What do you believe?

What do you believe? If you don’t believe in God, where exactly do you stand?

When I ask if God exists, I speak of the God of the Bible—the Supreme Being who spoke the universe into being. If I asked a tribal hunter, he might think of a crocodile god. We’d be worlds apart. But with the God of the Bible, there are three answers: yes (theism), no (atheism), or I don’t know (agnosticism).

I wandered through atheism and agnosticism, with religion punctuating the journey. Years of study, a degree in philosophy, and a thirst for truth led me to one conclusion: God exists. I had once clung to the popular, the socially acceptable, and found arguments against God persuasive—until the arguments for God proved stronger.

Agnostics, I learned, come in two kinds. They don't simply shrug off belief or dodge a stance. Agnosticism is a complex faith. Some of the world's greatest minds are agnostics. There are those who say God's existence is unknowable, and those who lack enough knowledge to decide.

Similarly, atheists are of two kinds. They claim God does not exist. It’s a faith, too, counted among the ranks of the learned. Some atheists find the arguments against God compelling. Others demand proof before belief. Some think they have evidence that dismisses God, while others require proof to believe anything exists.

I have stood in each of these camps. I know their strengths and their weaknesses. Few hold beliefs with unshakable certainty, even theists. Ask an agnostic or atheist, “If I could show you proof of God’s existence, would you change your mind?” Most would say yes. Only those with an agenda cling to their belief in the face of proof.

We form beliefs in two ways. Deductive reasoning, like knowing all dogs breathe air because all animals do. Or inductive reasoning, like assuming Pigmy Owls don’t live in Anchorage because they’ve never been seen there. Inductive reasoning leaves room for doubt.

Consider the varieties of atheism and agnosticism. Are they built on deductive certainty or inductive probability? Here’s the breakdown:

• Agnostics who believe God’s existence is unknowable.
  1. They claim higher knowledge of what is knowable.
  2. God’s existence is unknowable to all.
     1. All believers and atheists are wrong.

• Agnostics who lack enough information to decide.
  1. They claim not to know due to:
     1. Uncertainty about the question.
     2. Compelling arguments on both sides.
     3. No formed opinion.
     4. Desire for more information.
  2. All these could be true:
     1. Believers might be right.
     2. Atheists might be right.
     3. The answer might be unknowable.

• Atheists who claim proof that God does not exist.
  1. They claim special knowledge to:
     1. Refute others with evidence.
     2. Dismiss competing arguments.
  2. They believe all agnostics and theists are wrong.

• Atheists who deny existence without proof.
  1. They claim nothing exists unless:
     1. They have subjective evidence.
     2. They have irrefutable objective evidence.
  2. They believe all agnostics and theists are wrong.

The Plain Truth of It

In today’s world, we often forget there is any truth, any right or wrong. These beliefs clash. They can’t all be right. Where do you stand? Are you a theist, an atheist, or an agnostic? Did you arrive here by deduction or induction? If agnostic or atheist, what kind are you? As Plato said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” The same is true for faith. What do you believe? Do you know why?