| 4/13/2008 4:12:35 PM | Birth of Agnosticism | | skunkbreath
Saint James, MO
age: 89
| Is this so difficult to understand?
- Thomas Henry Huxley, "Agnosticism"
When I reached intellectual maturity and began to ask myself whether I was an atheist, a
theist, or a pantheist; a materialist or an idealist; a Christian or a freethinker; I found
that the more I learned and reflected, the less ready was the answer; until, at last I came
to the conclusion that I was neither art nor part with any of these denominations, except
the last.
The one thing in which most of these good people were agreed was the one thing in which I
differed from them. They were quite sure they had attained a certain "gnosis" - had, more
or less successfully, solved the problem of existence; while I was quite sure I had not, and
had a pretty strong conviction that the problem was insoluble...So I took thought, and
invented what I conceived to be the appropriate title of "agnostic." It came into my head as
a suggestively antithetic to the "Gnostic" of church history, who professed to know so much
about the very things of which I was ignorant... - Thomas Henry Huxley, Agnosticism
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| 4/13/2008 6:03:25 PM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
wandaful
Petty Harbour, NL
age: 43
| Hmmm... I dunno... 
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| 4/13/2008 6:09:32 PM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
skunkbreath
Saint James, MO
age: 89
|  ..VVandaful..
Are you dogmatic in that position?...
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| 4/14/2008 3:54:35 AM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
burnkitty
Fayetteville, AR
age: 33 online now!
| It is a good quote and I understood it quite well, but it is written in a way that some people may dismiss it over sheer confusion. Instead, his statement must be broken down into the language of the average Joe and some of the terms defined. Adjusting the quote can make it a more pleasant reading experience for all.
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| 4/14/2008 6:32:42 AM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
jrbogie
Red Bluff, CA
age: 59
| Ah, another that doesn't know what an agnostic is. Jeez.
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| 4/14/2008 7:27:11 AM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
skunkbreath
Saint James, MO
age: 89
| jr, do you mean, huxley, who penned the term?... 
I have seen people "stretch" the definition to absurdity...
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| 4/14/2008 7:48:00 AM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
wandaful
Petty Harbour, NL
age: 43
| Are you dogmatic in that position?...
Yes, yes Skunk... willing to fight wars over it...
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| 4/14/2008 8:36:49 AM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
skunkbreath
Saint James, MO
age: 89
| ok!!!..but before i go to war i need to know the weapons which i will come up against!!
just how big is your "I don't know"???......
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| 4/14/2008 12:27:24 PM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
wandaful
Petty Harbour, NL
age: 43
| Hmmm... the weapons eh?
Let me see... there'd be a large portion of indecision, and... and...???
Hey! doesn't this give you an unfair advantage?
(All you really need to understand is "I am woman" and therefore... you are wrong... )
Now shuffle on up to the bar big fella and I'll pour ya a cold one...
[Edited 4/14/2008 12:28:42 PM]
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| 4/14/2008 4:14:12 PM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
skunkbreath
Saint James, MO
age: 89
| ahhhh, almost gained an advantage!!!!...
burn, yes the language was a bit different then!,,,i wanted to post as literal correct quote as possible...most of the time that quote is truncated...
the term, agnostic has evolved somewhat....i'll accept anything having to do with not knowing...
I had a preacher once indoctrinating me into their cult...the first step was to accept the bible as true and the word of god....i could not , in good conscience, do that, so he said that i couldn't study with him....i later found out that he was not the only a** in the c of c.
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| 4/14/2008 5:04:19 PM | Birth of Agnosticism | |
skunkbreath
Saint James, MO
age: 89
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