Religion
In reply to the discussion: Gnostic Agnostic.. [View all]Karadeniz
(23,713 posts)had otherworldly experiences, whether near death, out of body, via hypnosis or visitations. Thousands of people. I don't personally feel it's appropriate to know from experience (gnostic) that there is no other reality (atheism). How does that work, that one believes in the absence of something because one has never known or experienced it?For that matter, can the inexperienced know from experience that something exists? No.
But we've created a third category, faith. I have faith, despite no personal experience, that Africa exists or Antarctica or viruses because I trust the authorities....I'm so sure of my sources that, in an everyday way, I can say I know. Proof helps. Perhaps someone brought souvenirs
back from Africa, or whiskey from Scotland;proofs from the physical world are easy. For the nonphysical, much evidence is offered, but is it proof? A medical doctor was told during a near-death event, that her young son would die before a certain age. A car killed him the day before that birthday. One must evaluate the source and decide for oneself. The gnostics are few;the faithful many.
The aim of Christianity originally was to guide the way to bring gnostic. To start out, one had to have some faith. "You will know the truth from experience and the truth will set you free." The aim expressed is to know, not have faith.
Back to the picture. I don't believe in a gnostic atheist. I don't think that's rational. I would say any atheist is coming from agnosticism. I definitely accept the gnostic theist. And, if one accepts deity based on culture of family, that's agnostic theism, but they take more pride in saying they are the faithful...and they no longer seen to know from experience.
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