(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); There are many different labels one can use to define oneself regarding the belief (or lack thereof) in a deity, the most common being theism & atheism. These are quite simple, you either believe in a God or you do not. What I see a lot though is people referring to themselves as agnostics, and they essentially just sit on the fence and fail to take a concrete stance on the matter. I'm going to try and explain as best I can as to why that's flawed, but you're welcome to disagree- this is the debating section after all.

We'll start with the definitions of various branches of belief and non-belief in a God, excluding religions which are rather self-explanatory. I'll leave some of the more unknown ones out too or this list would be seemingly infinite. Also, there are conflicting definitions so I've tried to find the best and most accurate available.

• Theism - the simple belief in God(s).
  
• Monotheism - the belief in a single God.
  
• Deism - the belief in a single immanent God.
  
• Polytheism - the belief in a plurality of Gods.
  
• Pantheism - the belief in a God that is part of nature, but still retains an independent identity.
  
• Agnostic Theism - the belief in a God but the acceptance that there's a lack of knowledge regarding the existence of said God.
  
• Agnostic Atheism - the non-belief in a God but the acceptance that there's either a lack of knowledge regarding the existence of said God(see: Weak Agnosticism) or that the knowledge of a Gods existence cannot be known(see: Strong Agnosticism).
  
• Weak Agnosticism - the belief that at present there is not enough information to know whether any deities exist, but that such might become knowable.
  
• Strong Agnosticism - the belief that it is impossible to know whether any deities exist or not.
  
• Weak Atheism - non-belief in any and all manner of Gods but the acceptance that it's a possibility.
  
• Strong Atheism - not only non-belief in any and all manner of Gods but also the assertion that there is not a God.
  

Now, here's the problem. When people ask you whether you believe in a God or not, they're asking you for your position in either faith or non-faith. They're not asking whether you have knowledge or not regarding the existence of a God, they're simply asking whether you believe or not. This makes the position of agnosticism flawed as agnosticism is the belief that one cannot know if there is a God or not, not whether one actually believes in said God or not.

There is one other (false) definition for agnosticism, and that is somewhere along the lines of not knowing whether one has belief or not. This is stupid. You either believe or you don't. Similar to how something can only be either true or false, you can only either believe or not believe. By definition there is no middle ground.

I hope this post successfully outlines why agnosticism is flawed as it's becoming a very popular position, whether that's because people are on the fence regarding their beliefs or whether they merely misinterpreted the definition.

Feel free to comment below.

You're telling me to accept someone's belief system which is wrong by very definition because I should respect their beliefs? No.

Besides, this is the debating section, for, you guessed it, debating. This is a place where people can't cower behind the undeserved respect religion has.

Given how many people consider themselves agnostic, I'd like someone to try and refute my OP :p

I once claimed to be agnostic due to not wanting any confrontation of my belief, as I didn't really care for religion I saw it the best answer to avoid any confrontation with an individual. But now I look at it like this; If they can't respect my belief, why should I respect someone else's belief? I shouldn't, there's no reason to.

I think that's the same for all people that claim to be agnostic, they just don't want to be judged for something they don't really care for.

Well in a world heavily influenced by both organized religion and even mere, simple irreligious theism I struggle to see how anyone could not care, even if they prefer to avoid confrontation. The church(es) are well out of date and yet for whatever reason they seem to have a huge part to play in politics. That bugs me horrendously.