How does this community feel about Agnostics?

Question

Agnostic:
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.

I consider myself an agnostic, and I was wondering how the rest of you feel about this group. Do you feel admiration for keeping an open mind and not dealing in absolutism? Or is it disdain because you view us as wishy-washy and timid people who just can't make up our minds and don't take a stand? Something in-between?

I'd like to hear from both Theists and Atheists (and other agnostics even), so lay it on me! :)

Thank-you Zelda! I think you have summed up my own beliefs beautifully, I couldn't have put it better myself.

to nondescript:
I do agree with the thrust of your statement (I tend to lean towards Deism, as you described). But though your definition of atheism is technically correct, in practice I've found most that call themselves atheists just outright say that there is no god. Whether they are true atheists or not is another question :)

Answer 1

I'm also agnostic. I was born and raised a catholic. I've studied science in college and have always had an interest in it. I've no belief in any form of organised religion because of their ideals (some incredibly outlandish) which go against everything that I've been taught and read in my life. I even have trouble describing something which may or may not be "god". The word itself conjures up ideas of some form of organised religion. It has religious connotations about a set of guidelines with which to live your life, a being or deity with which to worship, and an afterlife where you exist for eternity as some form if spirit, all very questionalbe ideas.
I just believe there is a design happening somewhere. The life cycles of the simplest of organisms are just too incredible to discount as chance. I wouldnt think of myself as wish-washy about my beliefs. This is just the way I think and my views will not change over the course of my life.
As I said i've studied science in college. After studying biology in college, I've familiarised my self with alot of the natural world. I've done a little bit of physics and chemistry too and with certain fundamental laws in nature in place that allows us to even exist, I find the whole thing too perfect to be just chance.

Answer 2

Well, you give two separate definitions for agnostic there, the classic one and the current popular one. I don't have any problem with the classic definition, though the popular one doesn't really make sense. And what do you mean by "true atheist".

The classic definition deals with the issue of whether divine knowledge is possible. It states that it isn't. Personally, I think that if there were a god, we'd probably know about it. So, I'm not an agnostic in that sense.

The popular definition deals with the issue of whether there is a god. It states that the person is unsure of whether a god exist. That's a separate issue. In my opinion, that's a nonsense position because nobody has absolute information about anything. And everybody leans one way or the other on the god existence issue. It's never exactly 50/50.

Some religious people do claim they have absolute knowledge about the existence of their god. However, if you press them, they usually say, you just have to have faith. Note that some religious people, deists for example, claim that their god is unknowable. That would make them agnostics in the classic sense, since they are saying that they cannot get any direct information about the divine. People who say, "You just have to have faith" are also basically saying the same thing, since they are implying that knowledge of god cannot be gotten through evidence.

Atheists tend not to make absolute claims. They either say that there is no reason to believe there is a god, or they say that there is evidence that gods are man-made, or both as various responses to the various gods people claim exist. Note that this is different than saying that there is no possibility for there to be a god. It is also different than the question of whether any such god would be knowable or not.

Answer 3

First, there are two different types of agnostics:
Strong agnostics = Believe that it is impossible to have enough evidence to make a judgement as to whether God exists.
Weak agnostics = Believe that we don't yet have sufficient evidence to make a judgement as to whether God exists, but may at some point in the future.

Personally, I disagree with both of them. I disagree with strong agnostics because I think claiming that is just underestimating the power of science and logic, and so far no one who did that has ever been conclusively proved right. I disagree with weak agnostics because, hey, the evidence has to point SOMEWHERE, if you aren't going to decide now, when ARE you going to decide? Better to make a decision and then change as the evidence changes, rather than waiting forever. This is the reason I'm a weak atheist instead of an agnostic.

Answer 4

I am also an Agnostic. I know that I believe there is God, but it is a belief for which there can be no proof. I also believe you cannot prove there is no God. I think people who claim to have a monopoly on the "truth" are being dishonest. I can accept another person's belief system, but not their insistance that their beliefs are necessarily facts. I don't think it's a wishy-washy position, but it's not going to be popular either.

Answer 5

I don't see any problems having agnostics around. Heck, some of my very good friends are agnostics and atheists.

Discussions should be made with with a view to understand and to seek knowledge but not to convert or to put others down, IMO. Hence, the key to genuine open-minded discussions is of course respect and tolerance for each other's stand/beliefs etc.

Answer 6

I tend to view agnostics as generally open-minded, but also wishy-washy. At some point one does have to decide what one believes.

Although I think calling this section of Y!A a "community" is a bit of a stretch. It's mostly just a bunch of loudmouths (atheists) venting their frustration against the majority (theists).

Answer 7

It's nice to be certain of certain certainties. But what if you can't?

In childhood I was a theist - silly, I knew nothing.

Then it was nice to flaunt the bravado of atheism - rather more rational - but isn't it being deliberately provocative?

Now I am an agnostic I guess, but I live in a society where even that is not tolerated. Recently, when being admitted for my now famous operation (see my name!) I refused to allow a label to be put on me. I was promptly reported. One has to belong to one of four religions here!!

Although I hope I will always stand up to such violence, I have now begun exploring faith through the only religious group that doesn't force a creed on you (to the best of my knowledge).

Answer 8

I applaude you in a way for keeping an open mind. But ask that you try and open it more. Not that I would demand you to admit that there is a God. But why would all of these people all over the world fight if they had not felt something.
Maybe God isnt what you think. Maybe there is one God and each person having his own belief prays to him in a different way. But maybe there is a God and he watches over you and keeps you safe.
I think that you are good for being open, but look harder. Ask questions and maybe if you ask God, as silly as you may feel. Take a serious moment alone at your house when no one is around. And have a conversation. Pretend he is someone beside you. Honestly talk and ask to see what others see.
Cant hurt right?

Answer 9

I respect agnostics a helluva lot more than fundamentalist religious fanatics. Their views are much more realisitc.
I believe that there is a God, it's just not in the form of a being, but rather a force, like nature.

Answer 10

Personally, I am glad to answer any questions anyone asks about my faith...I'm a Christian.
I think agnostics, as a rule, are at least not so rude and obnoxious as some atheists seem to be.
Sometimes "open mind" means the person is willing to listen, and, perhaps, learn. That's the kind of "open mind" I try to keep, although it is hard sometimes, with so many "teachers" competing for my attention.
Sometimes it simply means "empty".