What's an atheistic agnostic?

[Heiden]

What's an atheistic agnostic? Somehow a friend of mine thinks that all atheists are agnostic if they base their atheism on science and evidence. He claims, if you don't believe in gods because you have no proof, but are open to accepting that if proof were laid down before you that gods exist, then you aren't truly an atheist, but rather that you're an atheist agnostists. Any takers on this one?

[devogue]

Seems like semantics to me - I could trot out the old not believing in pink unicorns thing.

It sounds like he's trying hard to get one over on atheists - can we not just be left alone with our disbelief?

[Globe]

No. Because to believers it is incomprehensible and completely out of this world that some people simply do not believe.
So they are trying to fit that non-belief into their belief system.
Which of course is impossible unless you lie to yourself.

[clouded_perception]

He's apparently using the four-point (or five-, depending on how you read it) scale that cropped up awhile ago.

Gnostic theists: I believe in gods and it's an unshakeable truth, no matter what
Agnostic theists: I believe in gods, on balance, but I'm not fundamentally certain/could be convinced with evidence (or, on the information available/absence of information I default to the existence of gods)
Pure agnostics (not always included): the subject is unknowable and I refrain from holding a position on it.
Agnostic atheists: I do not believe in gods, on balance, but I could be convinced with evidence (or, on the information available/absence of information I default to no gods) ("do not believe in gods")
Gnostic theist: There are no gods, ever, no matter what anybody says ("believe in no gods")

It's reasonably equivalent to the strong/weak atheist/theist scale, some people justy think it's clearer. Personally I try to avoid this sort of thing but some people prefer this system.