Metal Reviews

That uncertainty in ourselves and mankind is just what it is like being human. We can't be sure because we question everything.

Why the need to over analyze life and death? Just live your life and know that you will one day die. Once you understand that death can come knocking any moment, life takes on a meaning of it's own.

What the fuck... all you need is any variation of the Golden Rule as a moral compass.
Live your life without intentionally fucking anybody over, and all is cool.

Very nicely put.

The attitude I tend to take is that, when I die, I'll find out how correct my religious beliefs really were. Personally, I'm sure my beliefs aren't 100% perfect. I'm sure there are some flaws in them, and at death, I'll find out how flawed they were. Nonetheless, I firmly stick with them. And they're what seem most reasonable to me at the moment (although, as a believer, I too need a certain degree of faith ).

Great discussion, guys.

I identify as an agnostic since I don't and never can know anything like that, and as such it doesn't bear thinking about.

There are many more important things that can be thought about since they can actually be resolved, such as 'is Funeral Mist a better band than Opus Nocturne-era Marduk?'

This.

Never seen the attraction in agnosticism. It's the philosophical equivalent of sticking your head under the sheets and screaming NOOO GO AWAY LEAVE ME ALONE. Or so I think, anyways. What, being an atheist means that if positive proof of a god's existence is shown means you have to go stick your fingers in your ears and go 'lalala not listening'?

Noodles, correct me if I'm wrong, but are you an agnostic? (that's how you've always struck me)

I've been spending waaaaaaaay too much time on MR today.

Nah, it's just that half the time, I don't think it's worth thinking about. Why waste time on a question you can't answer?

Welllllllllll, I don't think it's quite that simple. The technical definition of agnostic is "without knowledge." And there are varying degrees of agnosticism. There's "apatheism" (ie. Bill Maher - who's about as agnostic as you can get), meaning you not only have no opinion either way but also don't really see the issue of God's existence as important. And then there's more open-minded agnosticism where you remain completely open to the possibility of God's existence, but are ultimately skeptical about whether or not you should really commit to full-blown belief in Him (Stephen Hawking, I think, is one such fellow).

Seinfeld, from what you've said about your definition of God you strike me as a pantheist, or even a plain deist, rather than an actual Christian. Do you believe that Christ is the actual incarnation of God, and his son at the same time?

No, you cannot prove that God doesn't exist. This lack of falsifiability, however, isn't a point in favour of God's existence. You can't disprove the FSM either, or the Great Invisible Undetectable Teapot in the sky either. Doesn't mean they exist.

As for my spirituality, the only thing I know for sure exists is myself. Therefore, the highest possible value I can find is within my own existence, which I elevate to the highest spiritual terms; as with the people around me whom I care for. I find it sad that many people do not have the self-confidence to assign meaning to themselves without having to relate that to bowing to an unseen, unprovable deity.

Agnosticism is... Cowardly, I guess. Sure, technically everyone's agnostic, because you can't prove anything either way. But (sorry to bring the Russell example up again) everyone's technically agnostic about the Great Teapot in the Sky as well, it just isn't considered plausible enough to grant it respect by admitting agnosticism. Hence, everyone is a "teapot atheist". Seinfeld is an atheist in relation to Odin, Zeus and Quetzelcoatl, I just take it one god further.

Oh, man, when Quetzocoatl gets hold of you guys you're all going DOWN.

Pascal's Wager says you should make sure you sacrifice enough sheep.

Pascal's Wager in no way promotes the feasibility of a God.

I wouldn't argue that agnosticism is cowardly. It's a way of saying 'Look, I don't want to deal with this 'god' shit, I don't care if it exists or not, so bugger off.'

Refusing to believe one way or another about an improbable possibility is hardly cowardly.

as for your comment concerning all the other gods, people who are christian are atheist in the eyes of Anhur and Sekhmet, that's for goddamn sure. Says so right in the Bible.

Being an agnostic is really the only sensible position. It's not paying it lip service, it's saying that the whole thing is so irrelevant to modern life that you refuse to take one side or another.

Least that's the way I look at it.

But it's such a ridiculous proposition that declaring agnosticism awards it the dignity of possibility. You wouldn't say you were agnostic in relation to the Great Teapot In The Sky, would you? No, because it's a ridiculous idea for all the same reasons that God is. What you're describing isn't really agnosticism, but being areligious.

It's a joke.... apparently found funny by me and me alone.

I got it. I was just ruining it by turning it into an actual argument. Sorry, but NO DERAILS!

I find it hard to get motivated for another "God: Hot or Not?" argument

Someone post that Larry David 'I could worship a Jane...' clip.

This should be funny. It simply should NOT be an issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVbnciQYMiM

Then I'm areligious. Thanks for correcting my incorrect usage of the term 'agnostic.'

and it's okay rio, I thought it was funny.