I hope that it's a good distraction, and if it's a difficulty, may it pass easily.

Peace.

NYC_SKP

Best of wishes to you Darkstar!

I think the AA forum has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to brilliant people who are more than qualified to be hosts!

Julie

Only those who can clearly articulate the difference between atheism and agnosticism should be eligible. You expect both honest ignorance and venal misrepresentation on R/T let alone the general boards, but nobody here sgould be confused.

Oh and edited to add my wishes for good luck to Darkstar in other endeavors. My hopes and prayers go with you.

It is my (oh so simple) understanding that agnostics are undecided on whether or not there is a god, atheists are decided that there is not. Am I correct in this understanding or am I missing something?

Julie--who agrees that we definitely need to be careful with choosing hosts

Atheism = without theism = lacking belief in gods

A subset of atheists are decided that gods are impossible yes. But these are strong or explicit atheists in philosophical terms. Weak or implicit atheists - the majority - simply say "we don't believe you; prove it" to claims of gods. Absence of belief does not mean belief in absence.

Agnosticism - a word coined in 1869 = "without gnosis" = mystically revealed subjective certainty cannot reveal the truth. Agnosticism is about knowledge, not belief. Belief is a binary position. You either believe or you don't, like symmetry vs, asymmetry.How and if we can know for sure is a separate question. I, with nary a hint of MPD, am a 100% atheist (implicit) and a 100% agnostic, with no conflict.

The usages you describe are very common indeed. Partly because religious people who know better want to make atheism as "faith based" as their own beliefs so they can argue against it morte effectively, and partly because many people genuinely and innocently do not know the distinction.

I have to admit, I haven't really thought much about these parts of it, the variations among the different schools of thought. I arrived at the point where I do not believe in anything supernatural. No gods, no magic, no ghosts or spirits, certainly no after-life~~none of it. Since arriving at this point I considered myself an atheist and that was that.


Julie--who likes to keep things simple

Government says so. And it works out so well for them.

I fear that I am not far behind.

I'm stepping back my time on DU, not leaving permanently. Trotsky clearly identified the major reason, but really it's a combination of that and my patience wearing thin in general. I have to work directly every day with a douche so epic you have to pronounce it "do-shay" just to get across to people an idea of the level he has reached. If this man were my own brother I would have cut him out of my life already just to preserve my sanity, but since we work together I have no such luxury...

what make this guy such an epic do-shay?

Suffice it to say that he is incompetent on every level, from the highly technical aspects of our work to the basics of being a human being, scared witless that his incompetence will be found out by management, and frequently belligerent because of that.

Ignorant and proud of it...lacking heartily in communication skills, empathy, and tact...shows antipathy toward the rest of the team and the idea of incorporating himself with us...hell, he's the real-life version of a certain RT poster we've both clashed with, if that poster were a Texas-raised conservative protestant.

I've been watching the new BBC show "Sherlock", and I heard a quote on there that is so applicable to my current "relationship" with this co-worker that I just have to post it..."I hear 'punch me in the face' every time you speak, but it's usually subtext."

I had to demand that management separate us because this guy drained the life out of my work (and frequently took credit for my work...or blamed me if he screwed up!)

He has been there for a year and STILL tells management that I don't help him learn (I was his trainer) and that he needs all kinds of weird stuff to be able to "make it". He feels like he's in competition with me all the time and tries to make everyone think that he's better than me.

It got to the point that I couldn't stand working with him and, since I have seniority, told management that he was on his own. If he fails, it's not my problem (or my fault).

I'm so sorry you are going through the same thing. It sucks on a level that cannot be explained until someone is in that situation!

or third, I guess.

or, indeed, Fourth-ed

And I'm not being sarcastic (for once). I consider it a huge honor to be nominated as a host of this great group.

Unfortunately I can't do it. I don't have the time it would take to do justice to the job.

Thanks again for the nomination, though. It made my week.

(BTW, I'm a him.)

darkstar4. I hear darkstar4 has some really cool features and 24-hour technical support.

Project Darkstar. It's a secret, silly!

Or, at least, that's how I wrote it.