The word was coined by Thomas Huxley in 1860. But it comes from the greek:
a - without
gnostic - knowledge.
There is an important subtlety here. Agnostic is not the same as ignorant.
The distinction is similar to the difference between "immoral" and "amoral". Immoral behavior is that which goes against common morality, whereas amoral activity exists outside of the normal moral code. Probably both types of activities could have similar results, but there is a difference.
So, when I claim to be agnostic, I am claiming ignorance of the truth. I am also taking on a certain worldview. I attempt to meet the world without preconceptions.
That is, I try to remain "outside" of knowledge.
Not an easy feat for humans, since we are hardwired to find patterns and form opinions.
The fact is, we carefully edit our reality, searching for evidence that confirms what we already believe. Although we pretend we’re empiricists — our views dictated by nothing but the facts — we’re actually blinkered, especially when it comes to information that contradicts our theories.
That quote is from a Wired magazine article, Accept Defeat: The Neuroscience of Failure. There's an interesting description in there of how our brains work when we see things that don't fit our reality.
Basically, we delete those anomalies from our consciousness. This happens without our awareness.
In effect, our brains work against our ability to see reality as it really is. We are biased without even knowing it!
So - how can we be truly agnostic?
well, of course you can't, silly ;). It's part of why I will always be able to rib you about things--because you can't "know" I'm wrong, you can only feel uncomfortable with my assertions. (When they don't agree with yours ;).)
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, there are a large set of us "faithful," generally more intellectual about our faith, who understand/perceive that faith is not truly faith, and is not a strong and living faith, unless one admits and faces (and works to resolve of course ;) ) doubt--and not just little surface simple doubts, but doubt about the whole game. The deepest questions (does God exist?) and the most complicated ones (say, anything surrounding the doctrine of the Eucharist, or, for a non-Catholic, their continued rejection of the Catholic--and highly Biblical--assertions about the Eucharist ;) ). And although certain congregations or even denominations would argue that this is the height of heresy, doubts based on non-Biblical evidence must be particularly admitted, if God is in fact the Creator of All.
Fear of the Truth is--according to the theology I currently live with ;) --a fear of facing God in all His facets. God is not a comfortable being. Although He can offer comfort, and the whole Jesus thing makes that a LOT easier to access from a human perspective ;), He is not a comfortable idea nor interactive reality. (Except to the degree one gives oneself over to that reality ... but that is a pretty big stretch/leap of faith for most of us!)
[posting in two "comments" for length restrictions]
Related to your post: There's a German book by Alice Miller most commonly published in English under the title "Drama of the Gifted Child," which argues that sometimes people are so determined to understand their childhood as a generally happy one that they repress all memory of their life before about (as I recall it) age 12. I happen to know two people who fit that description, and one of them will claim to this day that 'no, his family was a happy one and there were no major problems' (and you are very intelligent and you connect all sorts of information in your adult life and yet you remember NOTHING before age 12????!? color me suspicious).
ReplyDeleteOf course, I might be especially prejudiced to suspect this memory-lack because I remembered every moment of my life in high relief from about age four until about age 22 ... at which point I seem to have begun jettisoning (or moving to cold storage?) the old information to make mental space for the incoming information. A bunch of stuff I couldn't imagine ever forgetting is (as far as I can tell) gone, and I have nothing except some empty words to remember that I knew it at all. I apparently began to write language-only reference books for my life. It's too bad, because I remember thinking that my memoirs would be quite uproarious and entirely unique (nearly bizarre) ... perhaps when I get senile I will remember them and can voice-record them for my great grandchildren.
Also related to your post: I once bought a book, as an adult, that was very far out of my comfort boundaries. So far out, that when we packed up the apartment to move, maybe a year and a half later(?), I asked my then-husband why he had purchased the book--because I had completely repressed the memory of buying it. (When I bought it I knew it was outside my comfort boundaries, but I didn't think it was THAT much outside of them ... and I buy books outside of my comfort boundaries decently often.) After a confusing few minutes during which both of us insisted the book wasn't ours, I packed it with the others (one, my spouse was then totally against ever getting rid of a book, and two, the mystery of why we had the book seemed like one that should be solved--particularly if it belonged to someone else!). And I unpacked it, and wondered. And every once in a while I would see it on the shelf, and wonder. And months later, the memory of buying the book started to bubble up out of whatever recesses I had consigned it to. It was pretty damn weird and has been worrying me ever since--how much other stuff have I ever, or did I then, or which was about related information have I, socked away from my conscious knowledge? I have yet to discover any other bits, time or subject related or otherwise ... but with one, presumably many, and someday whatever knowledge I "have" but have repressed will presumably bite me in the ass. Hopefully I will have faced enough of the surrounding issues to face it well when it comes to the surface.
btw, I see I am no longer the only follower, even not counting you ;). Congratulations, Will, and welcome, Dolphin Dude.
Human beings think way too much, simple as that. The Homo sapiens are notorious for complicating the most simple things.
ReplyDeleteComplexity equals stupidity and the greatest sophistication is simplicity.
KR - a long overdue thanks for your comment. I have had similar experiences of "losing" memories, only to have them come back slowly. Strange.
ReplyDeleteI'm leaving the theology stuff alone except to say that I agree with facing doubt, although not as a means of strengthening faith. I commend your for having such a holistic perspective on god - it's one of the things I like about you!
Kevin - thanks for reading and commenting. Perhaps you are right about thinking too much - but I enjoy doing it!
ReplyDelete;). And one of the things I enjoy about our relationship, is that you can just set aside all the kr-nitty-gritty that matters to me but not so much to you ;).
ReplyDeleteMerry Holidays ;)!