Tennessee allows for the distribution of Atheistic literature at Elementary school in response to al - Polidicks

[QUOTE=Rangergxi;44466696]Might as well be agnostic about everything. Agnostic about Zues, Space goblins, etc.[/QUOTE] But not Gork and Mork.

You can't be an Agnostic without being atheist, to be a Theist you need an active belief in god. so if you don't believe in God, you're automatically an Atheist.

[QUOTE=Shreddinger;44466738]You can't be an Agnostic without being atheist, to be a Theist you need an active belief in god. so if you don't believe in God, you're automatically an Atheist.[/QUOTE] Agnosticism means you don't know what you believe. Most other isms imply that you strongly believe one way or the other, where-as Agnosticism is a more "on the fence" belief.

[QUOTE=Shreddinger;44466738]You can't be an Agnostic without being atheist, to be a Theist you need an active belief in god. so if you don't believe in God, you're automatically an Atheist.[/QUOTE] Agnostic is actually just a shortened version of Agnostic Atheist, which is basically 'I don't believe, but I am open to proof.' Proof, of course, being different for each person. Atheism is belief there is no greater power. Theism is belief there is a greater power. Agnosticism is requiring proof before believing in any greater power.

[QUOTE=Lijitsu;44466752]Agnostic is actually just a shortened version of Agnostic Atheist, which is basically 'I don't believe, but I am open to proof.' Proof, of course, being different for each person. Atheism is belief there is no greater power. Theism is belief there is a greater power. Agnosticism is requiring proof before believing in any greater power.[/QUOTE] This is what I usually say, but most of the "Agnostics" seem to get really offended when they're also being called atheists, so I thought I might explain right away.

[QUOTE=Lijitsu;44466752]Agnostic is actually just a shortened version of Agnostic Atheist, which is basically 'I don't believe, but I am open to proof.' Proof, of course, being different for each person. Atheism is belief there is no greater power. Theism is belief there is a greater power. Agnosticism is requiring proof before believing in any greater power.[/QUOTE] Being agnostic means you believe it's impossible to know for sure if there is a god or not. Just like I'm agnostic about the existence of [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell's_teapot]Russell's teapot[/url]. You can't say there isn't an invisible teapot in space because by design this particular teapot is undetectable. You're either theist or an atheist. There is no in between. I think people confuse agnosticism with implicit atheism. Basically, Implicit atheism: I lack a belief in a god Explicit atheism: I believe there is no god Which is an important difference imo that most people don't think about.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;44464730]The fact the minority in the minority actually does carry the stereotype and act very vocally when people make a very bad joke which could simply be passed with a box rating? I get a pretty good laugh actually.[/QUOTE] If anyone's a matching stereotype here, it would be you. Your posts are divided among hating Obama, loving guns, and apparently trying to discredit atheism.

[QUOTE=Helix Snake;44464167]Neither is going to make a difference. When you're in elementary school you believe whatever your parents believe. It's not until middle or high school that you begin to question it.[/QUOTE] I became an atheist when I was about 6 or 7, I didn't know there was a name for it but I stopped believing in god. My parents weren't overly religious but they identify as Christians and I was christened as a child. Hell, I believed in Santa and the Tooth Fairy for longer than I believed in god.

[QUOTE=squids_eye;44469130]I became an atheist when I was about 6 or 7, I didn't know there was a name for it but I stopped believing in god. My parents weren't overly religious but they identify as Christians and I was christened as a child. Hell, I believed in Santa and the Tooth Fairy for longer than I believed in god.[/QUOTE] The Tooth Fairy is more believable from a theological standpoint than the Evangelical Christian God is. I don't know about Santa (if he did exist, he's sort of an enormous dick who hates poor children)

[QUOTE=Falubii;44469065]If anyone's a matching stereotype here, it would be you. Your posts are divided among hating Obama, loving guns, and apparently trying to discredit atheism.[/QUOTE] I hate Obama...? Going to avoid the 2nd thing because that's a debate for another time, but I am discrediting any attempt of creating some form of cult-like mentality regarding atheism. If you are irreligious, you are irreligious. Attempts to spread "atheistic" material is such an alien thing to me, because it can only be perceived as atheist trying to create some cult of non-belief. Political books or studies of theology are fine(like the book presented by the group), as they go hand and hand with the concept of education, but what kind of material are these people and others handing out? If it's anything above political books or theological studies, what kind of shit-eating grin can these people put on calling themselves irreligious? By the way, spiritual agnostic.

[QUOTE=Matthew0505;44466691]What's important is that you've found a way to feel superior to both sides.[/QUOTE] And you get to feel superior to them. Now I'm feeling superior to myself. Help I'm stuck in a loop someone Control-C me!

[QUOTE=Bumbanut;44464503]You're saying you were 8-9 years old when you sat down and thought "is there really an omnipotent God watching over me or is it just a fictional tale invented by the human mind"?[/QUOTE] Yeah, me too. Some of my earliest memories are of questioning the existence of a deity so many people believe in. I used to sit in my back yard late at night and look up at the sky, trying to comprehend the 'depth' of the stars and why they would be arranged the way they were. It's never too early to begin to reason.

But what about the Deists!?

[QUOTE=Bumbanut;44464503]You're saying you were 8-9 years old when you sat down and thought "is there really an omnipotent God watching over me or is it just a fictional tale invented by the human mind"?[/QUOTE] Yes, actually. I was agnostic in elementary school and in middle I finally made up my mind and became atheist.

[QUOTE=Skarr;44465642]Tennessee is shit. Please save me. Surprised that something decent happened for once.[/QUOTE] It's not all bad. We've got Bonnaroo. [editline]7th April 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;44470827]I hate Obama...? Going to avoid the 2nd thing because that's a debate for another time, but I am discrediting any attempt of creating some form of cult-like mentality regarding atheism. If you are irreligious, you are irreligious. Attempts to spread "atheistic" material is such an alien thing to me, because it can only be perceived as atheist trying to create some cult of non-belief. Political books or studies of theology are fine(like the book presented by the group), as they go hand and hand with the concept of education, but what kind of material are these people and others handing out? If it's anything above political books or theological studies, what kind of shit-eating grin can these people put on calling themselves irreligious? By the way, spiritual agnostic.[/QUOTE] You know, a cult of non-belief is not an uncommon thing. A specific minority of secular humanists have tried to do that multiple times in the past... Most of them ending in execution. Heck, one's even referenced in a prophetical book in the New Testament. I'm very glad that we don't execute people for their religious beliefs (or lack thereof), because that's horrible. However, I also don't think it's entirely right to allow any group, religious or non, to distribute any sort of promotional material in an institution that's supposed to be separate from religion entirely. Ultimately, religion is a philosophic concept, and should be treated as such in the educational system. Which is to say it really shouldn't be taught at all, outside of specific classes based on the analysis of that sort of philosophy. Leave that sort of thing to the parents, teach evolution in schools.

[QUOTE=Helix Snake;44470438]The Tooth Fairy is more believable from a theological standpoint than the Evangelical Christian God is. I don't know about Santa (if he did exist, he's sort of an enormous dick who hates poor children)[/QUOTE] [video=youtube;U_Q2cXLhHhU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Q2cXLhHhU[/video]

[QUOTE=Bumbanut;44464503]You're saying you were 8-9 years old when you sat down and thought "is there really an omnipotent God watching over me or is it just a fictional tale invented by the human mind"?[/QUOTE] I found all possibilities equally depressing at a young age. God. No god. Heaven. Hell. Eternal life. Nothingness. Eternity through science. The books I had read to me as a tot were science books. That and an obsession with science (not kid's science shows on TV) plus my first memory being my grandpa's still face at his funeral=me. I knew what an ovipositor was before I could tie my shoes. I also had to take special classed in grade school and had no friends. There, enough info not to just be neckbeard claiming to have been a half retarded atheist (who was still somehow scared of the dark) as a kid? [editline]6th April 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Tureis;44464525]Yes, I was probably heavily influenced to ask the question by my sister who also was having doubts.[/QUOTE] My brother was four years older and still believed in Santa Claus. [editline]6th April 2014[/editline] Now he's a turbo atheist, but I think he's at least finally stopped wearing the fedoras.

[QUOTE=Bumbanut;44464503]You're saying you were 8-9 years old when you sat down and thought "is there really an omnipotent God watching over me or is it just a fictional tale invented by the human mind"?[/QUOTE] I stopped going to catechesis (or whatever it's called) after the second year because I didn't believe in God.

[QUOTE=Appellation;44474220]Now he's a turbo atheist, but I think he's at least finally stopped wearing the fedoras.[/QUOTE] wat r u doing

[QUOTE=Bumbanut;44464503]You're saying you were 8-9 years old when you sat down and thought "is there really an omnipotent God watching over me or is it just a fictional tale invented by the human mind"?[/QUOTE] When I was 8 I asked my parents for a bible for christmas. They never really talked about christianity or god or whatever, but I was curious. So, they gave me a bible. I read it myself over many weeks as a 8 year old and asked a million questions about the bible. And then I just kept asking questions. Asking questions is the single most important thing we can do and you're never too young to start doing it and better understand the world around you.