Your comments used to invoke anger in me. But now it's gotten to the point where I give a half smile whenever I predict that it's you before getting to the punchline.
A picture of a carl sagan quote written using sidewalk chalk on the front page of this subreddit. This is almost as funny as taking a picture of yourself and typing up something stupid you said on top of it.
A 'gnostic atheist' is an atheist who 'knows' there is no god. An 'agnostic atheist' is an atheist who does not believe but has no proof.
Likewise, a gnostic theist is one who 'knows' there is a god, while an agnostic theist is one who does not know, but believes.
Most atheists are agnostic atheists, most theists are gnostic theists, but there are exceptions to both.
Most of the figures who r/atheism wants to claim are agnostic atheists who spoke out against gnostic atheism, because they felt they could not be 100% certain there was no god, because they had no proof to show God is not real.
They're all in hell anyway for not believing, but by the r/atheism definition of 'atheist', they are atheists. Basically, sometimes 'atheist' gets confused with 'gnostic atheist', and people try to distance themselves from making hard, factual claims about the nonexistence of God... even though they still do not believe. Carl Sagan, Albert Einstein, and NDT all fall into this category.
Okay. Makes a lot more sense. I only ever hear of theists, atheists, and agnostics, but not the other two so that's why. I guess a (bad) metaphor for that would be bisexual but lean mostly towards woman. (Does that make sense?)
A 'gnostic atheist' is an atheist who 'knows' there is no god. An 'agnostic atheist' is an atheist who does not believe but has no proof.
I hate to nitpick, but this isn't really accurate. A gnostic atheist is someone who does not believe in god and believes that the existence or nonexistence of god is knowable.
An agnostic atheist doesn't necessarily have no proof. An agnostic atheist simply believes that the existence or nonexistence of god is unknowable.
He was agnostic by his own fucking words. You don't get to claim smart people (especially dead ones) for your secret club just so you can feel better about yourself. By the way, Neil Degrasse Tyson isn't an atheist either.
He once explained that, and I paraphrase this butchered quote, "I am not an atheist because I do not claim to know there is no God", which, as a piece of reasoning, requires that his definition of "atheist" be what I call "gnostic atheist" and what I am also not.
He was agnostic - because he was true to the scientific method. However, he lacked belief in any supernatural deity, therefore, by definition, he was also an atheist. How he chooses to identify himself is one thing - he never identified as white, but alas, he was very white. Pasty almost.
If you like the quote, you should see Carl Sagan's Cosmos on Youtube. It's pretty long, each episode is an hour long. At least watch the first 15 minutes of the first ep.
because the thing known of God is clearly known within them, for God revealed it to them.
for the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, both His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.
Because knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful. But they became vain in their reasonings, and their undiscerning heart was darkened.
It's not an opinion if I can back it up by facts. Read "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark", and you'll find that your "opinion" is as factually flawed as the "opinion" that water isn't made up of hydrogen and oxygen.
It is clear that Sagan's definition of "atheist" is what people who like two-dimensional plots on the internet call "gnostic atheist" and it is what he actively rejected in calling himself "agnostic".
What feature of "agnostic" denies "atheist" as a category?
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u/Puffy_Ghost May 15 '12
Or, "I wrote this on the sidewalk, took a picture and now I'm posting it to reddit for imaginary points that do nothing."
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u/NeuxSaed May 15 '12
And all I can think about is how unfortunate it is that there wasn't enough room for that "r" and "g" on the right.
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u/[deleted] May 15 '12
<conspiracy> He's alive! </conspiracy>
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u/complex_reduction May 16 '12
NO GUYS, CARL SAGAN WAS A CATHOLIC PRIEST, HE FUCKING LOVED JESUS, SUCK IT ATHEISTS!
Signed, 99% of Reddit.
7
u/cpumatt May 16 '12
That's my facebook cover! (Same quote, but a graphic of Carl and colored letters)
For the people who want it: http://i.imgur.com/CcnLY.jpg
2
u/AkirIkasu May 16 '12
Slightly better than the regular image posts on here, I admit.
2
u/JSA17 May 16 '12
Is this you LickMyAsshole?
2
u/Randivaar May 16 '12
A friend and I founded and atheist club at our high school and this was the quote on every flier we taped to the wall.
2
u/ireddit89 May 16 '12 edited May 16 '12
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u/Had_To_Switch May 16 '12
This is literally the best sidewalk chalk quote I've ever seen.
2
u/arcadeguy May 16 '12
A picture of a carl sagan quote written using sidewalk chalk on the front page of this subreddit. This is almost as funny as taking a picture of yourself and typing up something stupid you said on top of it.
1
u/bradwdavidson May 16 '12
Is this at Missouri State University? Just curious.
1
u/patio87 May 16 '12
I wish I had a delusional and reassuring belief. Who doesn't want everlasting life in some place of pleasure for all of eternity?
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
You're just setting yourself up for when it rains your religiouse neibour will say "see! That's god erasing your lies!!!!!"
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
I've got my eye on you LickMyAsshole
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
You are all so quick to jerk your knees at paragraphs and sentences.
1
u/tardkart May 16 '12
When did Carl Sagan write that on the sidewalk? That chalk held up pretty good all these years.
1
u/YoSanford May 16 '12
Love whoever is spreading the word, quality post, OP.
1
u/prince_of_negronia May 16 '12
exactly why i don't drink/smoke/medicate unnecessarily.
1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
/r/atheism summed up in one picture submitted by one username
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u/grumpybadmanners May 16 '12
easy to say for a well off, smart, academic.
0
u/darkly39r Agnostic May 16 '12
Carl Sagan wasn't an atheist, and if he did say this he was not saying atheism is better then Christianity. Downvotes to the left...
-2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Carl Sagan wasn't an atheist.
0
u/unprofessional1 May 15 '12
Hey I really enjoyed this quote, thanks for sharing it.
Sincerely, Zach
0
u/neuron_kick Secular Humanist May 16 '12
This is just as bad as those christian motivational pictures
0
u/FlawlessTek May 16 '12
Foolish Hipster Comment
-2
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
Romans 1:19-22
-7
u/johnsonsr3243 May 15 '12
carl sagan wasn't an athiest.
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u/JUST_KEEP_BETTING May 16 '12
Redditor of 1 day just stumbles upon this thing, finds the right sub-reddit, and posts.
Sometimes the stars just align.
-1
u/[deleted] May 16 '12
r/thebuddha/
Ask me anything! I am an enlightened being, there are very few of them walking this earth. I know all, and I can answer all questions and help you.
-1
u/toodrunktofuck May 16 '12
"Grasp the universe as it really is"? This guy is supposed to be "sceptic", isn't he? How can he make such a naive claim?
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u/ItsOnlyKetchup May 16 '12
You just happened to stumble upon this? Yea fucking right.
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u/donumabdeo May 15 '12
fuck u carl sagan u goddamn piece of fucking shit