Is that you're taking his comment too far. I might be wrong, but it seems that Tim (and people like him) are saying that, first and foremost, they do not believe there is a God of any sort (atheism). Conversationally conceding that one can't know everything is NOT agnosticism - it's much closer to me as a Christian saying that I believe A, but I'm willing to review and potentially accept B if reasonable enough new information should ever appear. Would you try to claim that means I am not currently a Christian? We think we're right, but you know we cannot know that we're 100% correct any more than an Atheist can.
You're describing a situation in which (to qualify as Atheist) any person MUST state that any/all new information is irrelevant - that God does not exist, no matter what. How many real people are willing to be so smug in their statements? Since you seem to know so many more interesting people than I do, I'm sure you'll know some who perfectly fit that description, but as I've tried to point out previously, you have to leave room in definitions for real people. I think the burden is on you to call your definition something more like "fringe, fundamentalist atheism."
You're describing a situation in which (to qualify as Atheist) any person MUST state that any/all new information is irrelevant - that God does not exist, no matter what. How many real people are willing to be so smug in their statements? Since you seem to know so many more interesting people than I do, I'm sure you'll know some who perfectly fit that description, but as I've tried to point out previously, you have to leave room in definitions for real people. I think the burden is on you to call your definition something more like "fringe, fundamentalist atheism."
Do you know the best way to anger an atheist?
- 28/02/2012 07:10:57 PM
2038 Views
Or, you could baptize one of them, posthumously.
- 28/02/2012 07:32:48 PM
1365 Views
I can't think of any reason for an atheist to be annoyed by that.
- 28/02/2012 11:08:44 PM
1105 Views
Well, for starters, it's really effing rude.
- 28/02/2012 11:31:36 PM
1166 Views
It is an act of love.
- 29/02/2012 12:34:03 AM
1160 Views
Everyone does it for that reason? (edits for clarity)
- 29/02/2012 10:27:02 AM
1052 Views
I have some disturbing news for you...
- 29/02/2012 06:42:41 PM
1092 Views
For anyone reading this: the guy above is wrong, and I am admitting that to you on his behalf, so
- 29/02/2012 07:15:38 PM
1128 Views
Maybe without realizing it, you have articulated....
- 29/02/2012 07:24:13 PM
957 Views
I actually find that conversation quite interesting.
- 29/02/2012 08:18:35 PM
1071 Views
Re: I actually find that conversation quite interesting.
- 29/02/2012 09:07:06 PM
1133 Views
I cannot possibly agree more with these two paragraphs of yours...
- 29/02/2012 09:28:09 PM
1106 Views
I find the Fall perhaps the most interesting part.
- 02/03/2012 09:05:29 AM
1522 Views
Re: I find the Fall perhaps the most interesting part.
- 02/03/2012 06:26:06 PM
1293 Views
There are 3 critical distinctions: 1) Ability to sin, 2) Awareness of sin and 3) Appreciation of sin
- 05/03/2012 04:08:36 AM
1052 Views
It is not an act of love to defy the beliefs of a loved one.
- 29/02/2012 02:32:45 PM
1200 Views
Rape? That is ridiculous.
- 29/02/2012 05:26:13 PM
1118 Views
It's a bit of hyperbole, but not too far from it, imo
- 29/02/2012 05:45:39 PM
1134 Views
"Spiritual rape" might be going a bit far, but otherwise that sounds about right.
- 02/03/2012 08:06:48 AM
1189 Views
Isn't religion different than faith, though?
- 28/02/2012 07:44:07 PM
1153 Views
Yeah that's pretty much what I said 
- 28/02/2012 08:21:56 PM
953 Views
- 28/02/2012 08:21:56 PM
953 Views
that won't work on Buddists
- 28/02/2012 09:21:48 PM
1097 Views
For some reason I always imagine Buddhists as the monk class on RPG games... *NM*
- 28/02/2012 10:13:27 PM
538 Views
That's always been my view of the issue. Half-assed non-religious types are just as obnoxious too.
- 28/02/2012 10:34:12 PM
1326 Views
Seems a got both a pat on the back and a scathing rebuke. I call that a good day
- 28/02/2012 11:57:45 PM
1381 Views
Best way to anger an atheist, by declaring all atheists are the same. *NM*
- 28/02/2012 10:38:51 PM
683 Views
Common error number 1: "Atheism isn't a lack of belief, but rather a belief that God doesn't exist."
- 28/02/2012 11:18:23 PM
1264 Views
Curiously, anger at statements of simple obvious facts is a hallmark of religious fundamentalism. 
- 29/02/2012 10:27:29 AM
1202 Views
- 29/02/2012 10:27:29 AM
1202 Views
What you're doing there is defining "atheist" and "agnostic" in a way that suits you, but...
- 29/02/2012 11:50:27 AM
995 Views
What I am doing is using the terms as they were universally used until about the time I was born.
- 05/03/2012 01:11:21 AM
1117 Views
So what do you call this position?:
- 05/03/2012 08:43:20 AM
1072 Views
I call them both agnostic, but the former leans toward atheism while the latter has no lean.
- 05/03/2012 10:53:02 AM
1165 Views
See, there you go again, defining atheism in such a way as to make it sound ridiculous.
- 05/03/2012 11:21:17 AM
962 Views
Well, is unswerving belief a good thing, or not?
- 05/03/2012 11:57:05 AM
1182 Views
What's happening
- 05/03/2012 02:24:41 PM
1194 Views
Conversationally, DKs use of "atheism" at the start of this convo is the only practical definition.
- 07/03/2012 03:10:18 AM
1495 Views
Oh really? The guy who was doing it to annoy people?
- 07/03/2012 09:53:38 PM
1069 Views
The guy who was doing it to annoy atheists based on the terms technical and popular meaning, yes.
- 11/03/2012 04:04:36 AM
968 Views
Whatever.
- 12/03/2012 12:39:24 AM
1449 Views
*NM*
I understand that as "I completely agree."
- 13/03/2012 12:11:18 AM
1257 Views
- 13/03/2012 12:11:18 AM
1257 Views
I have known very few people who "believe" their religion from rearing and actually understand it.
- 29/02/2012 12:08:01 PM
1315 Views
I thought that was "best way to make an atheist roll his/her eyes at you"? *NM*
- 29/02/2012 11:05:21 PM
706 Views