Agnostic...not thinking things through to the end

[Original Freak]

Well, I've been thinking about Agnosticism and I've come to the conlusion, right or wrong, that it's pretty much bogus. It's basically a theist or an atheist who hasn't finished thinking the situation through yet.

When I hear someone talk about being an Agnostic I always get the general feeling of someone who is coming to terms with Atheism but can't seem to let of of the idea that there simply MUST be a god. Or Visa Versa that there is a god but can't get the idea out of there head the evidence just doesn't support their ideas.

Am I generalising too much or am I on the right track?

 

[Engyo]

Personally, I don't believe that I can judge what is in another person's head. Far too many people have tried to do that to me and gotten it wwaaayyyyy wrong, so I do my best not to do that any more.

I believe agnosticism is just that; someone who either hasn't yet decided, or has chosen not to take an either/or position. I think that choice is just as valid as someone who does make that either/or choice.

As a Buddhist myself, I am sort of outside the spectrum of this question, but I do believe that agnosticism can be a valid choice in itself, rather than an intermediate step only.

 

[Tawn]

Well even most Atheists accept the (minute) possibility that there could be a God. I guess Agnostics are just less sure there isn't a God.

 

[Nihan]

I'm an Agnost but that's purely on the basis that, to me, Atheism seems like a religion in itself and I dislike that. I don't believe in a God because I don't feel it is necessary for me to believe in one. I've had many traumas in my life and not once did I pray or think about praying for assitance. I feel as though I am a strong enough person on my own. I can see why for others, a God or higher power is necessary. But, yes, I consider my self an Agnost who does not believe in God.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Well, I've been thinking about Agnosticism and I've come to the conlusion, right or wrong, that it's pretty much bogus.

I guess Agnostics are just less sure there isn't a God.

Read Huxley, damn it! :banghead3

 

[robtex]

Michael Shermer once said an agonstic is one who finds the issue of God insoluable. It is hard to know how people adopt labels and how close they are to their original intended meaning. I have only met one person in real life who stated he was an agnostic. He said he needed more time to think the God thing through. Wheather his angle made him an agnostic is surely not for me to judge but at no time did he ever tell me "there is no God" or "I doubt there is a God." In the end if someone chooses not to try to "solve" the God issue or is incapable of committing thought leading to the resolution of the issue for them they still have the same net result as an atheist. It is just for different reason. That result is no God.

 

[Original Freak]

Read Huxley, damn it! :banghead3

Why does it upset you so much that I havn't read something? Perhaps one of the reasons I'm here is to learn and get peoples opinions.

I've barely got time to finish the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy I've been struggling to read.

 

[Unedited]

First,

Agnosticism: the philosophical and theological view that the existence of God, gods or deities is either unknown, or inherently unknowable.

Being an agnostic, is not saying, "I don't know whether God exist," but saying, "No one can really know whether God exists."

There are going to be people who call themselves agnostic just because they themselves haven't decided, similarly as there are people who call themselves atheists who wholly believe in God, but are just mad at him. I believe this people are mis-labeling themselves, but that's for another discussion.

Agnosticism is not a pit stop between Atheism and Christianity, it's a whole idea in and of itself. It's something that pairs up well with other religions though. You can as easily say, "I'm an atheist, but I'm not entierly certain there is no god," as you can say, "I'm a Christian, but I'm not entirely certain there is a god."

One can base their entire theological belief system on this philosophical view, but I think there are many, many people out there who'll admit they aren't entirely certain about their religous views. In fact, nobody can prove their religious beliefs.

So anyway, it's not bogus. In fact, I find it odd that anyone could disagree with it (I'm not going to force it on anyone though). I mean, is there anyone here who has proof of their beliefs? Even those who feel their beliefs are the true beliefs, is only basing that on a feeling.

It's sort of a scientific thing. In science, nothing can ever be proven, things can only be disproven. Even something as simple and widely known as gravity can never be proven. Anyway, I'm not trying to force a certain view on anyone, I'm just trying to explain agnosticism, or at least my view on agnosticism a little better.

 

[Majikthise]

I once beleived that there was a god, but it was so far beyond our ability to comprehend that we shouldn't bother to try and understand it.Just try to live together and care for each other. I considered this my agnostic phase. Is this not correct?

 

[lilithu]

Am I generalising too much or am I on the right track?

Wrong track. Agnosticism is not an inability to make a decision. It is a decision in and of itself, related to but separate from the theism/atheism issue.

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13293

 

[Unedited]

I once beleived that there was a god, but it was so far beyond our ability to comprehend that we shouldn't bother to try and understand it.Just try to live together and care for each other. I considered this my agnostic phase. Is this not correct?

To my understanding, yes. Saying something is "far beyond our ability to comprehend," is what I understand as "inherently unknowable."

 

[Original Freak]

Wrong track. Agnosticism is not an inability to make a decision. It is a decision in and of itself, related to but separate from the theism/atheism issue.

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13293

What your saying, about making the decision it's unknowable, sounds right to me. I guess that means that a large amount of 'Agnostics' are labelling themselves wrong. I have been finding that a lot of people claiming to be agnostic are more along the lines of 'I just don't know' more that 'It's impossible to know'. I concede it isn't a bad possition but mass mislabeling.

 

[Scuba Pete]

We worry about labels too much! If they call themselves agnostic, I am surely not going to try and correct them.

There is NOTHING wrong or stupid about not knowing if God exists or not. Being a seeker of truth is far better than arguing with a sign post and taking the wrong way home. Instead of merely being a vacillating idiot, I find most people in that category to be intelligent and flexible. They aren't willing to say one way or the other UNTIL THEY ARE READY TO! Are they confused? Obviously... but that doesn't make them (or agnostics) bogus.