When asked about my religious affiliation, my answer depends on how serious the questioner is. I may claim Pastafarianism as my calling, having been touched by His noodly appendage, or I may take the straight and narrow and simply say I’m an atheist. I sometimes wonder if I’m more agnostic, but with where I am, the difference is slight.
In the way so may people contradict themselves, I do sometimes behave theistically.
Remember my saying that I believe the universe is basically random? I do fundamentally believe this. At the same time however, when chance compounds chance and and pushes the outcome to the far edge of the bell-curve, I take comfort in the temporary belief of there being a god…to blame.
Sometimes things seem specifically designed to screw you. I carry around a little package containing Shai, the Moirai, God, Allah, the Parcae, the Norn, Camaxtli, Aerten, Urd, and all their compatriots for those times.
Whatever helps, right?
Brian
I like Richard Dawkins term of a de facto atheist.
“In The God Delusion Dawkins describes people for whom the probability of the existence of God is between “very high” and “very low” as “agnostic” and reserves the term “strong atheist” for “I know there is no god”. He categorises himself as a “de facto atheist” but not a “Strong Atheist” under this definition.”