Why I am an Agnostic

I believe God exists to explain these fundamental questions: Where did I come from?, How should I live my life?, and What will happen to me after I die? It is one of many alternative answers we find amongst others in science and philosophy – all of which are theories.

With no definite evidence, to be a theist of an atheist requires a leap of faith. I cannot make myself take a leap of faith in something important enough to exert influence on the way I live my life. However, I do, like all sentient beings, seek answers to those fundamental questions.

I am agnostic because agnosticism, as defined by Huxley, is a method, not a doctrine or belief. It is my preferred method to find answers to those fundamental questions without taking a leap of faith. I like the scientific method of enquiry, where hypotheses are tested by collecting empirical evidence from demonstrable and replicable experiments. I enjoy philosophy’s appeal to reason, where principles can be derived from a priori, logical reasoning. There is the problem of the induction fallacy, but the beauty of science and philosophy is in its openness. Despite there being various schools of thought, they are open for discussion, review and criticism. No theory can claim to be fully accurate. Ideas are constantly raised, challenged and disproved with some bruised egos but no cause for vengeance. In religion, however, it is taboo to criticise another’s beliefs.

To me, adopting a religion is also not a practical alternative. The answers that religion provide are packaged in a bundle which relies on the premise that God, or Gods exist. Almost all religions emphasize on and require Faith. Unless I’m prepared to investigate the evidence of each God’s existence and its associated beliefs, and then take a leap of faith to pick one, I am not able to reach a decision as to which religion I should choose to live my life by. What if I do not agree to all the moral principles that the “most likely to be true” religion offers? What if God does exist, but the evidence of His existence and his teachings have been picked up by different groups of people who then incorporated them across different religions?

And so, I choose to live my life under the assumption that no Gods, or spiritual/supernatural beings, exist. They are, by definition, non-material beings. After all, “God moves in mysterious ways” and the existence of non-material beings are not observable by me in conventional ways. I cannot pretend that something I do not understand exists and assume that every movement in the clouds, the fluttering of a butterfly’s wings or the scent carried by the wind, is a sign of a non-material being.

I may be called an Atheistic Agnostic. If I must take a stand, I’d say that I do not believe that God exists. But really, my stand is that the existence or non-existence of God is irrelevant.

Although I am interested in knowing the answers to the questions Where did I come from? and What will happen to me after I die?, to me these questions are not as important as the question How should I live my life? By this, I mean the manner by which I should carry myself while I’m alive, my values and moral principles. And the answer to this question does not require the knowledge of God.

Instead of picking a answer to this off a religious shelf, I chose reason. Not reason by individual circumstances, but a universal reason. I had leanings towards moral relativism, but I’m swayed by Kant’s idea that a single set of moral principles derived from reason shared by all rational beings exists. I am also convinced by his argument that freedom entails the freedom to choose to live autonomously, which excludes succumbing to physical inclinations for pleasure and happiness. It may relieve me of a lot of anxiety and make me happy if I find that I can turn to God for my troubles, but that does not make me a free, thinking and rational person.

So, I am agnostic. I live my life by a method I chose for myself. I do not believe that God exists but I’m open to demonstrable, replicable empirical evidence and any flawless a priori reason for His existence. I abhor both militant theists and atheists alike because I see no reason for their endeavors since the existence of God is irrelevant in the quest for knowledge, values and principles.

As an agnostic, I am open to all ideas. I do not live with taboos accorded by religions. I can pray, visit places of worship and observe all traditions in good faith. I also do not base my current decisions on what will happen in the afterlife. Most importantly, I may change my principles and beliefs as I gain more knowledge of the world and its people, and as I better understand myself and the norms of the society I live in. After all, I decide for myself.