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My picture is smaller than 5 MB, it's a jpeg. It's showing up in my profile but not on Y!A. What's going on? It just shows and a red X every where outside my profile page.

Just curious. There seems to be many different interpretations of the position. So I'd like to hear from those who consider themselves agnostic, to define their position.

From what I've read on various definitions of the word, it refers to a person's knowledge on whether or not gods exist or "It can't be proven gods exist, it can't be proven they do not exist". So to me pure agnostic would be totally middle of the road. Without comment on what they believe, theism or atheism. They neither believe in gods nor don't believe in gods.

BUT I've also read that agnosticism is not interchangeable with atheism or theism. You can be an agnostic theist (Knows you can't prove gods exist or don't exist, but believes one or more do) or an agnostic atheist (knows you can't prove gods exist or don't exist, but doesn't believe in any gods). This is also sometimes referred to as the "weak" or "implicit" description.

Then you have the gnostics (knows gods exist or don't exist), sometimes referred to as "strong" or "explicit".

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in my definitions. My questions to those who consider themselves "agnostic" only:

1. Do you know it can't be proven that gods exist or don't exist? (I probably already know the answer to this one).

2. Do you believe in any god/gods/higher power?

Just curious.

the Bible is against public prayer and repetitious chants:

Matthew 6:5 - 7

"5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

I'm sure we're all familiar with the infamous passage "“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” (Exodus 22:18). The one that led to millions of people being tortured and burned alive for 300 years.

So my question is; do you believe killing witches and homosexuals is moral?

If not, then why did your god command this immoral act if he is a moral being?

If you do believe it was moral or moral at the time... well... I guess that speaks volumes. But I'm assuming most of you do not believe murdering people of a different faith or sexual orientation is moral.

According to Genesis 7:20

"Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered"

The Bible claims that during the flood the waters rose so high they would cover the mountains. Mount Ararat stands 16, 945 feet (a known mountain at this time) and Mount Everest stands approximately 19, 000. So if I understand this correctly, the elevation of the flood waters was at least 17 000 feet give or take. What prevented all the animals, Noah and his family from freezing to death at this altitude?

In the debate over same-gender marriage many people have claimed that they have no problem with civil unions, it is the word marriage that they don't want used (personally I suspect that such a statement is a smokescreen, that the problem is with the relationship for many). But "separate but equal" is not equal so we need to use the same terms for all legal unions.

So I wonder, why do the churches keep doing the governments work? Maybe the solution is to make all legal unions (same-gender or mixed-gender) civil unions and reserve the term marriage for faith-based blessings of a relationship, whether the couple chooses to go through the legal step or not. Then churches can truly define marriage as their doctrine and their faith calls them to. In my picture of this clergy would not, could not, do the legal stuff. IT would be a further separation of church and state.

What do you think?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201204...

He sounds like that nut job, religious zealot serial killer from Dexter, Travis. Do you think we should get him professional help or report him to authorities before he kills innocent people?

Ok so I've asked a similar question of theists on what they thought were the reasons that former theists became atheist, here were their answers if you're interested: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=201204...

Now this question is to the Atheists who were former theists. What are some of the reasons that lead to your atheism?

If you were to hypothesis, what possible reasons do you believe causes former theists to become atheists?

Additional details: I was raised a Christian. I've attended various denominational churches; non-denomination, baptist, anglican. I was a very active member in youth goups, Bible schools and church clubs. So I personally have a moderate Christian background. I am now an Atheist.

I know most of you don't like videos and links. Boo.

I'm personally always a little perplexed as to why theists claim that I reject their god because I don't agree with their opinion that gods exist. Don't I have to believe something exists in order to reject it? I may reject *their* opinion that there is a god(s). But am I really rejecting their *god*?

Anyways I think this video covers the accusation made by theists perfectly and why so many of them dislike us (by using 101: psychology):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j8ZMMuu7MU

That the world is just AWESOME?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LQw_6LGolE

Star if you agree.

So I'm looking through brochures, trying to figure out where the best place to spend my eternity would be. Which religion offers the best afterlife, in your opinion? And why?

Threats of torture are often used as a method of conversion in these religions. At an early age some of us are taught that the choice is between eternal life or death and torment. My first experience with church was when I was 6 years old, I still remember our Sunday School sermon that day. I was told that if I didn't ask Jesus into my heart, I would be tortured eternally. You better believe in my gullibility, I immediately complied for fear of a car accident on the way home from church.

Shouldn't the love of the Christianity/Islam gods (or whatever other religion applies) be enough to convince people that it is inspired by an enlightened, benevolent entity?

What would be the state of these religions if fear was not used as a tactic of conversion? Would they be even near as popular as they are today?

They are currently displeasing me, there are two colonies and they war constantly. They invade the others colony and murder all the baby larvae. They breed with fellow soldiers and workers who are not their queen. Some ants are lazy and do no labour whilst relying on other ants to carry all the hard work.

Spiritually speaking, should I drown the lot of them and start over with new colonies?

"The evidence is clear, as in a February 2009 Gallup Poll, taken on the eve of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birthday, that reported only 39 percent of Americans say they “believe in the theory of evolution,” while a quarter say they do not believe in the theory, and another 36 percent don’t have an opinion either way.

The same poll correlated belief in evolution with educational level: 21 percent of people with a high school education or less believed in evolution. That number rose to 41 percent for people with some college attendance, 53 percent for college graduates, and 74 percent for people with a postgraduate education."

http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2012/01/24/...

But we all knew that, right?

Why are citizens in the USA the least likely to accept Evolution out of most developed countries?

The US ranks among the lowest of the developed world to accept Evolution at 40% agreeing. While many other countries rank between 70-80% acceptance. What are the key factors of these findings?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Views_%E2%80%A6

Also, within the US the top 3 religions to agree with Evolution is Buddhists, Hindu and Jewish. The least likely to agree (or bottom 3) are Evang. Protestants, Mormons and lastly Jehovah's Witnesses.

What do you make of these polls?

The US ranks among the lowest of the developed world to accept Evolution at 40% agreeing. While many other countries rank between 70-80% acceptance. What are the key factors of these findings?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Views_on_Evoluti...

Also, within the US the top 3 religions to agree with Evolution is Buddhists, Hindu and Jewish. The least likely to agree (or bottom 3) are Evang. Protestants, Mormons and lastly Jehovah's Witnesses.

What do you make of these polls?

It seems to be a common theme that some Christians believe Atheists have nothing holding them back from having a free for all and living an immoral life. So let's turn that question around... what stops Christians from leading an immoral life when in their beliefs Jesus took the burden of their sins and all they have to do is ask him for forgiveness and they will be absolved?

I personally try to strive to lead a moral life because

a) It makes the world a damn well better place to live in when we choose positive choices over negative ones and do our part to help our communities

b) Making moral choices generally has positive rewards to it, making immoral choices tends to breed negative results for me, my family, my community

c) I want to be a positive role model for my children and community

d) Heck, maybe it's a bit selfish but I feel generally more fulfilled when I make the right choice, even if it involves sacrificing myself a little.

What besides your faith/beliefs in Jesus/God makes you strive to lead a moral life?

I know ancient writers tell us that in general ancient people believed in eternal life, with the good going to the Elysian Fields and the not so good going to Hades, Vespatian's spittle healed a blind man, Apollonius of Tyana raised a girl from death, Dionysus turned water into wine, Romulus is described as the Son of God, born of a virgin, Alexander the Great, Augustus, Scipio Africanus and Dionysus are all described as the Son of God, born of a mortal.

There's a few holiday traditions in Christmas and Easter (later adopted).

Are there any I'm leaving out?

And how do Christians rationalize that much older religions than Christianity describe such supernatural occurences that are now considered to be myth?