Agnosticism - Is it Really Taking a Stand on the Issue of Religion?

Many people believe that an Agnostic is the same thing as an Atheist. However, this is not the case. While an Atheist rejects all aspects of a God, Agnostics are more open. They are not sure if there is a God, and believe that there is no way of knowing the truth until the black veil is dropped.

One might think that being an Agnostic is taking the easy way out. You don't have to commit to any one religious belief, but you aren't exactly burning at the gates of hell either. There are two sides, and Agnostics are sitting on the fence in between the two polar opposites. Why can't they just choose a side?

As an Agnostic, I will answer this with my own personal beliefs. I'm just unsure. People base their faith on a book that has been passed down from generation to generation for God knows how long, pun intended. How can we be sure it is reliable? It is like the telephone game. You sit in a circle with a large group of people, and one person whispers a sentence to their neighbor, who then whispers it to the person sitting next to them and so on, until it gets back to the originator. By the time it reaches them, the sentence is COMPLETELY different. Who's to say the contents of the Bible haven't undergone some changes, major or minor, over time?

The next reason why I don't commit myself to one religion or another is because I'm overwhelmed by how many are out there. There are, according to David Barrett et al, editors of the "World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of churches and religions - AD 30 to 2200," "19 major world religions which are subdivided into a total of 270 large religious groups, and many smaller ones" (religioustolerance.com). That is a lot of religion. Who is to say which one is "The One"? I apologize to any devout believers, but none of those could possibly be 100% correct in God's eyes if he does indeed exist. In fact, I could easily name several reasons why a few of them should not be considered virtuous. I won't, however, out of respect for those who do believe in them.

In my opinion, if there is a God, he would be kind and understanding. He made us as humans, beings who are inherently curious. As long as we lead basically good lives and live by good morals (I.E. Thou shalt not kill, Thou Shalt not steal type of stuff) then we deserve peace in our afterlife, and will not condemn us.

As you might be able to tell, just because I am Agnostic, doesn't mean I don't lean towards the side that there just might be something greater out there. After all, even those who believe in the evolutionary aspect might also believe that the first speck of dust that created life had to come from somewhere. My point is that it is ok to be unsure. If there is a God, he gave us that option to be so .