Agnostic, just in case.

Someone in class on Monday suggested that agnosticism is a temporary position and that many people move to different positions throughout their lives. I agree that as humans our ideologies continuously change throughout our lives when we learn new ideas and theories. When I think of someone who is agnostic, I think of someone who is unsure what to believe; if they should believe what they are told or what they think they know. Many children are brought up to believe in God and have faith in his existence, even though they do not understand. When children mature and learn more about science and the natural world, so to speak, they begin to question what they have been told. Many people start to question God’s existence because there is no proof that he does exist. It is difficult for people to have faith in a god that they cannot see or hear, while they can see and understand how science continuously works to disprove god’s existence.

While people go through different stages of their lives, it is evident that most people are agnostic during the middle of their lives. When people come to the end of their lives (70’s and 80’s, on average) they begin to think more of the afterlife, and this is when most people become reacquainted with their religion. On any given Sunday or other day of worship, if you were to walk into a temple, church, or any other place of worship, the majority are of an older generation and young children who are brought by their parents and grandparents.

Perhaps people that question god’s existence choose to be agnostic so that if they die, and god does exist, they can say that they have believed all along, and be saved. Because no one knows if there is an afterlife when we die, people continuously struggle to do the right things to help themselves. It appears as though some people find agnosticism as a way to play both worlds, just in case.