This might clear up some misconceptions regarding categories
Then on the other hand I suspect it might start a lovely argument. 
= new reply since forum marked as read
The universe happens...therefore there must be a Creator.
This sort of "logic" has lots and lots of applications.
What we have is the perceptions of our senses which are remarkably easy to fool. Now I personally think that what we experience is a a rough approximation of a small slice of reality on one particular scale between the quark gluon stew and the galactic supercluster but it could all be part of a grand illusion, merely a figment of a literal disembodied mind. There's really no way to be completely positive, how would it feel different if it wasn't real and how do you know that?
For all I know I'm talking to myself here.
I've never used that word before.
I'm an old school atheist.
I know other atheists, agnostics, Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc.
Don't know anybody who has ever called themselves a gnostic.
Except on the internet, of course.
I'm expecting 15 gnostics to chime in right about now.
Thank you for defining me.
In fact, very few do.
And since they have absolutely nothing to base this on, they are as fragile as those that claim definitively that there is a god. Both are easy to knock down.
Thanks for supplying the exact definition of atheist that I have been giving you all day.
...my statement appears less and less fragile and harder and harder to knock down with every minute that it withstands the promised onslaught of proof.
Just sayin'...
You can't be serious.. The ultimate shunning is a pizza, they get handed out regularly around here, daily basis probably.
(I'm told the white region on the outside doesn't count, unlike most Venn diagrams that I've seen.)
It would look prettier if it were represented as spheres in 3 dimensions rather than 2 dimensions.
The more "circles" you have, the more complicated a two-dimensional representation on the Venn diagram would be.
A Venn diagram with 10 "circles" and 2^10 = 1024 regions would be a mess in 2 dimensions, but one can draw a very pretty picture of it in 9-dimensional space using perfect 8-dimensional hyper-spheres.
Here's a Venn diagram with 5 sets and 32 regions:
And another one with 6 sets and 64 regions.
Does the white region on the outside count?
goddamn color and then it's a venn diagram. Fucking hell.
Here, forget venn diagrams Try this one:
Not a Venn Diagram(TM), Euler.
In fact I've mentioned here before that I've never actually knowingly met another atheist. I've probably run into quite a few over the years but we don't have any common way of recognizing each other.. No "atheistdar" if you will.
I keep seeing this here on DU and in religious studies and philosophy of religion studies, 'gnostic' does not mean 'certain knowledge'. It means a very specific tradition of religious mysticism in the West. There are pagan and Christian schools of Gnosticism. These schools have influenced mystical societies, traditions, denominations, and occult & New Age groups for over two thousand years.
With a Masters in religious studies, it has irritated me to no end, however, I don't expect anyone here will change their usage of the word. Just nice to know I am not the only one with this issue.
because it is simply not common usage. A very small group of New Atheists on the internet are attempting to shape reality to their dogmatic view by denying the agreed upon common usage of these terms.
In the real world, these three categories are the ones that are used by everyday men and women as well as scholars and professors on the topic of religion, psychology of religion, and philosophy of religion.
Yes, it is a very intentional act. That is why it does require some push back and not an allowance of behavior simply because 'people should be able to define themselves as they want.'
We have already seen recently such threads and the confusion, irritation, and lack of genuine discussion that occurs when that happens.
I never thought about it much until I started posting here, and I think I was effectively coerced into accepting some of the definitions that were being offered.
While I have consistently objected to the idea that agnostic can only be used as a modifier, I think I fell for some other aspects of this.
Do you know where it originated?
I never quite understood why agnostics were particularly unwelcome in the so-called atheist & agnostic group on DU, but this helps me understand it.
Thanks. I feel much better educated and better armed to defend my position.
Meme's are insidious.
As progressives and open-minded people, we are want to accept others definitions of themselves, even if they are inaccurate, non-standard, against reality, etc.
Where did it originate? I saw it for the first time here on DU. Seriously! Then I saw it, after searching, on other 'skeptics' and atheist sites, blogs, and forums. It is definitely an internet fueled New Atheist meme.
I think agnostics are not welcomed because all that I have met in the real world are open to religious community, often enjoy the ritual aspects of various religious traditions, and are not hell bent on being 'against' anything. Anti-theists are the dominant voice in atheism today, sadly.
We can say it is a minority position, but it is a very, very loud one.
I am sharing more thoughts on this subject in CYD's thread in Interfaith. 
I definitely agree about the AA group.
It sadly seems to be a group more for anti-theists. There are many open-minded atheists here, quite a few agnostics, and many open-minded believers. I, as an ignostic, feel much more comfortable in the Interfaith group as well.
Are the Oscar's tonight? That shows you how out of touch with pop culture I am these days. I am working on a new Synthwave EP in my studio this afternoon.
for me to get to a movie theater these days, sadly.
Here is a pretty good description of what the genre of Synthwave or Retro New Wave is all about -
http://ffr.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Synthwave
Here is an example --
My high school, college, military & early graduate school years occurred during the 1980's. I love the style, the video games, the music, the movies, etc. It is when I came of age, I suppose.
It is one of many genres I enjoy composing in.
