nellebelle

I'm reading The Harlot by the Side of the Road. I came across a discussion of the Gnostics. Then wondered if the word agnostic is somehow related to that.

I had thought agnostic meant that a person doesn't believe there definitely is a God, but doesn't believe there definitely isn't a God either. But my dictionary said agnostic means believing that the existence of God can't be proved.

Are there people who do believe that God's existence can be proved?

Mary Ellen

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[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/03 2:53:02 PM, nellebelle@... writes:

<< But my dictionary said agnostic means believing that the existence of God
can't be proved.

<<Are there people who do believe that God's existence can be proved? >>

Do YOU believe it can be proved?

Generally, when there's a word for something, it's because something needed a
name! <g>

Sandra

[email protected]

http://www.revivaltapes.homestead.com/midihelives.html
<A HREF="http://www.revivaltapes.homestead.com/midihelives.html">MIDI Hymns -
He Lives - Revival Tape Duplicatio…</A>

If you got to that page it will play the music for you while you read it.
We used to sing it a little faster.


He Lives

words: Alfred H. Ackley
music: Alfred H. Ackley
Background music: Joyful Noise Music

I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him, He's always near.

CHORUS
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.


In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And though my heart grows weary, I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thru all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find,
None other is so loving so good and kind.

I used to LOVE that song, and two hundred more like it.

nellebelle

Thanks for the link. My question isn't whether or not God exists. I'm curious about the meaning of the word agnostic. Guess I need to do a bit more research!

I always thought that agnostics were sort of on the fence. Don't believe in god, but don't believe that there positively ISN'T a god either. But, when I read the dictionary definition, it made me think that a person could BELIEVE in god, but could still be agnostic.

Mary Ellen
----- Original Message -----
http://www.revivaltapes.homestead.com/midihelives.html

If you got to that page it will play the music for you while you read it.
We used to sing it a little faster.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/03 1:53:20 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
nellebelle@... writes:

> I'm reading The Harlot by the Side of the Road. I came across a discussion
> of the Gnostics. Then wondered if the word agnostic is somehow related to
> that.
>
> I had thought agnostic meant that a person doesn't believe there definitely
> is a God, but doesn't believe there definitely isn't a God either. But my
> dictionary said agnostic means believing that the existence of God can't be
> proved.
>
> Are there people who do believe that God's existence can be proved?
>
> Mary Ellen
>

Hello Mary Ellen,

I have a zillion posts to read, but I saw your subject title I had to jump at
the chance to answer. If someone already has, I apologize in advance.

Gnostics - are those in search of spiritual truth via knowledge
The word Gnostic stems from the word Gnosis which is Greek in orgin, but
means Knowledge.
Gnosticism was/is a movement calling into question the truth of creation and
esoteric knowledge of spiritual truths that were held by ancient Gnostics. It
was pre-christianity and post, as it is still a movement today, just not a
well known movement. Karl Jung was a gnostic.The gamate of Gnostic arguments is
nearly as large as all other religious movements. Everything from an evil basis
to an omnipotent basis for creation.

Agnostics would be an opposition to Gnostics. In that, it is the acceptance
of the unknown or the unknowable. There is not a search for the knowledge.
Therefore, Agnostics would be considered noncommital or undogmatic. Agnosticism
would be the movement of the view that God is unknown and unknowable.

Astheist deny the existence of God. Atheism being the movement of denial of
God.

I hope that helped.

Rhonda - who followed Gnosticism for many years and still finds herself
swaying that way every now and again.


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[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/2003 3:52:57 PM Central Daylight Time,
nellebelle@... writes:

> Are there people who do believe that God's existence can be proved?
>

Sure. They're called Christians (they might be called Muslims, too, or other
names, but I'm only familiar with Christians). There's a book called
"Evidence that Demands A Verdict" and it goes through and lists all the things that
prove there's a God. It's by a famous author, but I can't remember his name
right now.

Tuck


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/17/2003 5:40:50 PM Central Daylight Time,
nellebelle@... writes:

> Don't believe in god, but don't believe that there positively ISN'T a god
> either. But, when I read the dictionary definition, it made me think that a
> person could BELIEVE in god, but could still be agnostic.
>

"gno" means to know. "a" means not. I've always thought agnostic means "not
knowing".

Tuck


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Jamye Wilson

There's a book called
"Evidence that Demands A Verdict" and it goes through and lists all the
things that
prove there's a God. It's by a famous author, but I can't remember his name
right now.

Josh McDowell. He started out an Agnostic or Athiest (can't remember which)
who set out to disprove the existence of God and wound up proving to himself
there IS one.

J

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/03 5:31:34 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
Tuckervill@... writes:

> "gno" means to know. "a" means not. I've always thought agnostic means
> "not
> knowing".
>
> Tuck
>

Yes Tuck, you are exactly right. The difference in Gnostic vs Agnostic in the
movements (ism's) is that Gnostic's are ACTIVELY searching out that knowledge
and Agnostics are NOT ACTIVELY searching out that knowledge. So Gnostic
foundation is about accepting the fact that an answer exist that one can
understand, Agnostic foundation is that is the knowledge of such an existance is not
provable and remains unknown due to the rejection of dogma.

I hope that was clear.

Rhonda


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Nancy Wooton

on 6/18/03 5:19 AM, Tuckervill@... at Tuckervill@... wrote:

>> Are there people who do believe that God's existence can be proved?
>>
>
> Sure. They're called Christians (they might be called Muslims, too, or other
> names, but I'm only familiar with Christians). There's a book called
> "Evidence that Demands A Verdict" and it goes through and lists all the things
> that
> prove there's a God. It's by a famous author, but I can't remember his name
> right now.

Josh McDowell. I used to date his assistant, Don Stewart, who authored a
similar book. C.S. Lewis wrote "God in the Dock" (dock in the British sense
of a courtroom witness stand) and "Mere Christianity."

Books of that type are categorized "Christian apologetics," in case anyone
wants to Google ;-)

Nancy
(I also had a reply to the "a"+"gnosis" = agnostic thread, but deleted it in
my attempt to curtail my habitual pangnosis -- which I just coined to mean
"know it all." ;-)

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/2003 10:27:47 AM Central Daylight Time,
ikonstitcher@... writes:

> Nancy
> (I also had a reply to the "a"+"gnosis" = agnostic thread, but deleted it in
> my attempt to curtail my habitual pangnosis -- which I just coined to mean
> "know it all." ;-)
>

You're so funny, Nancy. Where ya been?

Tuck


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[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/03 8:18:04 AM Pacific Daylight Time, jamye2@...
writes:

> Josh McDowell. He started out an Agnostic or Athiest (can't remember
> which)
> who set out to disprove the existence of God and wound up proving to himself
>
> there IS one.
>

If he started out as Agnostic, the moment he began the search, he would have
become Gnostic. If he was an Atheist, at the point when his findings began
proving such existence would have been the moment he became Gnostic. Although I
haven't read the book, by your statement that he started out wanting to
disprove the existence, he was propably an atheist.

Rhonda - chiming in again.


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Nancy Wooton

on 6/18/03 8:39 AM, Tuckervill@... at Tuckervill@... wrote:

> In a message dated 6/18/2003 10:27:47 AM Central Daylight Time,
> ikonstitcher@... writes:
>
>> Nancy
>> (I also had a reply to the "a"+"gnosis" = agnostic thread, but deleted it in
>> my attempt to curtail my habitual pangnosis -- which I just coined to mean
>> "know it all." ;-)
>>
>
> You're so funny, Nancy. Where ya been?
>
> Tuck

Pretty much right here, in my pajamas, sipping coffee <g> I'm working more
hours now, though still on the same days (Wed-Sat). I leave before Laura,
who's now on TeenSleepSchedule, wakes up; I usually see Alex crawl out of
bed and onto the couch before I leave ;-)

I just don't feel the urgent need to post replies to everything like I used
to. It's a Good Thing. ;-)

Nancy

Deborah Lewis

*** He started out an Agnostic or Athiest (can't remember which)
who set out to disprove the existence of God and wound up proving to
himself
there IS one.***

That is SO funny! Would an atheist try to disprove the existence of
God? That just cracks me up.

Deb L, easily amused.

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/03 8:27:39 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
ikonstitcher@... writes:

> my attempt to curtail my habitual pangnosis -- which I just coined to mean
> "know it all." ;-)
>

Nancy that is too cute a saying, can I steal it for my collection?

Rhonda - sometimes known as Ms. Pangnostic (usually with sarcasm in one's
voice) LMAO


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[email protected]

He started out an Agnostic or Athiest (can't remember which)
who set out to disprove the existence of God and wound up proving to
himself there IS one.

If he were an atheist, why would he set out to prove or disprove the
existence of a god?

That's silly.

~Kelly


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/03 10:19:33 AM, ddzimlew@... writes:

<< *** He started out an Agnostic or Athiest (can't remember which)
who set out to disprove the existence of God and wound up proving to
himself
there IS one.***

<<That is SO funny! Would an atheist try to disprove the existence of
God? That just cracks me up. >>

Yeah, I thought more along these lines: "What a crock."

There's a guy who writes for fundamentalists who claims to have been heavily
involved in withcraft, but it's just drama and bullshit, so he can pretend to
know what he's talking about.

There was a travelling evangelist named "Sister Cindy, The Disco Queen" who
used to go to campuses and preach and pass the hat. Her sermons were really
fascinating and the basis was that she was a disco slut and now she's saved, and
you can be too! That she was a whore and Jesus made her a virgin again and
he could do the same for you!

That motif in religious proselytization is common.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/03 10:47:17 AM, kbcdlovejo@... writes:

<< If he were an atheist, why would he set out to prove or disprove the
existence of a god? >>

If he were agnostic he wouldn't either.

Its a story to make Christians feel good.

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/03 9:47:10 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
kbcdlovejo@... writes:

> If he were an atheist, why would he set out to prove or disprove the
> existence of a god?
>
> That's silly.
>

LOL But he was more than likely trying to disprove the existence of a god for
the purposes of supporting his own argument for Atheism. Ironic how it turned
out though.

Rhonda


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Nancy Wooton

on 6/18/03 9:50 AM, SandraDodd@... at SandraDodd@... wrote:

> << If he were an atheist, why would he set out to prove or disprove the
> existence of a god? >>

Then there was the dyslexic atheist who refused to believe in the existence
of dog.

;-) Nancy

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/03 10:53:38 AM, rjhill241@... writes:

<< But he was more than likely trying to disprove the existence of a god for
the purposes of supporting his own argument for Atheism. Ironic how it turned
out though. >>

No, I seriously doubt it was irony.
I think it was rhetoric. I think he described what he used to believe to
increase the contrast for his Christian audience.

Sandra

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/03 10:29:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
SandraDodd@... writes:

> No, I seriously doubt it was irony.
> I think it was rhetoric. I think he described what he used to believe to
> increase the contrast for his Christian audience.
>
> Sandra
>

Yes, very good possibility, but since I haven't read the book and admittedly
probably won't, I guess I'll never really know. I recently turned down the
offer to read something called "A Case for Christ", basically for the reasons
named above.

Rhonda


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[email protected]

"If he were an atheist, why would he set out to prove or disprove the
existence of a god?"

Maybe he was an Atheist simply because that's what he'd been raised around and it wasn't a belief he had because of his own research and thought.
Perhaps he just accepted a belief without questioning it, and when he finally started questioning and wanted to prove something, he came up with answers that pointed to a different path for him.

MOST atheists I know came to that belief through much searching and thought on the matter. Maybe he hadn't though.
Just as many, many Christians accept what they are taught, I suppose there are families that don't believe in God where they don't talk about it. If there isn't dialogue and deep thought going on around a child, they sometimes simply accept it.

And maybe he just didn't have a belief system and when he searched, God made more sense to him than a universe without a God? Who knows.
I haven't read the book. If it's being touted by far right fundamentalists, you can bet it's being paraded about loudly without really looking at his background.
Who knows?

I just don't see that it's any stranger for an atheist to decide there IS a supreme being than it is for a Christian to decide there isn't.

Ren

[email protected]

In a message dated 6/18/2003 5:44:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
starsuncloud@... writes:
> I just don't see that it's any stranger for an atheist to decide there IS a
> supreme being than it is for a Christian to decide there isn't.

I'll have to think about that one for a while.

But I would think it would be MUCH stranger for an atheist to "find Jesus"
than for a Christian to "lose" him.

~Kelly


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Joylyn

THought this was relevant, funny, and if you take out the god/dog part,
true.

WHERE DO PETS COME FROM?
>
> A newly discovered chapter in the Book of Genesis has provided the answer
> to "Where do pets come from?"
>
> Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us
> every day. Now we do not see you anymore. We are lonesome here and it is
> difficult for us to remember how much you love us."
>
> And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be
> with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that
> you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how
selfish or
> childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as
> you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
>
> And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. And it
> was a good animal. And God was pleased. And the new animal was pleased to
> be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.
>
> And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom
> and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
>
> And God said, "No problem. Because I have created this new animal to be a
> reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own
> name, and you will call him DOG."
>
> And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved
> them. And they were comforted. And God was pleased. And dog was content
> and wagged his tail.
>
> After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said,
> "Lord, Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen
> like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has
> indeed taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."
>
> And God said, "No problem! I will create for them a companion who will be
> with them forever and who will see them as they are. The companion will
> remind them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not
> always worthy of adoration."
>
> And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not
> obey them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were
reminded
> that they were not the supreme beings.
>
> And Adam and Eve learned humility.
>
> And they were greatly improved.
>
> And God was pleased.
>
> And Dog was happy.
>
> And Cat didn't care one way or the other.



starsuncloud@... wrote:

>
> "If he were an atheist, why would he set out to prove or disprove the
> existence of a god?"
>
> Maybe he was an Atheist simply because that's what he'd been raised
> around and it wasn't a belief he had because of his own research and
> thought.
> Perhaps he just accepted a belief without questioning it, and when he
> finally started questioning and wanted to prove something, he came up
> with answers that pointed to a different path for him.
>
> MOST atheists I know came to that belief through much searching and
> thought on the matter. Maybe he hadn't though.
> Just as many, many Christians accept what they are taught, I suppose
> there are families that don't believe in God where they don't talk
> about it. If there isn't dialogue and deep thought going on around a
> child, they sometimes simply accept it.
>
> And maybe he just didn't have a belief system and when he searched,
> God made more sense to him than a universe without a God? Who knows.
> I haven't read the book. If it's being touted by far right
> fundamentalists, you can bet it's being paraded about loudly without
> really looking at his background.
> Who knows?
>
> I just don't see that it's any stranger for an atheist to decide there
> IS a supreme being than it is for a Christian to decide there isn't.
>
> Ren
>
>
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Jamye Wilson

If he were an atheist, why would he set out to prove or disprove the
existence of a god?

That's silly.

~Kelly


I believe his original intent was trying to find some convincing proofs to
disprove the existence of God to *others*, not himself.

J

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Jamye Wilson

In a message dated 6/18/03 10:53:38 AM, rjhill241@... writes:

<< But he was more than likely trying to disprove the existence of a god
for
the purposes of supporting his own argument for Atheism. Ironic how it
turned
out though. >>

No, I seriously doubt it was irony.
I think it was rhetoric. I think he described what he used to believe to
increase the contrast for his Christian audience.

Sandra


But then again it's easy to be cynical about someone else's life changing
experience. Can't possibly be real or sincere, must have always have a
hidden agenda.

J, who is proselityzin' away in Asia

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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Rebecca DeLong

Deborah Lewis <ddzimlew@...> wrote:
<<<*** He started out an Agnostic or Athiest (can't remember which)
who set out to disprove the existence of God and wound up proving to
himself
there IS one.***

That is SO funny! Would an atheist try to disprove the existence of
God? That just cracks me up.

Deb L, easily amused.>>>

This may have been awnsered all ready, I'm about 1000 emails behind, but I do know the awnser.

The guy was a hard core atheist, and his wife was a fudamentalist christian. He actually set out to prove HER wrong. But, during his search to prove his wife and her faith wrong, he found god.

One of our familys close friends loves this book, and uses it all the time to try and convert Jason and me.

Rebecca, off to wade through a weeks worth of messages...





*~*Leave the crowd, look within, and let your dreams soar*~*

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