I’ve always thought that the biggest difference between religious people and atheists is that we’re willing to just say “I don’t know”.
I don’t know if there was something before the universe, how it’ll end or if there will be something after, or if we’re in some kind of simulation, or whatever else. But I’m willing to leave it at that and I don’t feel the need to point to some deity to fill in the gaps of my knowledge.
Years ago I ordered a bunch of science books, On The Shoulders of Giants, The Selfish Gene, Not Even Wrong, The Big Bang Origins of our Universe, and some others while on a deployment in the military and when I opened my big bundle my boss “made fun of me,” by saying something along the lines of, “Y’all think you’re so smart, but you need so many books and I just need one.” Referring to his Bible.
The irony being that the more I read, the more I realize I don’t know, and the more he reads, the more certain he becomes. So yeah, “I don’t know” is my fucking motto these days because I don’t know shit.
Your definition is of an agnostic atheist. I agree with you, as I believe it’s more scientific to be agnostic. There are also gnostic atheists, who believe with certainty that there is no god. There are many of them commenting here as well. It’s an interesting discussion.
