Faith can be put on hold for self-inquiry

By Marcos Moreno

Have you ever had that not-so-sure feeling? Well, if you're agnostic it's a regular occurrence. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you're not alone -- most people know very little about the concept of agnosticism.

ReligiousTolerance.org, a Web site that promotes religious understanding and diversity, defines agnosticism as "a belief related to the existence or non-existence of God." The site is quick, however, to point out that agnosticism is not a religion, but a belief. And, according to the 2001 census, it is a belief shared by 16.2 percent of the population.

Put plainly, agnostics are people who don't really know what to believe in. It is important to mention, though, that they don't deny the existence of God -- a common misconception of non-agnostics.

Another cause for confusion may be the fact that there are so many different variations of agnosticism. It's just like any other belief; there are strong believers, liberal and conservative believers whose form of agnosticism differs slightly from the cardinal definition. The difficulty arises when trying to equate the various groups. You can see why it would be a lot easier to lump everything into one category.

Because they are so similar in belief, atheists and agnostics get incorrectly labeled as being the same. In reality, they are two completely different systems of belief.

That sort of "no-God" viewpoint is typical among atheists. You see, atheists refuse to believe in any kind of deity. Agnostics, on the other hand, simply acknowledge that no conclusive evidence exists that proves or disproves the existence of a God.

Agnosticism contains a very optimistic viewpoint, because you haven't given up hope that a God exists; rather, you are always looking forward to some new evidence or faith that will change your mind. And there's another misconception about agnostics -- just because someone isn't sure what to believe in right now, doesn't mean they will always feel that way. Beliefs can be changed, however, it is much harder to change religious dogma. Therefore, it is important to consider all the facts and that is what agnostics do.

Many college students don't have a clue about what they want to do when they get out in the real world, at least not as a freshman or sophomore. But, after taking classes and finding something that appeals to them, they're ready to make an educated decision. And that's why this whole agnosticism belief exists in the first place -- these people are doing their best to make an informed decision.

If you think that atheists and agnostics are oblivious to religious scripture, then you are way off.

"[Their] absence of belief generally comes about either through deliberate choice, or from an inherent inability to believe religious teachings which seem literally incredible. It is not a lack of belief born out of simple ignorance of religious teachings," claims Infidels.org, another Web site concerning religious tolerance.

The percentage of agnostics at large is a number that can only increase, for we live in an era of self-inquiry. Perhaps understanding different forms of religion can help us to better understand ourselves and it can't hurt to embrace something new. And even though agnosticism doesn't fit the typical religious ideal, there is no reason why it shouldn't be treated and accepted as one.

* Marcos Moreno is a junior.