Question for everyone?

Question

Do Agnostics ever try and convert people to Agnosticism? More than likely the answer you have is no they do not, so this leads me to the real question, what is it about Agnosticism that Agnostics don't try and convert people?

Answer 1

There not sure if they should convert people or not, they're undecided and still thinking about it.

Answer 2

Uncertainty has no obvious draw. Many fear the unknown, and the at the heart of agnosticism is the basic trait that they just don't know for sure what is up there in the sky. I think that if everyone on earth was truly honest with themselves and searched for answers with an open mind, they would find that they were more agnostic than anything else. I call myself an atheist, but I have doubts that push me back into agnosticism. Cheers

Answer 3

Agnosticism doesn't have any real dogma. However, on this site I see agnostics trying to "convert" people all the time. Every time you make a post questioning another religion, aren't you really just trying to get people to think more like you?

Answer 4

If Agnosticism is based on doubt, then the Agnostic doubts that he is capable of converting anyone, also he doubts anybody would convert and become a Agnostic.

Answer 5

I expect that most atheists on here are agnostics, and most atheists here try to dissuade people from their religious ideas, so I think the answer is "yes".

The term 'agnostic' was coined by Thomas Huxley and it refers quite simply to a person who holds the view that it is wrong to assert the truth of a proposition without logically satisfactory evidence.

So, an agnostic would say that it's wrong to say "God exists" or "No gods exist" without the argument or evidence to back it up. Moreover, the agnostic would say that it's immoral for a person to tell someone else that they *ought* to believe in the existence of a god or gods without providing logically satisfactory evidence to support that claim.

A 'theist' is defined as someone who believes in the existence of a god or gods, so an atheist is anyone who is not a theist.

So you can be agnostic and also an atheist, or agnostic and a theist, or not agnostic and an atheist, or not agnostic and a theist.

It's entirely reasonable and not uncommon for people to try to convert other people to the view that they need support for what they claim to be true.

Answer 6

I've never understood why people feel they have to convert others to their way of thinking. Do you really believe that if someone doesn't believe the same thing that you do then they will have eternal Damnation? How do you know that you are right? The Bible? Which interpretation? What about the religions older than yours (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.)? What or who give you the power to make a decision that someone else is wrong and you are the ONLY one who is right?
I think people should welcome others to listen to their religions and make up their own minds. I also think that the people who are hell bend upon recruiting your for their beliefs have never really looked into any of the other religions.
Do something better with your time like helping people who really need it (homeless, poor, addicted, etc)

Answer 7

Agnosticism, by definition, is a belief system based on doubt. If you don't have strong feelings for or against something, why would you try to convert somebody else to it?

Answer 8

Agnostics don't attempt to convert people to our beliefs because we respect the beliefs of others. We have our own beliefs that we feel are true and allow others to do the same. Personally, I feel that all religions that encourage people to do good and not harm others are positive religions, so why condemn those people for their beliefs?

Answer 9

I don't think that it is the responsibility of an Agnostic to tell you what you should believe or not believe. Same as I think God would not really approve of the accepted form of prejudice that comes along with the know it all attitude of those who think it is okay to berate others whose beliefs do not match their own.
I think that there is an acceptable way to influence the belief of others. Open communication, like adults, not the immature "I'm right, I'm better than you, and you're going to hell if you don't think so".
Good luck

Answer 10

I don't agree that agnostics (and atheists for that matter) don't try to convert people.

They don't go door to door asking people to become agnostics or atheists, of course. But they try to effect conversions to their "religion" in other, more subtle ways.

Answer 11

People bring themselves down to agnosticism.