Kara: A two axis implies two continuous variables, but you're saying that the horizontal (atheist-theist) is discrete.
I have no idea what to call a graph where an axis only has two possible values.
The problem is that there isn't really a continuum. Atheism is the absence of faith. And you either have or don't have faith. That's why I compared it to pregnancy on the other thread. You're either pregnant or not pregnant.
But I don't see the point in arguing semantics as long as everyone understands that atheism/theism is orthogonal to agnosticism, there isn't much of an issue. My point can still be understood.
Still leaves the cult loophole, though it may eliminate the one for Confucians.
I tend to believe cults usually have more to do with theists than atheists anyway. But aliens or cult leaders do not really count as god / a higher power unless the cult believe they do have divine powers. In which case they really are theists.
You can permanently not make a decision. If you don't think that's possible, then I see where the trouble is coming from, because I do.
Shall I go out today? I won't make a decision yet. It's 2 O'clock. I'll prevaricate some more. It's 9pm. Nope still not going to make a decision. Oh! It's midnight! While you're deciding the decision is being made for you.
Faith requires a concious decision to have it. This seems to be the major issue you and I differ on.
Yes you can make a decision to leave it as an open question whether or not you will have faith, but until you actually do make that decision, you don't have faith. You can't permanently make a decision not to have faith and stay in the middle. Faith isn't analogous to Schroedinger's cat. Every second you wait is one more second the decision is being made for you.
I think you'll find that the religious actually agree with me on this point. You can't say "I can permanently not make a decision whether I'm a Christian or not." If you don't have faith in Christ, you're not a Christian. You can't both be a Christian and not be a Christian. Maybe one day you'll become one. But at this point in time, you are not one. If on top of that, if you also don't have faith in Allah, you're also not a Muslim. And so on. Until we've gone through every single religion in existence and you've said you don't have faith in that particular religion. At which point you're an atheist. Because you don't have faith. There is no middle ground.
I thought I had your graph visualized but obviously not. I think you need to draw it.
I'll attach it. Excuse the crudity. I only have MS Paint here.
...and unlike the others you named, my answer is "maybe." I haven't decided, which means that I both do and don't at exactly the same time. This is why I keep invoking fences, cats, coins, indecisiveness, etc. I cannot answer that question in a scientifically valid manner, so I don't even attempt to. Does that make more sense to you now?
See above. I can't decide = no. Maybe I will one day but at the moment, no.
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