There is one great question that must be answered by every single person and there is no equivocating (e.g. – it is either raining or it is not raining) there is no third choice. Do you believe that there is a God or do you believe that there is not a God? To this question the agnostic will answer “I do not know” from which I would reply, I didn’t ask you what you know, I asked you what you believed. I didn’t ask if you know there is a God or that you know there is not a God because the question of knowledge is not relevant here only the question of belief.
Belief and faith come first; they proceed knowledge. Knowledge comes after faith. You will never obtain knowledge unless you first have faith and recognize its preeminence. We all have a measure of faith. It is not that some have faith and some don’t, but the real question becomes a matter of where you put your faith and this is at the very root of all knowledge and understanding. It is also the central question which gives rise to the religious spectrum.
Do you believe that there is a God or do you believe there is not a God? That is the ultimate question which must be answered first because everything else hinges upon it. Alongside male versus female, it is the number one distinction between the left and the right. If one chooses to apply their faith and say “I believe there is a God”, the next question is, do you want to know God? Again, knowledge follows faith. First you must believe that God is, and then that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Faith is the beginning of wisdom. Faith is the beginning of knowledge and without faith it is impossible to please or know God.
On the other side there are atheists, who believe that there is no God. They do not know that there is no God so it is therefore an act of faith of which, if they acknowledge it, is honorable at some level. But here we must point out that simply having faith is not enough. Although faith precedes knowledge, it remains supremely important precisely what one puts their faith in. In other words, after faith is exercised, one must examine rationally the validity of that faith. Additionally, one must observe the result of their beliefs as they play out in the real world: examine the empirical evidence. The belief system of atheism struggles philosophically with logic and empirical evidence to the extent where continuance of that belief leads to some of the most irrational forms of religion and horrific behavior.
In the middle, which does not exist because, as stated earlier, there is no third choice, lies the agnostic, who claims to not make a choice, but the not-making-a-choice is the choice he has made. They too have faith but have rested their faith upon the shifting sand of ignorance. The agnostic hides behind this wall because the knowledge of God is too terrifying. Unwilling to make a choice, knowledge forever remains a stranger as they seek “safety” in agnosticism (not knowing), worshiping ignorance while pretending to seek after knowledge. This is the pathetic state of the agnostic.
The agnostic is exemplified by the Pharisees who came to Jesus and demanded to know by what authority he was doing these things. Jesus replied by asking them a question of which they debated amongst themselves how to answer but would not, fearing the people they chose the cowardly way out and said “we do not know”. Jesus then responds, “neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things”. The agnostic appeals to ignorance and he reaps nothing but further ignorance.