[ellery]

Many thanks to all of you for an interesting and intelligent discussion. Andy, are you an athiest? Because atheism is no more of a logical conclusion than is theism --atheism is a wholehearted belief in the absence of God or gods. It seems to me that the only logical belief is agnosticism, i.e., I don't have enough information to know whether or not there's a god. How can the organisms in our earth's petri dish possibly know what lies beyond the laboratory?

That said, I believe...but I acknowledge that it's possible I'm wrong.

[andy_card]

Andy, are you an athiest? Because atheism is no more of a logical conclusion than is theism --atheism is a wholehearted belief in the absence of God or gods. It seems to me that the only logical belief is agnosticism, i.e., I don't have enough information to know whether or not there's a god. How can the organisms in our earth's petri dish possibly know what lies beyond the laboratory?

I am an atheist. Can I prove that God doesn't exist? No, just as you cannot prove that the Easter Bunny doesn't exist. But we don't have to. Because the existence of God is entirely unnecessary, and is fully explained by the human desire to explain what cannot be explained.

[Diamond]

It seems to me that the only logical belief is agnosticism, i.e., I don't have enough information to know whether or not there's a god.

To the extent that "I don't have enough information" is a characterization of the external world and not merely an expression of personal doubt, then it is just as much a claim of knowledge about reality as is atheism. But unless one has searched everywhere, one cannot be certain that there really is not enough information to know whether or not there's a God." Thus, the agnostic can never be certain that his self-professed ignorance and skepticism is justified.

Cordially,