Exhaustive, Mutually Exclusive Categories of Belief in Gods

[Wilson]

Technically I'm an agnostic atheist. But I'm really really sure that God - especially a God who has anything in common with what most Deists believe Him to be - does not exist. But I'm not quite 100% sure. More like 99.9% sure.

I believe that I got out of bed this morning. I remember doing that. But I can't be 100% certain that I did. Maybe I'm confused, or had a psychotic episode. Still, I'm really really sure that I did.

My point is that we can't be 100% sure of anything. The theory of gravitation, the theory of evolution, the theory that the Earth revolves around the sun. But we can be almost sure - damn near - but not quite 100% certain. So technically there's no such thing as being absolutely sure that there is no God, unless you disregard logic. All we can say is that we are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt.

Of course those theists who are certain that God exists are badly mistaken, since I'm really really sure that there is no God.

[Neopolitan]

It's interesting that, despite all the protestations that they have the majority position, only 33% of respondents have ticked the theist boxes.

It's also interesting that, despite frequent protestations from atheists that their position is about an absence of belief, no-one has ticked the "I neither believe that any gods exist nor believe that no gods exist" box. It's particularly interesting to me because, if the survey were phrased differently, I would be more inclined to tick that lack of belief box. I've already explained why I didn't (related to the definition of the term "believe" in this context), but I wonder what other respondents explanation is.

If the categories were something like:

• I know that god exists
• I have faith that god exists
• I have no faith either way
• I have faith that god does not exist
• I know that god does not exist

Where would most non-theist people sit? Would they be inclined to move towards the no faith statement or towards the knowledge statement? Would anyone be happy to remain at 4, with a faith that god does not exist?

For the theists here, do you see a clear delineation between "believe" and "have faith" in this context?

[Vijaydevani]

Neo, If you replace "know" with " have concluded" , I would go with the fifth option immediately. "know" some how connotes a finality of knowledge which I cannot claim. But conclusion is something I am perfectly okay with.

[Neopolitan]

neo, If you replace "know" with " have concluded" , I would go with the fifth option immediately. "know" some how connotes a finality of knowledge which I cannot claim. But conclusion is something I am perfectly okay with.

I'm not sure that we can do that and keep the symmetry. Let's see. Theists, on this scale where would you place yourselves, or would be unwilling to slot into any of the categories:

• I have concluded, on the basis of the explanatory power of the god hypothesis, that god exists
• I have faith that god exists
• I don't know and/or don't believe anything with respect to this question
• I have faith that god does not exist
• I have concluded, on the basis of the evidence available, that god does not exist

On this scale, I would also move to 5.

There's still some vagueness about "knowing", since I for one don't necessarily equate "I have concluded" with "I know", but then I don't think that anyone knows which of the things that they believe they know they know and which of the things that they believe they know they only believe. And then there are the people who don't really know what they believe and who believe that they believe something else, without knowing. Hm, I believe I know why this topic is so vague. Or at least I believe that I think I do. No, no more vagueness ... I know that I believe that I think that I believe I know.

Or do I just have faith? (/error eof, brain explodes)