On 1/21/2014 7:53 AM, clipka wrote:
> Am 21.01.2014 08:14, schrieb Stephen:
>> On 21/01/2014 1:43 AM, clipka wrote:
>>> I'd consider myself a meta-agnostic: I /think/ I'm unable to know, but I
>>> don't know that either.
>>
>> What would you call someone who has faith that there is no god?
>
> An atheist.
>
The problem hear is the term "faith". If you mean that word in the sense 
that, "I have faith that I have sufficient information to conclude that 
there isn't one.", that is one thing, since its based on evidence. If 
its, "I just have faith there isn't one..", then, that is no more 
coherent a position than the opposite one, and it suffers from the same 
problem - its too easy to switch sides, for purely irrational reasons, 
without having any more evidence, or reason, for making the switch, than 
having chosen the original position.

>> Maybe not faith but sincerely hopes that there is not one.
>
> Sounds like a theist to me, as "sincerely hopes" to me implies that he
> suspects (and, in this case, probably fears) otherwise.
>
> Probably a promising approach if he wants to acquire some psychological
> ailment or another. Or a sign that he already has.
>
Sounds to me like someone that hasn't come to a conclusion from a solid 
stance of facts, and who is ripe for a) being convinced by some other 
fool that god is love, and forgives, them, etc., and b) getting used as 
an example by the vast legion of dishonest religion supporters as, 
"Someone who gave up the false belief of there not being a god, for the 
true belief in religion X!" Unfortunately, there are no "nice" 
non-offensive words I can think of to describe such people. Its about as 
logical a position to hold as believing in Santa Claus one year, on the 
basis of getting exactly the toy they wanted, and denying them the next, 
on the basis of not getting anything they wanted at all, while still not 
"grasping" the idea that the parents are the ones buying the presents.

-- 
Commander Vimes: "You take a bunch of people who don't seem any 
different from you and me, but when you add them all together you get 
this sort of huge raving maniac with national borders and an anthem."

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