AGNOSTICISM

An agnostic is a person who believes that if any Gods and/or Goddesses exist, one cannot understand their essence. Some agnostics believe that there is insufficient proof to conclude that dieties exist or do not exist. Other agnostics believe that they do exist, but that nothing can be known about them. An agnostic usually holds these questions open, pending more evidence.

T.H. Huxley, a well known English religious skeptic, first used the term in the 19th century. The number of agnostics is unknown. Most data sources link some combination of agnostics, atheists, freethinkers, persons of no religion and skeptics together.

Some agnostics who feel the need for religious discussion, fellowship and ritual join the Unitarian-Universalist Church.

The Canadian Census only counted 21,975 agnostics. However, most agnostics probably identified themselves to the census taker as humanists, free thinkers, Unitarian-Universalists or persons of no religion.

Agnostic Resources on the Internet

Many Agnostics contribute to the Atheist, freethinker and secular sites. Some resources are:
  • George P. Landow has an essay on Agnosticism and Thomas Henry Huxley at:
    http://www.iris.brown.edu/iris/RIE/alternative/Agnosticism.html
  • A talk by Clarence Darrow in which he explained why he was not a Christian can be found at:
    http://freethought.tamu.edu/freethought/clarence_darrow/bible_absurdities.html".
  • Notes from a debate between the Campus Crusade for Christ and the Agnostic and Atheist Student Group held on 03 March 1993 (location unknown) is at: http://atheist.tamu.edu/~aasg/notes/debate1.notes.html.
  • A 1896 talk by Robert G. Ingersoll titled Why I am an Agnostic is at:
    http://freethought.tamu.edu/freethought/ingersoll/why_i_am_agnostic.html.
  • An active Agnostic on the World Wide Web can be seen at:
    http://freethought.tamu.edu/~jlowder/

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