Atheism, Agnosticism, Religion, and Scott Adams

A friend of mine sent me Scott Adams recent blog on Atheism and asked how it fit into my theocratic arguments. The basic premise of the post is that since you can not be 100% certain of anything isn’t it better to believe in God just in case there is one because not doing so will damn you to Hell for all eternity. It also says that if you are 100% certain that there is no God then you yourself must be God because to have that kind of knowledge you must possess God like knowledge of the universe.

I don’t subscribe to Adams' blog, but if these are the types of topics he discusses then I will start. First let me just say that his argument is silly. He is attempting to apply scientific proof logic to a theological problem. “You can’t prove God does not exist therefor he might” is no more valid an argument than “Show me proof there is a God and then I will believe.” Perhaps that is who Mr. Adams is attempting to reach with his post.

But that is not why I write today, today my friend asked how it fits in my theocratic arguments. I think he is referring to my proclamation that there are no agnostics only athiests and people who believe in different “gods”. I don’t think I have written about this in the past so I will attempt to explain. I came to my conclusion by attempting to figure out why people claim to be agnostic. I did so while trying to figure out my own beliefs and thought that I might possible be “agnostic”. First I think it is important to know that I am basing this off of conversations I have had with numerous self proclaimed agnostics using their definitions of agnosticism. I know the Oxford/Webster’s/Wikipedia definition of the word so please don’t send them to me.

“I can’t find any proof God exists so I’m not sure there is a god”

To me this is a compelling argument but one that is easily taken apart in most of our lives. Every one of us believes in something that we can not prove. I believe I am a good father and my son will be prepared for what life throws at him. I believe I am a good husband because my wife tells me I am. I believe that I am secure in my employment because I work hard and my bosses seem pleased. I believe my car will start tomorrow because it started today. I can offer no scientific proof of any of these things but I believe them.

“I believe in some kind of higher power, but I don’t think it is God”

Then what is it? Figure that out; see if there is a group of people like you that think that way; build you a church and call it a religion. Poof, you’re not agnostic. Seriously, I think this is the category most people who have a problem with modern organized religion fall into. They believe that something unexplainable has influence in the universe, just not your god.

“I just don’t know much about religion”

You are just lazy. Go out a learn something. This is important stuff. You can’t go through life not interested in the way things came to be and the way things are going to be for the rest of eternity. If you do, then you are doomed to either be blissfully happy but stupid, or you are going to be miserable. Regardless, you are not agnostic you are uninformed.

“I believe in a god, but not Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhist, etc”

OK, fine… but you believe in a god. Therefore you have defined it in your belief system and therefore know about a god. You’re not agnostic.

There are of course variations of each of these categories, but for the most part this is what I have observed. I would love to hear others but I think I can shoot them down.

Oh, and you’re right. I did not address the “I’m sure there is not a god or higher power or a flying spaghetti monster” argument. You’re right… they are atheist. For more on that see Scott Adams.

May God/Alah/FSM/Zeus/nobody bless you.