@Heidi68 Thank you. I think it is a solid atheist position.

@GuyKeith Sure, it is an Atheist statement, but is no position on Agnosticism.

Have you not decided yet? If you think that knowledge of the existence of gods or nonexistence of gods is knowable, you are Gnostic if you think they are both unknowable, you are Agnostic.

How does being an Agnostic Atheist 'weaken' or make your position on Atheism any less solid/substantial?

@zblaze I never use the term agnostic with the term atheism or without it to determine my position. Agnostic means you don't know or don't care. I know, but I do care, because theism has wreaked havor on the world ever since humans invented it. I still don't like your choices and like even less your insistence that I must fit one of your choices.

@GuyKeith I didn't make a choice for Gnostic Atheist....I really don't want to hear from them because they claim to know something they actually don't.

I don't know where the "insistence" is coming from, the poll is for fun.....

Well said.

It is also not knowable if Fairies, Unicorns of Cthulhu exist too but I'm pretty damn sure they don't, why single out the Christian god as exceptional and worthy of your concession?

@LenHazell53 Um... what? Because the question was about belief in gods, not fairies, etc. I'm an agnostic atheist, explaining my position. I don't believe in god/s, but I also don't believe it is knowable whether they exist or not. I super highly doubt it, but I'm just as sure as believers are. Nothing is 100% true or untrue without evidence.

@Julie808 You serious are contending that things have to be proven to NOT exist?

apatheist

You have got messed up definition of Agnostic my friend. Here is the correct one IMO; 'noun'
"a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience."
[dictionary.com]
Perhaps you are thinking of the adjective usage of the term; "not taking a stand on something, especially not holding either of two usually strongly opposed positions (often used in combination): "
The poll was biased to receiving 'honest' replies. One sided to encourage honesty. That is why I didn't include Gnostic Theists or Gnostic Atheists. I think that a Gnostic is the the least likely person to be honest. Whether it's in a poll or in their comments.

These overly simplistic definitions are funny, but they ignore the Agnostic Atheist, The Ignostic, and the Dawkins Atheist/Agnostic continuum, etc.

@Heraclitus In my opinion and any are free to disagree with it, there is no need to over complicate any of this.
Dualistic thinking may be old fashioned but You believe or you don't, all the subtle shades of grey are reasons for Why you believe or you don't, a completely different question.

@LenHazell53 Well, in that case, there are only atheists and theists. And this website is misnamed.

@Heraclitus
exactly an Agnostics are a subsection of atheists

@LenHazell53 I think I get your point with that last comment, especially since I often think of myself of an agnostic atheist, as agnosticism is about knowledge and atheism is about belief. But, if that is the case, do you really think that all people who call themselves agnostics are just cowardly pretenders who don't want to upset people? Isn't it possible to have doubts? To doubt is human. Do you really think that the owners of this website are cowardly pretenders who are simply afraid to use the title Atheist.com? Einstein who believed in the Spinoza god denounced the theistic personal God but called himself an agnostic. Do you really believe that Einstein was nothing but a cowardly pretender?

@Heraclitus I Always considered Einstein from his own expressed opinions to be a deist if only for expediency, also English was not his first language most of his works and writings were translated from german.
But I take you point.

How are they out of whack Ms Cat? Haven't decided whether the existence of a god is knowable or not. If you think it is knowable you are Gnostic, if not, you are Agnostic.

That wouldn't stop you from being agnostic, would it?

Would you also feel comfortable saying that the existence or non existence of a god is unknowable?

@zblaze
Of course I believe it’s knowable. If there was a god, there would be some proof of its existence. It falls under the ‘possible, but highly improbable ‘ category.

I’ve never seen a hurricane or tornado, but have experienced the results of their existence.

@PhoebeCat I wouldn't feel comfortable saying that the existence or non existence of a god is knowable, mostly because I've never had any evidence or been given an argument that demonstrates that anyone 'knows' of the existence or non existence of a god. That is why I am an Agnostic Atheist.
"If there was a god, there would be some proof of its existence" does not demonstrate knowledge. It is 'an appeal to ignorance' argument'. It is best answered by "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence".

That is why I didn't include Gnostic Agnostic, because that person will always be asked to go ahead and prove that something doesn't exist, just like believers are asked to prove that something/a god exists.

You misunderstood, it wasn't a decision "about God's" or that there was no god, it is a decision about 'knowledge'. "whether the existence of a god is knowable or not."

@zblaze Not sure how that's a difference that matters.

@TheMiddleWay Nope, no knowledge, I've just made a personal decision. I believe that I'm entitled to that one small individual allowance. You are free to decide for yourself as well. If it is, in fact, unknowable then I'm just wrong and I live in my own unlearned ignorant space and suffer the corresponding consequences. If it is otherwise then I still don't know and am in exactly the same position. I've decided this based on nothing more substantial than a coin toss. The difference in the results are exactly the same as far as personal impact is concerned. There, I've shared.

I can at least do that.

@TheMiddleWay Like I said earlier, the poll was kind of biased toward honest answers. The Gnostics among us crack me up.

This One! ??

"I want to go where my pets have gone."
Don't worry you will.

@LenHazell53 Thank you!

I like to imagine that non existence will be great, just like it was before being delivered onto this planet.

@zblaze Hmm, how can non-existence be great if you don't exist to experience the greatness??

@Heraclitus that's exactly why I can imagine it will be great, while I still exist.

You have a point, but there is an important epistemological distinction between theists and atheists. Theists will accept as evidence things that atheists won't accept as evidence such as "spiritual" feelings and supposed answer to prayers, and will often reject scientific data as incomplete and uncertain.

Faith has something to do with it, if a person is an Agnostic Theist.

Why does the side that makes no positive assertion have to prove anything?

@redbai They don't!

Thank you mordant.

About the only addition/omission, for the sake of completeness, of Gnostic Atheist probably would have made some difference....lol I think the Apatheist choice was inflated because of that omission.

Great summary though!

@DangerDave IMO there is no uncertainty, or being "unsure" in the position of Agnostic Atheist. I am 100% certain that the existence or non existence of a god is unknowable.

Apatheism (/?æp???i??z?m/; a portmanteau of apathy and theism) is the attitude of apathy towards the existence or non-existence of god(s). ... An apatheist is someone who is not interested in accepting or rejecting any claims that gods exist or do not exist.

I'll bet you choose the last option....lol I had no idea it would fit an Apatheist so well.

"There is always a chance that a god might exist somewhere, no matter how remote the chance. Anyone with any education must leave the door over a bit at least."

I disagree. I don't have to leave the door open, at all.
There is no "there" there.
If any gods exist, they're going to have to show me.
I won't believe in them otherwise.
As a matter of fact, I will say I know they don't exist.

I hate the whole wishy-washy nature of agnosticism.
I'm not playing that game.

@KKGator [brainyquote.com]

I'm not asking you to believe, only that there is the tiniest possibility. Reminds me of the great JBS Haldane's quote: "The universe is not only queer, but queerer than we are capable of imagining.". He was the first person to have a radio show devoted to science. He's considered the Carl Sagan of his day and will go down in the history of science even further than Carl.

@Aristopus You've asked, and my answer is NO.
I'm not going to acquiesce to even the possibility.

If there are any gods anywhere, I'm going to need to see them to
accept that they do, in fact, exist.
Unless and until that happens, I will continue to say I KNOW that they do
not exist.
I will not entertain the possibility. I think that's dumb and a waste of my time.

@KKGator Suppose I say I know a place where the laws of physics break down. An object can appear, disappear and then reappear somewhere else. This is called a singularity and they do exist: no time, no gravity, only uncertainty. This happens constantly inside the atom. I think this is what Haldane was referring to. The Big Bang is a singularity and also a black hole. Anything goes.

@Aristopus LOL
It's not god, though, is it?

@KKGator I'm with you all the way on this. I've had plenty of time to think about this subject, getting ready to turn 70.

Mom never encouraged us to join any religion. She let us decide for ourselves. I first began to lean away for Christian religions at 15. I read the bible twice only found violence, hatred and false declarations of love and hope.

Looked into other Christian religions for a few more years then onto Wiccan, Pagan before I realized that there was no God or goddesses.

I am a physics/chemistry believer.

@KKGator I was just making the point that in science it's not good to think in terms of 100% certainly. Always leave the door open a little bit. In Saving Gaia I make the point that even Sir Isaac Newton, who brought on the Age of Reason, was dead wrong. He was very religious having been educated in Trinity College in the 1640s and depicted the universe as being very orderly and guided by God. The concept fucked up humanity in that it led to extreme religiosity and religious wars. Just last week, eight young suicide bombers in Sri Lanka, gave up their lives. They were so sure of Allah.

But the universe is anything but orderly. Galaxies collide, meteors and asteroids bang into each other constantly. If you don't believe me, go outside some clear night and look at the pot marks, craters, on the moon. Our pale blue dot even took a lot of shots.

[amazon.com]

@Aristopus You've made a whole bunch of assumptions. I said nothing about believing in science with 100% certainty.
I said I will not ever believe in the existence of gods without proof.
You brought up science and the universe. Not me.
I don't have to "allow" for anything in that respect. I KNOW there are no gods.

@KKGator To claim that you absolutely know what you cannot possibly know makes you as bad as the theist who claims the same absolute knowledge that God exists. You have become what you hate.

@Heraclitus Horseshit.
There is absolutely NO evidence that proves the existence of any gods. It's stupid to continue to say "maybe".
Show me evidence that there are gods, and I'll change my mind.
Otherwise, it's perfectly reasonable for me to say that I KNOW there are no gods.

@KKGator Neither is there any evidence that proves the non-existence of god/gods. Hence one cannot know that god does not exist, one can only not believe it for lack of proof. Hence the agnostic atheist.

@Heraclitus That "argument" is such a total cop-out.
I don't accept it, and I won't be subjected to it.
You can do whatever the hell you please. Just don't try to drag me into that nonsense.
I'm fine with my position. You know, since there are NO gods.
If there were, those assholes would have made themselves known by now.
Their egos wouldn't permit them to keep themselves a secret.

@KKGator BS. The egotistical claim of absolute knowledge is an arrogant cop-out. It is insincere, I don't accept it, and I won't be dragged into it or be subjected to it. You have become what you hate.