I want to start by saying that I have no intention of implying that my agnostic paradigm is how other Agnostics view life. I imagine most agnostics use the term to mainly refer to their position or stance on God or religion.
But when I say that I identify as an Agnostic, I mean that I fundamentally believe that in most aspects of our existence, we can’t possibly comprehend the whole truth. At least not yet (I’ll get back to this “not yet” in a later post). At the very least, it is very hard from our narrow perspective to fully know the whole of reality.
So, if I question the truth or validity of everything then what do I believe in?
First, we’ve made amazing progress as a species in expanding our understanding of nature, especially in the last 500 years. When I use the word nature, I am referring to all aspects of existence: biology, chemistry, and physics. And I believe that as we continue to learn, grow, and develop more advanced tools, we’ll eventually have a fuller comprehension of our lives, and the forces that govern the universe.
So, if you can’t tell yet, what I have a lot of faith in is the sciences. While the sciences have yet to discover everything or at times get things wrong. Science provides a framework to investigate the physical universe around us, allowing us to eventually gain a deeper understanding. And I don’t question everything we know to date. In order to function and operate in society of course there are things you must hold to be true. So, I’m not a nihilist who thinks that nothing is real or that everything is meaningless. Rather, I want to approach what I consider to be true cautiously and remain open to the possibility that my understanding or belief can be wrong or misguided.
Take, for instance, the flat Earther movement. I was shocked to read news reports of a man who died four years ago trying to prove the Earth was flat. He was so committed to proving that the Earth was a flat disk that he made a homemade rocket in his garage and tried launching himself into space. Unfortunately, the launch ended in his death. The man’s name was Mike Hughes and in a news interview with CBS he said, “I just want people to question everything.”Â
On some level, I agree with that sentiment.
However, the question whether the world was flat or a spere was resolved over 2000 years ago. Ancient Greek philosophers like Pythagoras and Aristotle were already coming to the conclusion that the Earth was spherical. And it is a myth that during the Middle Ages, people believed the Earth was flat. In fact, by the Middle Ages, most Christian scholars acknowledged that the Earth was round. So how is it that as late as 2020 there are still groups of people questioning whether the Earth is round? Well, the flat Earth theory had a recent resurgence due to the spread of misinformation on the internet, motivated by some religious and conspiracy theory groups.
Given how misinformation is spread today so easily over the internet and social media platforms it is more crucial than ever to be wary of the information we come across. Question things claimed to be truth or factual is more necessary than ever. But rather than going so far as building a rocket ship in your garage and trying to launch yourself into the stratosphere to prove something true or untrue, some careful thought and examination of currently available data could help get you to the truth. Mike Hughes just needed to gather all the evidence available. He could have started with the formulas that the early Greek Philosophers used to calculate the shape of the Earth.
So as an Agnostic, who believes questioning our understanding is crucial, and remaining open to new discoveries is valuable, I don’t question the truth about everything. Generations of humans before us have already theorized, calculated, and gathered a lot of evidence to support certain views about the physical laws and realities governing our world and universe at large. And so, I choose to trust in the knowledge we have to date backed by science, because it is as close to the truth about this existence we have. That is, until new discoveries and data come to light exanding our understanding.
In this blog, I’ll be getting into topics that run the gamut from health, philosophy, religion, God, spirituality, politics, life at large, and anything that catches my attention that I want to explore further from an Agnostic lens. I’ll also be sharing my life experiences and how I came to believe some of the things I hold to be true.
I can’t say for certain what my goal is in starting this. It seems to me that in today’s world, Agnosticism may prove to be more valuable than ever as an ethos. And I want to share how I use an agnostic approach so that others can use it as well. Ultimately, if the things I share help anyone, even a little, my goal would be achieved.