I do not believe gods exist…but I do not believe there are no gods.

Oh, i'm not angry, and certainly not going away. Don't you wish . . .

Actually, no, I would not wish it. I invited you early to comment because I think your opinions are valuable. I also think you are unnecessarily rude and ANGRY, but the value outweighs the pettiness.

The remark "Don't go away mad" was just me reacting to you.

Not great...probably playing to a 15 or 16 right now. Should be down to 13 to 14 in a month or so...or I am going to be an unhappy camper.

No, that was just you hoping to get a rise out of me. It's important to you to think of me as angry, rather than actually giving real thought to what i write. It's a part of your childish rhetorical style. If anyone here is petty, it's you.

I don't think so, but I've seen your act so many times, I'm use to it.

Don't let it go...it is charming in rather macabre way.

There's nothing charming about you, that's for sure. I see you continue to avoid the burden of what i've been saying. You'd rather dish out your passive-aggressive insults--it's too hard for you to actually think and respond thoughtfully. I'm sure now that you'll pull the trick you use with Joe, where, having avoided for pages and pages what he's said, you ask him to repeat it. I won't be playing that game.

I just had to...

Ah yes, you do obsessively bear grudges, don't you?

Talking to me? I don't bear grudges because if I would, you would be on ignore. I just logged on and read that post and it made me laugh. Simple as that, no deep meaning.

No, no deep meaning . . . just your persistent grudge. Putting me on ignore, though, wouldn't help. You'd miss your opportunity to sneer.

Set I have no grudge against you and if I did I would write it, so let it go!

I understand, Setanta. And I understand that you have a very low opinion of me.
Thank you for sharing that.

Yeah, I can understand that. Obviously you have had interaction with Setanta! It can be an ordeal.

I have a low opinion of your constant avoidance of any criticism. As for you personally, i don't know you, and therefore, have no opinion.

You've already "written" it.

Not really sure of what you mean by "constant avoidance of any criticism", but if saying whatever you were trying to say there makes you feel better about your surly disposition, Setanta, I am happy for you.

Set seems to think that you've stated your Agnostic position is superior to other stances. I think that might be what he's on about, either that or his farmers are playing up.

By the way I've not seen any indication that you feel your position is superior, just that it's your position.

Not sure what get Setanta into his states, Izzy. He just seems to be in a constantly disagreeable mood--which is his right.

As for the "superior" question...I have told Setanta on many occasions that the reason I have adopted agnosticism (my own particular brand of agnosticism) for my personal philosophy, is because it is, in my opinion, superior to any of the options open to me. In other words, I find it preferable to the other alternatives.

I do not get into the "I am superior to you" nonsense that Setanta wants to paint for me; I simply do not do that.

But, yes, I do think agnosticism is preferable (read that "superior") to atheism or theism...which is why I consider it my personal philosophy.

If either of those seemed superior to agnosticism, I would have adopted it.

No, it means that i, and others, have pointed the flaws in the thesis embodied in your thread title, and you won't address them. All you offer is a continual "is to/is not" argument of the type one can expect from a child. I've pointed out that you made a mistake in going from the simple agnostic position of "don't know" to the introduction of belief, and i've explained why that's a mistake, and how it's related to so many others here ripping your silly argument to shreds.

What i get in response is more attempts to get a rise out of me, and more hateful sneers about my disposition. The one thing i don't see (and what no one else here has gotten from you) is a reasonable defense of your premise. That's very likely because you realize now that it's indefensible, but are unwilling to back down from it.

For IzzythePutz: Frank has explicitly stated in the past that being agnostic is the superior position. A few months ago, i hunted down several posts in which he said exactly that. I won't be doing that again, because Frank forgets these sorts of things within weeks, if not actually days--so it's not worth the effort. Neither are you, with your constant attempts to play the contrarian.

Yes you do. That's what this is all about. That's why you're so obsessed with this topic. That's why you started this thread, so you could keep the thought alive.

Keep up the cheap shots Frank, but don't forget to tell me how much you value civility--you're slipping.