the current definition of atheism "lack of belief in gods". The old definition of atheism is an assertion that gods don't exist, markedly different. Even Bertrand Russell says there is a definite difference between the 2. Atheists are trying to gain number by twisting of semantics alone

Ideas such as atheism being the "default" position, and the ridiculous claim that everyone is born atheist, just add to that