What views are compatible with agnosticism?

[MarkD]

One often finds Christians online who want to argue that agnosticism is and must be distinct from and logically incompatible with atheism. Likewise one rarely finds Christians online who will allow that they hold their religious belief on faith but confess they could be mistaken regarding the existence of God. I know some agnostic Christians and respect their position. More common among atheists I meet online are those whose opinion is that gods/God (as popularly understood) probably do not exist but confess they could be mistaken. I find that position is also coherent - good thing since I classify myself as an agnostic atheist - so long as I accept what it is believers take gods/God to be.

Of course the big problem which muddies a straightforward answer to the question of the existence of gods is how poorly defined is the entity identified as a god or the God. Personally I think the term rightly belongs to whatever it is which has given rise to god belief, but I suspect there is no external, unified entity responsible for god belief. More likely it is something intrinsic to our nature which supports god belief. So if gods/God is anything at all it is something within, a potential co-product of consciousness perhaps like what we call our "self".

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Views compatible with agnosticism?

Based on Huxley's version of agnosticism, I wouldn't say that agnosticism says much about the views that agnostics hold but rather it's focus is more on the basis for accepting those views. Basically, any view that is supported by logic and verifiable evidence is an agnostic view. That is deceptively simple because you'd think all so called rational people would apply logic and evidence to all matters involving the intellect, but we can find areas where that is not the case, especially when it comes to religion and some stronger forms of atheism. Huxley narrowed in on one reason people, even rational ones, deviate from rationality, and that reason is dogmatism (i think there are other psychological reasons which you and I covered in another topic). Huxley coined agnosticism and meant for it to be a position that counters dogmatism.

Of course the big problem which muddies a straightforward answer to the question of the existence of gods is how poorly defined is the entity identified as a god or the God. Personally I think the term rightly belongs to whatever it is which has given rise to god belief, but I suspect there is no external, unified entity responsible for god belief. More likely it is something intrinsic to our nature which supports god belief. So if gods/God is anything at all it is something within, a potential co-product of consciousness perhaps like what we call our "self".

That's a good perspective to consider. I've been studying some of the Eastern Religions and some of your views would fit right in. They may go further in attributing more to the "self" than you do, but it's all interesting and worth exploring.