The main reason that I am agnostic is because spirituality is too important to me. By this I mean that I cannot simply and blindly accept any certain religion that will govern my life and every action I make. This led me to question which religion is right, and whether or not there is a god. From all these questions I began to propose differing theories to every belief. What I concluded is that I cannot conclude anything. All I can do is make the best of life, keeping in mind that God may or may not exist. Along the way I am searching for the truth, but I project that I will never find it, and I am content with that.
The main argument that I hear against my belief comes from Christians. They say that Jesus is the only answer. They also say that a person with my belief is likely to decline morally and emotionally. Without faith in something, I will be lost and confused and I will not make it into heaven. But, this is where I object with the idea of psychosomatic powers.
What I mean by psychosomatics is that if you want to believe in something and you believe it strong enough, it becomes your reality. It's the power of suggestion, mind over matter. Let's look at an example. According to most people's belief, someone has to have faith in the wrong religion. But, those who are "wrong" certainly share the same feelings of contentment, safety and love. Therefore, it is not their God who is making them so; it is their desire and their belief that their God will make them so. If people believe that religion will make them content, safe and loving, then it will make them so, regardless whether their God exists. If this is true, then it is highly possible that all religions are doing the same thing. This doesn't disprove God, but it gives a bit of logic points to the opposing team. In this same sense, I can bring about my own contentment, safety, and amity through agnosticism.
So, who is to say which religion is right? Does the majority opinion equal fact?
The first part of my theory of an agnostic society is a fairly strict moral code. If we look into evolutionary morals, we can see that morals are not restrictions on our happiness, but rather enhancers of our contentment and longevity. Therefore, we would live by a more euphemistic “Happiness Code,” which would in fact be more scientific rather than interpretive and wavering. Also, there is a lot of controversy dealing with religion and science, particularly dealing with evolution. For some people it leads to a merger of their belief and science, but for others it leads to doubt and even rejection of religion. This is one reason I believe my theory can be helpful because even without religion, people will still have a moral sense.
The third point is the unity of agnosticism. With my theory, people who still hold strong to their faith will be accepted, and immoral religions will still be rejected. The people will come together under one diverse yet unified culture. Also, the society will even promote a healthy relationship between opposing faiths.
Finally, there are many people in this world who believe that the lack of religion would break down culture and morals everywhere, and it would only lead to chaos. To that I would start off by saying that most people in this world believe in a higher power, yet do not follow their own beliefs. This is a big distinction and it has to do with people lying to themselves as well as society lying to everyone about what happiness really is, as well as what it really means to be spiritual. Secondly, I need to make clear that with my theory I plan to implement teaching of religions as a part of cultural learning and tradition. The society could even continue to have Sunday school teachings, which would help people keep strong in the evolutionary morals with lessons from the various religions. Finally, people would feel a meaning of life just as with religion, because we would teach about the tertiary structure of our society. This structure gives us a meaning beyond survival, which includes contentment and amity.
The idea of my agnostic society is not out of ignorance or selfishness, but rather amity and a desire for unity, structure, and morals. I believe that agnosticism could very well be the next step in the evolution of the human race.
Related Links: Is there a God? | What is a soul? | Which religion is right? | What is God? | evolution | happiness vs. contentment | morals | The meaning of life