I am truly an agnostic and I am truly an atheist.

I am an atheist because I absolutely do not believe there is any type of god/consciousness that is responsible for creating the universe (or universes) at all--period.

I am truly an agnostic because I accept that I do not have all of the knowledge of the universe and it simply cannot be known whether some type of god being exists or not (not in any scientific way). And, agnosticism is a claim about knowledge.

Science shows that there is no evidence for any gods and that the universe behaves just as it would without one; so, I see no reason to believe that one exists. I just cannot claim to "know" that none exist--even though every fiber of my being says there are no gods.

IF that is the case - a god who set things up and then is totally uninvolved - who cares? That's completely irrelevant. It's no different, in effect, of coming to the conclusion of atheism. Might as well stick with that.

I am an agnostic atheist. I don't know with certainty that there isn't some form of deity, but the fact that there is no proof makes more sense if there are no gods. Now the strongest argument theist can come up with is that nothing can exist without a creator. That argument however is problematic because by that logic without a creator, god could not exist.

This was the view of many of the Founders. The question, though, has to be: if a god set up the universe by natural law, what set up that god? Where did god come from?

I did years of research, and read widely, including all the literature that Christians thought would take me back to my religious roots. I never found a single argument that convinced me that the Bible is trustworty, nor that gods exist, nor that any church is true. Because of what I deem to be a complete lack of evidence for theism, I am an atheist. Most recently, a JW tried to convince me that their religion was true. I read all the literature he gave me, and I pointed out the logical fallacies in it. I demanded good evidence, and he was not able to provide any. My conclusion is that religion is a scam (they ALWAYS ask for money) based on mythology.

I acknowledge the possibility (not probability) that I have missed some valid evidence, but until I see it, I remain an atheist. This acknowledgment does not make me agnostic. According to my present state of knowledge, all the evidence points toward atheism.

Sorry but that is not a theory, it is barely a hypothesis.
It is by the very nature of its wording untestable, pointless and without relevance. Even if you could produce some evidence of such a being it would not by any tradition sense be a god and it's position in reality would make it as irrelevant as a deity that did not exist at all.
What is the point of such a belief, I don't even see how it could work as a comforter?

And so, where did it come from. Ad infinitum, ad nauseam, a men,...

I was indoctrinated into Christianity as a child, and trained to see God where he wasn't. When you grow up with that kind of thinking all around you, god seems real. It wasn't til I got serious about learning all I could about god that I started seeing that he wasn't there. The more I read about the history and facts about my religion the less real it seemed.
I finally started looking for real evidence that god existed at all, and couldn't find any. That's when I realized I was an atheist. I'm agnostic as far as knowing 100 percent that there isn't a god hiding somewhere on the other side of the universe, but since I don't believe there is, I just keep it simple and call myself an atheist.

For many years I have continually liked to use that I am a philosophical agnostic yet practical atheist.

Fine to be agnostic, but I wonder why you bother with the deist angle. That's still a leap of faith.

I often say that there are a lot of closet theists on this site, and the answers here are proof.

Many are tired of organized religion so there's some comfort here, but clearly indoctrination runs deep.

So, pragmatically, there is no difference from your belief and that of an atheist. Since your deity is not involved, they may as well not exist, right?

I'm probably the most ignorant on here when it comes to these terms. I've called myself an atheist for years, but more and more people I meet tell me I don't seem like an atheist, and that I'm actually an agnostic.

Basically, I don't believe in God or ghosts or faeries, but I'm also open to those things actually existing. But, I also don't care either way what's true or not.

Hey, not being derisive, etc, here, BUT try waking up and smelling the roses for a change.
There never has been, never will be a Great Big Sky Daddy, it IS all just stories collected from the imaginations of those who couldn't quite manage to fathom out how everything was around them.
In human history there have been at least 500 million + Gods and Goddesses, including Yahweh/Allah/Jehovah, etc, call Sky Daddy what you will and NONE of the ever really existed.
Reality IS the only TRUTH and the ONLY thing that has existed and wil continue to exist long after we all dead, buried and rotted away.

OK, but you stated that IF a God exists, making your agnostic deist belief conditional. That implies that you also believe that God may not exist at all. True? If so, it sounds more like you are an agnostic with reservations that give you a deist leaning, rather than an actual deist.

I know it’s only your theory...you already say so, but on what do you base it? Is it that you cannot accept the possibility that there is no god who set anything up and so have had to invent an absentee god. You then go on to talk about natural scientific laws which you believe he set up, this is no different from the rationale of many religious people who struggle to believe in evolution because they are conflicted when they see the reasoning and logic in the science, but they cannot loosen their grip on the need to believe in a creator ...so they come up with these half in and half out belief systems. I think you are a pretty confused guy, and it’s really religion you don’t like, but you still believe in god. I don’t think you are in any way describing agnosticism when you describe your beliefs, more likely that you are an unaffiliated believer.

I am leaning towards atheism but what you say is a definite possibility and more probable I think than the all-knowing forever-observing-and-judging omnipotent omnipresent God of Christianity, Islam etc. Everything is connected to everything else and perhaps there is some sort of super-conciousness but just as we are not aware of every atom, molecule, cell in our bodies, so too it seems unlikely that, if such a superconciousness does exist, it is aware of what you or I had for breakfast last Tuesday! There is also the possibility that, if some entity did create the universe or instigate the big bang, then that said entity is no longer around... I say if the theists can say God has always existed then I can say life has always existed therefore negating the necessity for God to create it in the first place... life in some form or another! ... forever changing, evolving...

Hey, Veggieman!

I consider myself to be an agnostic for one reason: Just as no believer cannot prove that god exists, no atheist can prove conclusively that god does not exist. The only reasonable claim then, is that one is an agnostic (doesn't know if god exist).

However... Like others here, I also identifiy as an atheist. Since I have no reason to, I don't believe that god exists. that makes me an atheist.

Did god just set things in motion and walk away (so to speak)? If god does exist, especially the omnipotent, omniscient, loving God of the Bible, then he is evil beyond measure. If a human did what God is said to do and/or allow, that person would be universally despised and hopefully imprisoned for life. I mean, letting babies suffer horribly before they finally die of cancer? Making creatures in a way that they can only survive brutally tearing other creatures apart while they're still alive? Killing innocent people for no reason, or for malicious reasons as recorded in the Bible?

Nope. That kind of god is not one I believe in, let alone worship. So call me an agnostic atheist, I guess. I do hope such a god does not exist, that things came about as a product of impartial, uncaring natural processes. I sometimes say to my theist friends, "If God does exist, Her name is Nature."

I see your view ; yet go a step further- mainly because there
are too many "strings attached" to the view of God in the
background. If a diety is involved , then we are not free/
cannot effect some changes/ there is a score card- and
a follow up (after life). The decision of crucial
aspects of human exsistance would be out of our hands.
Thanks.

Why is it a "he" in your theory. Could just as well be a "she". Think on that for a bit. I like your screen name!

Why do you think this?

I would not put a label on this creator who may not have been immortal and possibly has not existed for who knows how long .I am open minded and believe anything is possible .

I prefer to label myself agnostic because I believe God is not definable by the limited human experience. This does not eliminate the possibility of a God, but does cause me to be highly skeptical of any human concept of God. As I see it, the con epts of God within human religions are pretty much projections of human architypes with magical qualities.

I realized at some point that I may also meet the definition of being an atheist. I have no particular belief in a God, and I reject all the Gods I am aware of.

As I am sure that there are many whom of which may have stated this. But nonetheless, I want to as well.
I, if called upon to give my stance with a name, will call for an Agnostic-Atheist.
Atheist, because I in no way believe in any supernatural, entity, or any other "mythological" beings.
I'll add the Agnostic, meaning that I can in no way prove it one way or another.
JMHO.
I'm also not one to give into the dreaded Agnostic vs Atheist debate.
I honestly don't give a rat's ass what "label" one may give them selves. All I really care is, well. Can we get along, and have a good conversation.

A good many of my short list of what I will call "friends" are believers, as well as many who are not. Some are liberals, some are conservatives. Some are,...
In the end of the day, I and my friends get along for one simple reason. We like the kind of "human beings" we are. not only towards each other, but to others as well.

I honestly "believe", and it pains me to say that word. That to really get along, people need to look past labels, and any other sort.

Again. JMHO.

If there is a god and he set things up to work by natural scientific laws then he's a cruel S.O.B. Life continues by some animals savagely tearing apart their prey or swallowing them whole! What kind of malevolent mind would create such a system of survival? Innocent children suffer horrible deaths every day. I see no reason to worship such a deity.