Agnostics — a comparison of the doctrine of 17 current religions
Prepared by and presented by Rex Bennett
An overview of the beliefs of the Agnostics
- Agnostics (not a religion, per se)
- Atonement — Do not believe that Jesus was God because God does not necessarily exist. Thus, there could be no ‘Atonement’ as the Christian world understands it. Don’t believe in sin, so no ‘atonement for sin’ needed or necessary.
- Baptism — Baptism is an ordinance performed by the Christian world that some believe stands for the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, entrance into a church, etc. Must believe in divinity of Christ, which we do not.
- Did Christ organize a church while on earth? — Most agnostics admire the life of Jesus and His moral teachings, the same as Buddha, Socrates, or Abraham Lincoln. Christ had a group of followers who believed, but it doesn’t matter if He organized a church.
- Ecclesiastical authority — Men must decide for themselves how they will act and what they will do. Do not believe in any absolute authority. Men should seek wisdom from others and decide themselves because no input from others is absolute.
- God — Agnostics suspend judgement, saying that there are not sufficient grounds for denial or affirmation of God’s existence. It may be improbable, but the agnostic does not rule out the possibility.
- Heaven and Hell — There may be some existence after death but heaven and hell are another matter. Most do not believe that vindictive punishment for sins is good. Spiritualism may provide evidence of heaven but has not yet done so.
- Holy Bible — They do not believe that the Bible is divinely inspired. It is early legendary history, and is not exactly true. The Bible’s moral teaching are sometimes good, sometimes bad. It is not divine authority.
- Holy Ghost — They believe that man may have a conscience or a feeling of what is and isn’t acceptable behavior for himself, but they do not believe that these feelings come from a Holy Ghost or a Trinity.
- Holy Trinity — Do not believe in a Holy Trinity. To believe in the Trinity one must believe in God, the divinity of Christ, and in the ‘Holy Spirit’. Agnostics do not believe in these, though the possibility of their existence is present.
- Is membership in a church needed for salvation? — One must decide for himself what path he takes and what is good or bad for him. Joining a church does not guarantee anything. Organized religion has caused more suffering than it has prevented.
- Life after death — There may be an existence after death though most do not believe so, for lack of evidence. Most don’t believe that something non-material (spirit) exists either during life or after death.
- Marriage — If marriage and chastity contribute to earthly happiness, then it would be well to engage in them. Marriage is not a divine command. Agnostics have no distinctive views about sexual morality.
- Miracles — Miracles in the Bible are considered legend. Faith healing does occur but any doctor they had faith in could heal these people of their ills. Evidence of miracles contrary to natural law doesn’t exist.
- Future status of non-believers in Christ — No evidence exists to support any future existence, the divinity of Christ, or any future status. Whether you believe in Christ, Buddha, or anyone else is of no long-term consequence.
- Pre-existence of man — Just as there is no evidence to support life after death, there is none to support life before birth. All that we know is that we exist from the time we are born until we die. All else is speculation.
- Purpose of life — Life has no specific, identifiable purpose. Life just happened. Individuals have purposes and may pursue them, though there is no eminent reward other than personal satisfaction. Living in hope of future reward is a waste of time.
- Resurrection — To believe in the resurrection would denote belief in life after death. Though it is possible, there is not enough evidence to support it. Therefore, resurrection after death is very improbable.
- Revelation — Man knows what he knows from listening to the wisdom of others and through his own experience, sifting out what he chooses to believe. Knowledge does not come from some intangible force, or God, who does not exist.
- Sacrament — The partaking of the bread and wine is done in remembrance of the atonement of Christ, by those that believe in His divinity. Agnostics do not believe in His divinity.
- Satan — Sin is not a useful notion. Some forms of conduct are desirable and others are not. Man must decide for himself. Agnostics do not believe in a person or force trying to get men to “sin”. There is no such thing.
- Second Coming of Christ — They do not believe in the divinity of Christ, that He rose from the grave, or that He will return in judgement. Christ was a man and when men die there is no concrete evidence that he continues to exist.
- Vicarious work for the dead — Do not believe that this could possibly be of any value since life after death is in question. Men do not have a “soul” which continues to exist after death, though the possiblity exists.
- Virgin birth, immaculate conception — Do not believe in any such thing. Probably derived from pagan mythology, where such births were common. Zoroaster was said to be born of a virgin, and Isthar, a Babylonian goddess, is called “Holy Virgin”.
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