I tend to prefer the older term "diary" over the newer term "post." Sometimes it's nice to jot something down, as one might do in a handwritten diary, just to make a record of an interesting fact one comes across.
Today I'm interested to see that scientist Richard Dawkins, often called the most famous atheist in the world, recently said in a public and very civil debate with the Archbishop of Canterbury that he regards himself as an agnostic, not an atheist:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/...
In particular, he said he couldn't be completely sure that God does not exist, even though he feels "6.9 out of 7" certain on that.
I'm pleased to see this intellectual honesty from Dawkins, which is not shared by some of the other so-called "new atheists."
My own position, for many years, is that it is intellectually respectable to be an agnostic, but not to insist on an absolutist atheism. The latter position is irrational and just as dogmatic as any expression of faith.
I don't mean to spark any arguments here and I'm not attacking anybody. I'm just recording my delight to see Dawkins be so honest about this. It makes me want to read his books.
I'm very busy today and probably won't have much time, if any, to reply to comments this afternoon.
Update: Some commenters have pointed out that Dawkins has said similar things before. I don't dispute that. I should have pointed that out in this short diary.
Thanks to all who have contributed here. For what it's worth, I think the discussion here helped me understand this issue more deeply.