Visitor wrote:Let's not split hairs, Frank...you were portraying agnosticism as the predominant belief system of the intelligent.
I was not portraying agnosticism as a "belief system" at all. It is not in any sense of the word. And that is not "hair splitting" that is simply telling things as they are.
Quote: The most intelligent people I know are deeply religious (of varying faiths.)
Great! I'm happy for you.
Almost all the intelligent people I know are agnostics. That probably says more about the people we know than about what the reality is - don't you agree?
Quote:I disliked the tone of your argument and felt it was insulting to people of faith. I do not wish to continue this conversation if it is nothing more than an exercise in semantics. And arrogant semantics at that.
Sounds to me like you don't like people calling your errors to your attention. You wrote the word "all" where I used the word "most" -- and then tried to make an argument based on your misquote. That sucks. And I don't really care if that seems like a tone you should find insulting.
Frankly, anyone who does not acknowledge their agnosticism (it seems none of us KNOWS for sure if a God exists or if gods do not exist) is playing loose with the truth. I have no idea of why you find that insulting, but instead of ranting on about how insulted you are, why not just debate the concept with me?
As for the "arrogant" element - I suspect you mistake directness with arrogance. Deal with that as you will. It is a failing in you, not in me.
Quote:I hesitated to even give you a specific example of illogical logic, because I suspected that whatever I said you would pick apart or dismiss. A person's belief system interprets their entire world. I look at the stars, at scientific order, at natural laws, and I see a higher intelligence at work. You look at the same things and see...well, I don't know what you see, but it's obviously not the same as my interpretation.
I see the same mystifying stuff you do. I cannot explain or understand much of it in any real sense of that word. And I acknowledge that I do not know the answers to the questions all those natural things raise for me. That is what agnosticism is all about.
If you want to make guesses like "It has to mean there is a God" -- go ahead and do so. But don't try to convince me that your guess is some wondrous thing that we should all hold in high esteem. Your FAITH, Visitor, is merely your insistence that your guesses about the unknown are correct -- despite the fact that they are merely guesses.
In the meantime, I sure hope your life is playing out well -- and that you are healthy and happy in this world. I certainly am -- and I have no reason to wish you anything but the very best.
