What do you think of agnostics?

Question

Of course, I'm asking this to all walks of life--Christian, Buddhist, atheists, etc. alike.

I'm asking this because some people seem to think they should just "pick a side, already." I'm quoting something else I once read here at YA when I say that.

But anyway, what do you think?

And just a sidenote, there's no need for anyone to send their guards up; I'm not asking to pick on anyone. It's just human curiosity.

Answer 1

Agnostic is merely coming to the conclusion that knowing whether or god exists is unkowable. it cannot be proven either he exists or that he doesnt.

some agnostics believe he does some dont. but they still have came to the conclusion its an uncertainty.

they can see things from both sides of the fence. not quite narrowminded, and most dont instantly shun things out due to prior biased opinions.

Answer 2

Agnosticism is entirely respectable. Scientific enquiry requires agnosticism as a point of departure. The agnostic formally acknowledges the simple fact that it is not possible to know whether God exists. I suspect that even the most dyed-in-the-wool Christian will admit that he does not, in fact, know whether God exists, lest he be committed to a mental institution. True, he believes it to be so, but he cannot claim to know. Likewise, even the most ardent atheist will concede that he does not know, in the common use of the word, that God does not exist. Take Richard Dawkins, who is by no means a moderate atheist, when he said:

"Science can't disprove the existence of God. But that does not mean that God exists. There are a million things we can't disprove. The philosopher, Bertrand Russell, had an analogy. Imagine there's a china teapot in orbit around the sun. You cannot disprove the existence of the teapot, because it's too small to be spotted by our telescopes. Nobody but a lunatic would say, 'Well, I'm prepared to believe in the teapot because I can't disprove it.'

Maybe we have to be technically and strictly agnostic, but in practice we are all teapot atheists."

Agnosticism is a formal acknowledgment of the limitations of human knowledge. It is not an indecisive position at all. In fact, the agnostic makes a very strong and definitive statement about epistemology, and it is entirely unreasonable to suspect that his views are transitory or will someday change.

For the record, I am a teapot atheist.

Answer 3

Why is there such a need to "pick a side" if you don't really like any of the options? I am agnostic because I choose to follow my own path instead of listening to both the spacy religious people or the black & white nihilism of atheists.

I get to pick out the qualities of whatever beliefs I like and ignore the rest. It's true spiritual freedom, as far as I'm concerned.

Answer 4

I'm agnostic and I agree with Alphonse -we don't know if there is a god, several gods or no god. Maybe someday this will be known to me and others. Maybe not. At any rate, I'd rather remain neutral on the subject until logic provides an answer than blindly follow a doctrine I can't fully believe in.

Answer 5

Different terms for the same thing. My system of non-belief would be called agnosticism by many people. But seeing as how I see no reason to believe in a god, I call myself atheist.

Regardless, agnostics are people educated enough to make an informed decision regarding religion, without relying on what is popular or accepted.

Answer 6

well i'm agnostic and i'm a very openminded individual anyway agnosticism is basically saying that the existence or non existence of a higher being is unknownable anyway us agnostics are open minded to different possibilities and don't go around judging anybody

Answer 7

Human history should be enough to convince anyone that picking a side just for the heck of it can be very dangerous.

Answer 8

Since nobody knows with any certainty whether or not God exists, or what God is like (or would be like, or might be like), or what path (if any) is the "correct" one, agnosticism is the only way that makes sense.

For me, it's not a matter of being "on the fence" or unable to make up my mind. It's an honest admission of not knowing.

Answer 9

I'm an atheist, but I completely understand an agnostics' point of view. It's true that you can't PROVE the existence of a supreme being, so...

Answer 10

I think they have the same rights as the rest of us. Believe in whatever you wish to. The fact that they cannot decide (for lack of a better word) what to believe makes them rather intelligent in my mind. Why settle ?