Esthetical Nightmare

If you've apprehend my added "philosophy" pages, you've apparently discerned that I do not acquire in any religion. You'd be correct. I am, appropriately speaking, an Agnostic. Here is my account of what is meant by "agnosticism."

Note On Terminology

In this essay, the appellation "theistic" refers to any abstract philosophy, or religion, with at atomic one celestial at its heart. Such deities may be metaphorical, or representations of accustomed forces, or absolute Supreme Beings of some kind. The appellation "non-theistic" refers to any abstract philosophy, or religion, which does not acquire any deities at its core. Such philosophies accede the actuality of deities to be extraneous to the bulletin they convey. This is assorted with "atheism," which is an affirmation that there cannot be any deities of any kind. I'll acknowledgment atheism in added detail, below.

What Is Agnosticism?

A lot of humans acquire misconceptions about what agnosticism is. So I will alpha at the beginning. This appellation was coined in the nineteenth aeon by T.H. Huxley. It comes from the Greek chat γνωσις ("gnosis"), acceptation "knowledge" or "to know," with the antithesis prefix a-. So, literally, it agency "not knowing" or "not to know." Of course, this appellation refers to adoration or theology, so in that context, it agency "not to apperceive God."

Agnosticism is artlessly an affirmation that it is absurd to know, with any certainty, whether or not God exists, and even if he does, it is absurd to apperceive annihilation about him.

That is the sum absolute of what is meant by "agnosticism." Accepting said that, this affirmation has abounding abeyant implications, so that, ultimately, agnosticism can beggarly altered things to altered people. So, what I say about agnosticism, may not administer to all agnostics.

Is Agnosticism A Religion?

No! Appropriately speaking, it is a "secular philosophy." Even this, however, implies that it is bigger than it is. The account aloft is the sole aspect of agnosticism. The ramifications are something abroad entirely.

“The Cabalistic God”

The abstraction that God is unknowable, is not at all strange. In fact, it's a basic of abundant religions. Ahura Mazda, the God of Zoroastrianism, for example, is advised all-inclusive and incomprehensible. The aforementioned goes for Allah, the God of Islam, and for the God of Bahá’i. Added religions and theologies accede their deities incomprehensible, including a lot of Christian denominations, and Deism.

The appellation "agnostic" is in actuality ironic, back the classical Gnostics, who were ultimately accursed as heretics by the accepted Christian Church, in actuality referred to God as incomprehensible, as "the Unknown." (Perhaps this irony aggressive Huxley!)

At any rate, abounding religions in actuality accede with agnostics, that God is unknowable. This usually surprises association in both camps, but it is true, nonetheless!

Article Of Faith?

Agnosticism is based aloft simple ascertainment of the world. There is no absolute affirmation of God's existence, annihilation that one can point to and say, "Here is God!" or even "There is God's fingerprint." Abounding religions advance that there's adumbrated affirmation of God's actuality — in the "grand design" of the universe, in angelic writings, in amazing or adverse events, in claimed afflatus or mystical experience, and in abounding added ways. Ultimately, however, all of these things are just baldheaded assertions, based aloft the acceptance that God exists, accordingly these things are the way they are. None of them afar demonstrates the actuality of God, afterwards resorting to interpretation.

Agnosticism makes no such assumptions, and does not appoint in estimation of events. What is, is; what is not, is not; and what is not knowable, isn't knowable. (Is it any admiration this is what I believe, accustomed my empiric viewpoint?)

Just as all-powerful religions and philosophies acquire the actuality of God, so too does atheism acquire that God cannot exist. Just as God's actuality is not evident, God's non-existence is appropriately not demonstrable. There is annihilation appreciable which proves that there cannot possibly be a God. To advance that God cannot exist, is just as abundant a bound of acceptance as asserting that God does exist!

Having absitively that canon and atheism are appropriately based on assumptions rather than observation, it's fair to ask if the axial acceptance of agnosticism might, likewise, be a baldheaded assertion. The answer, in actuality simply, is that it is not. To say that the actuality of God is uncertain, is based aloft the ascertainment that there is no proof, or disproof, of God's existence. In the face of a abridgement of affirmation either way, one cannot acquire that either angle is true. This is a reasonable, analytic conclusion, thoroughly rational, which makes no assumptions, and which does not appoint in interpretation.

But What If There Is A God?

Good question! Let's appraise this possibility.

As acclaimed already, there is no affirmation of God's actuality in nature. One cannot artlessly attending about and conclude, based alone aloft observation, that God exists. Even if one supposes it's accessible — as agnostics do — it's appealing harder to amount out annihilation about him. Thus, if one does, perchance, get to apperceive God, it has to be through all-powerful intervention, or "revelation." That is, God acquire to do something to accomplish himself axiomatic to a person.

History is abounding of humans who've accomplished such revelations. A lot of religions were founded on the article of a "prophet" to whom God arise himself. All of those religions, however, disagree with anniversary added — in some cases, violently!

How can it be that a alone God, if he exists, could affect altered "prophets" in such awfully altered ways? Such a God would, necessarily, be rather capricious, mercurial, and devious.

Of course, it's accessible that the declared "real" God aggressive alone one of those religions, and all the blow are just pretenders. But ... which of them is the absolute one? How does one acquaint them apart? How can a getting verify the divinity of any accustomed religion?

The answer, in actuality simply, is that one cannot, in fact, verify any religion. It's impossible! (Most religions affirmation this is not accurate — that it is the "one accurate religion," and can even activity affidavit why this is so; but in all cases, the acumen is based on assumptions and interpretation, not on actuality or observation.)

Even so ... let's acquire that one of the world's religions is, indeed, the "one accurate faith" of the "real God." Why would such a God acknowledge himself in alone one specific way, and leave the blow of the apple untouched? Why would such a God not try to accomplish axiomatic that his adoration is the religion? In an instant, an almighty God could accomplish himself and his wishes known; why wouldn't he?

Most all-powerful religions altercate that God does not do this because he does not wish to breach "free will;" he wants humans to arise to him willingly, rather than be afraid into assertive in him. This idea, however, begs the catechism of what array of God would appoint in "head games" of this kind?

The basal band of all this, of course, is that it is in actuality absurd to acquire in such a amusing deity. Even according to a lot of religions, God's behavior is ambiguous and inconsistent. It is absurd to advisedly adoration an incomprehensible, whimsical, inconsistent God.

Agnosticism As A “Proving Ground”

Some agnostics appoint in a airy quest, assay religions — all-powerful and non-theistic akin — in adjustment to acquisition something that apparel them, or has "a ring of truth." There is, of course, annihilation amiss with this. They are advantaged to do so.

The botheration is that others about anticipate that this is what "agnostic" means; that agnosticism is a abridgement of belief, a anatomy of existential "fence-sitting." This is not accurate of a majority of agnostics, though; agnosticism is an absolute confidence that God is, ultimately, not absolute and not knowable. There is in actuality annihilation broad about it!

Anger At God

As they do with anyone who espouses a non-theistic philosophy, abounding theists (especially evangelical Christians) acquire that agnostics are "angry" at God. While I cannot allege for all agnostics, it's safe to say that a lot of cannot be affronted at something they don't acquire in.

I can no added be affronted with God, than I can be affronted at Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. To acquire that I acquire to be "angry at God" is anticipation of the accomplished order.

Typically, this is an attack to personalize the agitation over God's existence, and accomplish it beneath rational. It's an bookish allurement — just like the question, "Have you chock-full assault your wife?"

Why Not Forget About God?

Many atheists accede agnostics to be "wishy-washy," or ambiguity their bets. This is not true, either. Effectively, agnostics accede with atheists on abounding points, abnormally in their bounce of all-powerful religion. In fact, there's something of a continuum abutting these two philosophies. So-called "weak atheists" are those who do not aphorism out God's existence, but advance that there is no point in assertive in God. Well, abounding agnostics accede with that! These "weak atheists" may alarm themselves atheists, but in reality, or conceivably in addition, some are in actuality agnostics.

(There's a little altercation over whether a getting can be both an doubter and an agnostic. I acquire this is the case. In fact, I acquire that by some definitions, I am, myself, a "weak atheist." The alone acumen I don't affirmation this label, is artlessly because I anticipate the characterization of doubter best describes my thinking.)

The basal band is that atheism and agnosticism allotment a acceptable accord in common. The above aberration is that agnostics don't accomplish the bound of acceptance all-important to advance that God cannot exist.

“Apathetic Agnostism”

I am the Bishop of Litchfield County (CT) for the Universal Church Triumphant of the Blah Agnostic, or simply, the Blah Doubter Church. What does this mean? Well, Blah Agnosticism has three capital tenets, which are paraphrased as follows:

The existence, or non-existence, of a Supreme Getting is unknowable.

If by adventitious a Supreme Getting exists, s/he appears to be blah adjoin the world.

We are, therefore, blah adjoin a accessible Supreme Being.

These attack are summed up in the Church's motto, Nesciamus non attingamus (Latin for "We don't know, and we don't care").

Now ... these may not complete like abundant of a foundation for a Church, but these three attack are simple, direct, rational, and based aloft observation, rather than belief, acceptance or assumption. Ultimately, what bigger base could there be?

Annihilation Goes?

One affair that abounding theists acquire about non-theistic philosophies is, that afterwards a God to behest standards of behavior, "anything goes." Well, this is not the case. Philosophers of all stripes acquire grappled with the abstraction of acceptance and morals, for centuries. Abounding ethical and moral traditions are non-theistic and crave no God.

As continued ago as the 6th aeon BCE, the predecessors of the age-old Stoics absitively that acceptance and behavior could not acquire any abstract component; an activity was moral (or not) based alone on rational analysis. Building on this idea, the Stoics themselves complete a solid, austere attitude of acceptance and morals. Stoic chastity became the accepted of chastity for the Greco-Roman world; in fact, aboriginal Christianity adopted abounding Stoic ideas!

Shortly afterwards the Stoic academy was founded, far abroad in China, Confucius (Kung Fu-tzu) accustomed a academy of philosophy, whose foundation was ethical behavior and afterward age-old ritual traditions. His plan became the cornerstone for all afterwards ethical and moral traditions in the Far East. His behavior are conspicuously agnate to those accomplished in Christian churches everywhere. Yet — never already did Confucius resort to a God. He explained the catalyst for chastity as a way for humans to collaborate meaningfully. (Thus, he advancing the plan of afterwards advisers such as Hobbes and Kant.)

Added recently, the rational attributes of acceptance and behavior has been championed by Hume, Kant, Hobbes, and added contempo philosophers who've congenital on their work. Their apperception of chastity as a "social contract," a amusing adjustment meant to assure altruism as a whole, is rather compelling.

The capital abhorrence of abounding theists, in accurate evangelical Christians, is "moral relativity," or humans chief on their own alone morals, rather than active up to a alone accepted standard. Kant in accurate argued adjoin this, however; if chastity is a amusing contract, again it acquire to be agreed aloft by association as a accomplished — individuals cannot just assemble their own moral standards.

In any event, agnosticism is not an alibi for getting abandoned or even amoral. As associates of society, agnostics are amenable for active in association harmoniously. The aforementioned goes for anyone, behindhand of their own aesthetics — this includes Christians, Muslims, atheists, Jews, Wiccans, Neopagans, etc.

So for anyone to article to agnosticism because they anticipate it's an "anything-goes" aesthetics — well, that's groundless. There is no such affair as an "anything goes" philosophy! No austere aesthetics advocates immorality.

Doubter Uncertainty

Many humans — in all camps — acquire that agnostics are artlessly circumlocutory on the affair of God. Typically, it's affected that agnostics haven't fabricated their minds up about what adoration to follow. Or that they just haven't fabricated up their minds about God.

While some agnostics may fit either of these descriptions, I apperceive of none that do. A lot of agnostics are far from ambiguous or clashing amid religions. On the contrary, they are in actuality assertive that God is neither absolute nor disprovable, and incomprehensible, even if he does exist. There is no ambiguity in their minds.

That said, some agnostics appoint in airy exploration. Unburdened by the acceptance that any accustomed adoration has any veracity, they advisedly attending at all of them. Sometimes this is out of simple curiosity; added times it's because they are searching for simple, cold truths that may be allotment of a religion.

In any event, it's beguiling to anticipate of agnosticism as a accompaniment of agnosticism or uncertainty. A lot of agnostics are in actuality abiding of what they believe.

Cover Story

Some humans anticipate that atheists sometimes affirmation the characterization "agnostic," as a "cover" for their atheism. This acceptance goes that "atheism" has a abrogating connotation; by application the characterization "agnostic," they're aggravating to arise as admitting they're still cerebration about religion.

Well ... the agnosticism-as-cover-for-atheism approach is, in my experience, bunk! I apperceive of no atheists who are adventurous to accompaniment their convictions. The abstraction that they'd wish to beard their atheism is based on the acceptance that atheism is "bad," which is not an acceptance that atheists themselves would make!

The Adoration Problem

This brings me to what I alarm "the adoration problem." What happens if one's religious behavior borrow on added people? In two words, annihilation good! The hijackings on September 11 2001 accomplish it actual bright that this overlap can be dangerous.

Of course, aggravating to acumen with humans who've beyond this line, is impossible. They will not, and cannot, appreciate that arty their religious account on others is wrong, and in fact, anyone who tries to acquaint them so, is automatically "the enemy" aces alone of death.

It's contest like this that agitate people's acceptance in their own religions, though, which — ultimately — contradicts what the extremists are aggravating to do! This alone added entrenches them in their acute beliefs, which leads to even added acute behavior, and so on.

While adoration can be a force for acceptable (using the September 11 example, one of the aboriginal charities to advice out was the Salvation Army), abandonment is an assured aftereffect — no amount the religion's tenets.

If You Just Ask God Into Your Activity ...

I've heard this one before, so don't bother. It's around a self-fulfilling prophecy; in adjustment to "ask God into my life," I'd acquire to acquire that God exists — at which time I'd "believe," back that's what I've already called to do!

You see, that's all acceptance in God is: a choice. A best to acquire in something.

I've aswell heard, "Try account the Bible, again you'll see!" For the record: I have, indeed, apprehend the Bible, in Greek as able-bodied as English. I apperceive it in actuality well, in fact, bigger than a lot of "believers." It comes with the territory, accepting had an apprenticeship in medieval history. I not alone apperceive the Bible well, but I aswell apperceive the writings of the Church Fathers, too, and the history of the Church and Christianity as a whole. Furthermore, back I apperceive Latin and Greek, I've apprehend the New Testament in its aboriginal language, the Old Testament in the Septuagint, and apperceive in actuality able-bodied the action by which it was translated into Latin, as able-bodied as the action by which the Biblical Canon was decided.

The history of Christianity, and the history of the Bible itself, is far from flattering.

So, do not bother emailing me to acquaint me what the Bible says, or annihilation of that sort. I already apperceive what it says. In fact, I'm accustomed with abundant interpretations of it. None is appreciably bigger than any other, so you are not traveling to allocution me into assertive your interpretation, whichever one it may be.

The Acceptation of Life

A lot of humans advance their acceptance in a celestial — in animosity of their own doubts, or the applesauce of assertive in something that's non-demonstrable — because it gives their lives " meaning." I acquire to ask the accessible question:

Who says that activity has to acquire meaning?

"Meaning" can alone be inferred, it is not inherent. To attending at the world, and one's life, and adjudge that it has some accurate "meaning," is an erroneous inference, a bottomless assumption. As an example, yield the statement:

Jugebble megola varin os makudafuppel.

What does it mean? Are you able to amount it out? Are you dying to know? Or even just curious? Well, set your apperception at ease; it doesn't beggarly anything! I just fabricated up those words — they're gibberish. But — animal aptitude is to attack some array of interpretation; they're words, afterwards all, and a accumulating of words acquire to beggarly something.

Finding acceptation in things that acquire none, is not unusual; it's accepted in attitude as pareidolia. Pareidolia can yield forms such as seeing President Nixon's face in the bumps on a potato, or a affinity of the Virgin Mary in the case of a tree. To infer that activity has some array of "meaning," is the aforementioned affair as aggravating to accomplish faculty of the gibberish I typed.

What To Believe?

Now that I've rambled in actuality a bit, I'll arise to a arbitrary of sorts. What's an doubter to do? Where does an doubter go on Sunday (or Saturday or Friday night, etc.)?

This band of cerebration assumes that one should be allotment of a adoration and actively appear casework — or, added generally, that one acquire to in actuality acquire in some anatomy of spirituality.

This is, however, just an assumption. Humans accompany adherence artlessly because it is "expected." Unbelievably enough, however, one charge not do this! The actuality is that one charge not affair onesself with annihilation "spiritual." Active activity on its own terms, in an ethically-sound manner, afterwards resorting to metaphysics, can be actual rewarding.

While an doubter absolutely can't put his or her affection into a all-powerful religion, there are non-theistic, or minimally theistic, religions, which they can acquisition rewarding. Among them is Buddhism, but there are others, such as some forms of Pantheism and Neopaganism. Go advanced and investigate them, if you want.

Perhaps the a lot of important affair that agnostics can do, is to reside in a 18-carat manner. Engaging in abstract cerebration is useless, and can even be counter-productive. Learn to acquire activity for what it is.