Loosing My Religion 6: The A Words & Suggestions

Agnostic

prefix A meaning “without”

Gnostic from Greek Gnosis meaning “knowledge”

Term coined by British scientist Thomas H Huxley in 1870.

A person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience. 

A person who denies or doubts the possibility of ultimate knowledge in some area of study. 

One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God. 

One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/agnostic

Atheist

prefix A meaning “without”

Theist from Greek Theos meaning “a god”

Earliest form “atheo” “atheonism” (c.1534)

A person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings. 

One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods.

Someone who denies the existence of god 

A person who does not believe in God

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/atheist

If I’m reading the definitions of Agnostic and Atheist correctly, Atheist includes both those who say there is no god/s (denies) and those who say there may not be and it may be forever impossible to know (disbelieves).  

If that is correct there does not seem to be a point or reason for the word Agnostic.  

Agnostic sounds like either a Theist who doesn’t know what or who to believe but would like to believe in something (this is taking for granted that there aren’t Atheists wouldn’t like to believe) or an Atheist who doesn’t like what some people think the word Atheist means (afraid of other people’s possibly negative reactions). 

“Do you want a cigarette?”

“I don’t smoke.”

“You’ve glanced at that pack three times since you came in here.”

“I’m trying to quit.”

“People who are trying to quit are generally pussies who cannot commit.  Someone is either a smoker or a nonsmoker.  There’s no in-between.  The trick is to find out which one you are, and be that.  If you’re a nonsmoker, you’ll know.”

-Robin Williams and Kenneth Branagh, “Dead Again”

Basically Agnostic sounds like “people who are trying to quit” theism or “cannot commit” to disbelieving until there is proof at which time there will be no need to believe or disbelieve; there will be only fact.

Also, who would want to use a word to define a part of themselves that means “without knowledge.”?  It makes me think of Otto from “A Fish Called Wanda”; “Don’t call me stupid”.

Now, Atheist: it seems strange to define a part of oneself by a negative.  Generally, people don’t define themselves on a topic by what they are not or what they don’t believe.  For instance, there is no word that I am aware of that means “Without Republican.” 

Instead of Atheist or Agnostic why not “Comgnostic”/"Com-gnostic" (With Knowledge, silent g) or “Intragnostic”/"Intra-gnostic" (Into Knowledge, silent g)?  (I checked both at dictionary.com and got no results for either.) 

Neither of these words has the “pole up ass” feeling of Agnostic (who’s going to be on the fence  or noncommited about being with or into knowledge).  Neither has the negative context of both Atheist and Agnostic (who wants to be without knowledge/facts/proof).  

Com-gnostic does sound a bit egotistical though; almost as if one has all the proof, facts, and knowledge (wisdom of the ages) already.   Intra-gnostic has a sound of willingness to learn, ability to change with facts, open to the wonders of life, the universe, and everything.

Intragnostic

prefix Intra meaning “into”

Gnostic from Greek Gnosis meaning “knowledge”

Term coined by Tressa Lee Breen, 2008 (yeah, like it'll catch on)

1) One who, with skepticism and the tools of critical thinking, will examine theories and beliefs, and hold only to those confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold assent, yet leave open the possibility of correction, revision, adjustment, or even outright rejection upon presentation of better or conflicting evidence.    

2) One who, due to lack of evidence, denies the existence of, and does not believe in, any type(s) of god-like deities, and although is willing to accept proof should it be discovered, finds that highly unlikely. 

Hmmm.....

2008

Loose (loos), adjective, looser, loosest, adverb, verb, loosed, loosing:

free or released from fastening or attachment,

free from anything that binds or restrains; unfettered.

www.dictionary.com

The Amazing Randi Lecture

Homeopathy?  Magnet Therapy?  Dowsing?  Orbs?  Astrology?

James Randi lectures on these and related subjects for the new millennium

When: Saturday, September 29^th 7pm

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church Main St. Montpelier, VT

Cost: There is no charge to attend

---------------------------------------------

I began my three hour drive to Vermont around 11 am Saturday, September 29^th.  I was lucky to have a beautiful day and the leaves were just starting to turn their autumnal colors. 

Jeff W. put out flags to mark his drive and house (and even so, I knocked on the wrong door).  His condo is gorgeous, modern, filled with Randi paraphernalia, the Holy Grail bunny, dipping birds, hand boilers (one of which I wrapped for Jeff’s son’s upcoming birthday, using an Easter Island statue shaped tape holder) and food for carnivores and herbivores.  Jeff himself is open and inviting; a friendly gadget geek. 

I started meeting people from the forum: Mattfn (thanks for The Amazing Meeting stories/info), kittynh, nova land, John H, Rebecca (Watson, skepchick.org and skeptical rogue from Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe, who looks like my younger sister, not that Rebecca and I look alike, she looks like my sister in the ways that my sister and I don’t look alike...is anyone still following this?  Am I still following this?), Lucy, Phil (who lives only one town over from me), mumchup, etc.  It was wonderful to put faces with “written voices”.  Everyone was laid back and there was an obvious comradery built on long term posting and gatherings. 

At one point, Rebecca was on the computer in the kitchen checking the webcam pictures (the entire house, with the exception of the bathrooms I was told, was live) and in the JREF chat with Jeff W, who was on his computer upstairs.  Jeff W told me that this was common and at another party there had been about six people sitting around his living room with their laptops in the chat room.  All I can say is, “wow.” 

Jeff was in a bit of a panic as he could not get a hold of Randi (his cell was off and Jeff did not have the cell number for those chaffering Randi from the airport, the Beadys). 

All turned out well as the Beadys arrived with Randi.  I have to admit here to bordering on “geeking out.”  I was getting to meet the “Santa of Science” so to speak.   Again there was a familiarity with those who had been to lectures and meetings before.  Randi (in a dark blue suit with an incredibly vibrant orange tie) greeted everyone with either a hug or firm handshake and was doing some slight of hand tricks within two minutes. 

Group pictures were taken; thanks to Rebecca for handling my “older than her” camera and making sure I actually got in some photos.  Mr. Randi complimented me on my necklace and in a moment of “fan” bravery I asked if I could give him a hug.  He was very gracious and indulged me (a surprisingly strong hugger for someone who had very serious health issues just a little over year ago).

Rebecca carried the kitchen laptop/webcam to Randi and he and the Bad Astronomer Phil Plait got to share a few live and in color moments.                                        

Jeff W’s kids and a friend arrived and Randi had a few more tricks up his sleeve (or on his lapel as they involved his pigasus pin) for them. 

Beady and I had a nice conversation about how I found out about Randi and skepticism (thanks Penn & Teller).  He had some nice advise on authors and learning critical thinking.        

I was lucky enough to get to ride with the Beadys and Randi from Jeff W’s to the Church.  We stopped off at a cider mill (I picked up some maple syrup for Gram and a coloring book for my nephew Nathan).  Both the Beadys and Randi had great stories on their work and woo-woo.  As I was still a little awe struck (better to be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt) I decided to just listen and keep my comments to a minimum (if my friend Ken is reading this I am sure he is having hard time imagining that). 

Arrived at the Church and helped with set up.  Between 50-70 people came.  The lecture began with a short video of some clips of Randi’s past exploits (over Niagra Falls in a straight jacket, the Carson Show, with Penn & Teller, etc).  Mr. Randi himself was engaging, smooth, relaxed, funny, educational and entertaining.  He had one liners for those audience incidents (at one point a woman stepped out to the bathroom and as she left the hall through the door near the stage Randi glanced her way and said “It gets better”), tricks and sleight of hand to accent points and debunk psychic abilities, and handled questions from the audience with grace and patience.

There were two moments that gave a few people hesitation.  Twice, instead of using the stairs, Mr. Randi jumped down from the small stage (“At 79 I shouldn’t be doing that; actually at 78 I shouldn’t have been doing that either”).  I think everyone who knew of Randi’s recent health issues almost had to call for oxygen themselves at those moments.   

After the lecture, about fifteen of us went to a local restaurant just a few doors down from the Church (The New England Culinary Institute Bar & Grille I believe).  We had a small but elegant room filled with wine reserved.  It was a nice group conversation, with everyone discussing magic and magicians they have seen/known and Randi doing a couple of tricks (one of which, as I was only about two feet from him, left me thinking 1) after watching Penn & Teller for almost a year I should know that, no matter if the magician is getting naked, never, never take your eyes off their hands, and 2) “Oh my goodness, I am so stupid.  How do I have enough brain power to remember to breath?”). 

Upon completion of the delightful dinner, I said goodbye to the super Beadys and Randi, who was kind enough to indulge me in another hug (one of my friends said that if I went to The Amazing Meeting I would be like a crack addict with $20,000 in on a street corner in downtown Detroit: Penn & Teller, Randi, the rest of the Skeptic Rogues from The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe podcast, Phil Plait, etc; I’d just be a mumbling mess and I said, no, I’d just be a hug harlot).  I rode back to Jeff W’s with the terrific hamradioguy.  The party was very reminiscent of community theatre cast parties, with its own special flavor of course: video games involving sewer marauding bunnies (which Rebecca annihilated: it must be a vegetarian thing), two lovely voiced sisters, Rebecca on guitar, amazingly carved pumpkin of jack o lantern Randi (and one of the Boston Red Sox) and presumably hot tub antics (of which I remain agnostic).

Hamradioguy was generous enough to allow me the use of his guest room for the night.  Unfortunately he got an emergency call soon after arriving back at his house (ah, the life of a volunteer firefighter; no good deed goes unpunished...or maybe it’s no rest for the wicked...things that make you go hmmm....;-).  In the morning, I had a wonderful breakfast with hamradioguy, a friend of his and his friend’s daughter (who has the same name as my great grandmother who lived in Morrisville, I wonder if it’s a Vermont name).  Hamradioguy also snagged me a flyer for the Randi event.  After getting a picture of the famous ladder truck, I was on my way home (lucky enough again to have a beautiful day for the ride).

I had the pictures developed immediately of course.  My thanks to whomever grabbed my camera and got a shot of my hugging Randi.  Beady: I understand why your friend held your hands to your side at the wedding you told me about.  I have the pictures in a collage frame (and have doubles to hang at work).  The flyer is also framed (perhaps someday I will see Randi again and ask him to autograph it).     

This was a great ending to my birthday week off.  I’ve met some splendid people, with whom I hope to share more good times in the future, and gotten to meet a new hero of mine (it’s a happiness when our geniuses are also nice people). 

Arsenic & Old Lady Teatime 1/3

I live with my Grandmother in the house I grew up in (fourteen rooms). My younger sister is here with us as well, sort of, she sleeps here, runs up the electric bill, the phone bill, etc. 

My grandmother wanted the sills around the windows and doors outside on the first floor porch to be painted. The porches doesn't go all the way around the house so the windows in back never get painted any more (everyone is afraid of heights so even if we had a ladder long enough, unless the house is on fire and we're escaping down it, no one would get on the ladder). 

Now paint gives me a massive headache (I am prone to migraines) but I figured it's outside and only the sills. I grabbed the brushes and paint and went to work this morning at about 9 am so as to beat the heat (it was already 80). 

The paint looked like vanilla pudding. My granfather Cappy must have bought that stuff a decade before he died seven years ago (he's the only one who would paint around the windows that need a ladder). I'm kind of amazed it didn't have a set of pre-eyes floating in it, or maybe the early stages of the spaghetti god thing. 

I was able to get most of the work done without any damage, except for the cellar door. Left a streak of white on the rust door. 

Oops. 

How is this about Gram? 

Gram is a stickler. When she wants something done, she just doesn't want it done, she wants it done her way. 

"This is the way you hold the brush. This is how the paint can should be set up near the sil. No, don't pull the brush up and down, go left to right. No, don't do the left side of the window first, it will dry faster if you do the right because it's facing up the driveway." 

So on and so forth until I say:

"Isn't it time for your arsenic and old lady tea, Gram?"

Today, not once did she come out side to "inspect" the work. Not a word. She didn't come out until I had only her door sill left and then it was only to ask if I wanted to go out to eat before I took her to her shopping. Then she went back inside (80 degrees is a lot for someone with a bad heart and dizzy spells, she's 88 years of dust in clothing old). She didn't even care about the white on the cellar door, just said she'd check to see if there was any of the rust paint left and if not she'd pick up something close.

Early tomorrow morning I will get the sills on the second front porch windows. 

Okay, I did get a spot of paint on my jeans but Gram thinks she can get it out.

August 25, 2007