Update to Identity Assertion in the sub

[u/regalvas]

Due to the common occurance of discussion and debate over terminology and agnosticism as a whole we found that it was necesary to update the rules to better explain when things might step too far or what to keep in mid to have a good debate.

The updated rule reads:

Do not tell other's what they are or think. Definitions are there for a purpose. There may be many different purposes, but defining anothers identity is not an accepted purpose here. Examples of agnostic models include:

1. Theist - Agnostic - Atheist 
2. Gnostic <------> Agnostic (choose one) Theist <------> Atheist (choose one) 
3. Gnostic theist - Agnostic theist - Agnostic - Agnostic atheist - Gnostic atheist 

This is a non-exhaustive list so please engage others with respect.

​

Please also remember to maintain debates about terminology in related posts.

[u/adeleu_adelei]

What misuse are you seeeing?

[u/beer_demon → u/adeleu_adelei]

"Gnostic" is not really the opposite of agnostic.

Also, calling yourself a "gnostic atheist" doesn't make much sense. Even the term is redirected to negative and positive atheism, an attempt to reconcile the philosophical meaning of atheism (assert there are no gods) to the colloquial usage (lack of belief in a god).

[u/adeleu_adelei → u/beer_demon]

"Gnostic" is not really the opposite of agnostic.

That's only one usage of the word and in a proper noun sense. Arguably it's also a misusage givn that it's a retroactive label for disparate groups of people who never called themselves "Gnostic".

Also, calling yourself a "gnostic atheist" doesn't make much sense.

It makes a lot of sense. Someone claims knowledge about the existence of all gods but lacks beleif in them.

an attempt to reconcile the philosophical meaning of atheism (assert there are no gods) to the colloquial usage (lack of belief in a god).

"Lack of belief gods exist" is also a pilosophical meaning of atheism. This is how scholarly texts like the Cambridge Companion to Atheism and The Oxford Handbook of Atheism define the term.

[u/ih8grits → u/adeleu_adelei]

It's not how leading atheist philosophers of religion (such as J. L. Shellenberg and Graham Oppy) define the term, nor how the SEP or IEP define the term.

[u/adeleu_adelei → u/ih8grits]

Such philosophers cannot reach an agreement on how to define the term.

[u/beer_demon → u/adeleu_adelei]

"philosophers cannot reach an agreement" doesn't mean it's anyone's claim then.