Agnosticism was a term that I rarely heard growing up in the rural Midwest. People either believed in God or they didn’t.
And then if someone did believe in God, we knew they were either Catholic or some form of Baptist. (That’s those who boldly have Baptist in their name and those who try to pretend they aren’t by calling themselves non-denominational).
I was first exposed to this when a friend shared that he was an agnostic. I kind of assumed it was synonymous with an atheist, so I responded by saying, “Oh, so you don’t believe in God?” He gently informed me that this meant he didn’t believe or disbelieve.
If that seems a little confusing, then keep reading. What is an agnostic? How are they different from atheists? And how might we attempt to love them and share the gospel with them?
What Is an Agnostic?
If you know a little bit of Greek it can help to understand what an agnostic is. Gnosis is the Greek word for knowledge. And the “a” in front of the word negates it.
It means “not” or “without.” Therefore, an agnostic is someone who is “without knowledge.” It is a philosophical position that admits to a lack of knowledge of these existential questions.
At first glance this appears to be a mark of humility — and it truly can be. Yet being an agnostic is a little different than simply saying, “I don’t know, let me find out.”
Agnosticism is a philosophical position that suggests that humans have a lack of sufficient evidence or knowledge to make any definitive claims about the existence or non-existence of God.
Agnostics can be categorized into three groups. There are strong agnostics who believe “nobody can know if a deity exists.”
There are also weak agnostics who believe “at present we don’t have enough evidence, but maybe we will.” And lastly, an apathetic agnostic would simply say, “I really don’t care about the question of whether or not a god exists.”
It may also be helpful to differentiate between agnostic theism and agnostic atheism. One who is an agnostic theist might claim some level of personal belief but still believe that any notion of God is largely unknowable.
Such a person might even practice a specific religion but still live as if God doesn’t exist. On the other hand, an agnostic atheist does not believe in God or gods but leaves open the possibility that a god could theoretically exist.
They are open to the possibility but remain unconvinced by current evidence. Even still, there is a difference between an agnostic and an atheist.
How Is an Agnostic Different Than an Atheist?
In one sense an atheist is just a more confident agnostic. But that is a bit overly simplistic. An atheist is compelled by the evidence that there is no god.
An agnostic believes that there is insufficient evidence or even that it isn’t important enough to warrant consideration.
If arguing with a theist (one who believes in a god) an agnostic might say, “How can you know that for sure?” And if arguing with an atheist, the response would be exactly the same.
The term itself was coined by T.H. Huxley in 1869 from a speech at the Metaphysical Society. Huxley rejected all claims of spiritual or mystical knowledge because they were not scientifically observable. An agnostic takes the position of the skeptic and heralds an evidence-based inquiry.
It is crucial for evangelicals to recognize that agnostics and atheists should not be painted with the same brush.
Agnostics are often on a quest for truth and meaning and are open to the possibility of God's existence, while atheists have already made a definitive conclusion. There is also a different way of engagement.
How to Engage an Agnostic with the Gospel
One of my favorite ways to engage others is to use Tim Keller’s, “yes, but no, but yes” method. To explain, this is how Keller explains John’s engagement with the unbelieving Greeks using the term logos:
“Yes, Christians agree that history is not random and the world is not meaningless, that there is a logos, a purpose and order, behind it all. Yes too, if you align yourself with that order, you will live well. However, no — it is not something you can find through philosophical reasoning, because it is not an ‘it’ at all; it is a him. Jesus Christ is the creator God, come in the flesh. Finally, yes — ultimate meaning in life is possible. What you passionately seek is there, and your desires can be fulfilled if you enter into a reconciled relationship with the one who created you and who governs the universe”(Keller, 98).
For an agnostic, we might say, “yes” when we are confronted with the humility of their position. We can agree on the reality that God is transcendent and thus in some sense beyond our ability to understand.
Having humility in these matters is important and vital. It is true that on our own and with our own capacities, we cannot come to know God.
But we also believe in revelation. We believe that God has spoken clearly. This means that God can be knowable.
Not exhaustive in our knowing — but we believe that one can know enough about God to meaningfully relate to Him. That means we do not entirely agree with the proposition that God is unknowable.
But yes, we admire a search for truth. We also believe that Christianity is the most verifiable religion. Find bones in Israel that belong to the man Jesus Christ, and the whole thing is a farce.
Our faith rests upon a real and observable historical event. It’s good to have humility, but if God has revealed Himself to us — then it's no longer humility to close our eyes.
It might also be helpful to engage an agnostic with a few meaningful questions. They are claiming that “nobody can know the answer to this.”
I’d be interested to push back a little and ask what evidence they have to make that claim. Is that an observable fact? Would there be any evidence that you would accept?
Actively listening and respecting their search can go a long way to helping someone wrestle with the claims of Jesus.
It’s also helpful to provide our own answers to their questions with great humility. But there might be one more apologist we can use.
They’ll Know By…
Jesus tells us in John 13:35 that people will know that we are disciples of Jesus by our love for one another.
In 1 John 4:12, he makes a similar argument saying, “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.” This tells me that an agnostic shouldn’t be able to say that they cannot see God.
If that’s true, then this is an indictment upon us as believers. If we are not modeling changed lives — and lives which are marked by a self-sacrificing love for other believers — then this is why an agnostic can make the claim they do.
People should be able to see God. There should be no excuse because our lives should shine the light of Jesus that it is evident there is a God living and moving within us.
This is what Francis Schaeffer called “the final apologetic.” He said it this way:
“Without true Christians loving one another,” Schaeffer wrote, “the world cannot be expected to listen, even when we give proper answers. Let us be careful, indeed, to spend a lifetime studying to give honest answers. But after we have done our best to communicate to a lost world, still we must never forget that the final apologetic which Jesus gives is the observable love of true Christians for true Christians.”
They’ll know we are Christians by our love. And if they know we’re Christians — then we have a living and observable example that God can be known.
For further reading:
What Is an Agnostic, and How Do You Share the Gospel with One?
Do Agnostics Believe in Anything?
Can Someone Believe in God but Not Be Saved?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Vuk Saric
Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing home is http://mikeleake.net and you can connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a new writing project at Proverbs4Today.
