#Agnosticism

[ao3demographicssurvey2024]

In the AO3 Demographics Survey 2024 - an unofficial demographics survey of 16,131 AO3 users - 17% of respondents identified as Christian, while 69% identified as having no religion.

To see more analysis, including a list of the common write-in answers for this question, please view the full results on AO3.

[positivelyatheist]

Just knowing the truth doesn’t guarantee a person is smarter. It’s how they arrived to their conclusion is what makes them smart. Someone who was raised in a truth and never questioned it isn’t smarter than someone who was raised in a falsehood and never questioned it. They’re both equally trusting the people that raised them.

This is why we MUST give children the freedom to explore different beliefs and views. They’ve got to diversify the ecosystem within their mind. Raising them to have the mind of a monocultured lawn will make them struggle when meeting those of other beliefs, even if you raised them to believe many true things.

[its-terf-or-nothin]

[thepersonalwords]

Belief is a wonderful way to pass the time until the facts come in.

Carl R White

[9q3]

every year someone on this hellsite invents a new way to dehumanize and trivialize people who do not believe in religion or supernatural things and then it gets hundreds of notes its sooo amazing lmao

[cieldunoir]

More pictures of Tobias that make me weak in the knees 😌

[chainofclovers]

Due to word limits, a few explanations:

"Raised religious" = raised in a home where one or more religions were practiced, with at least one parent or guardian who ascribed to those belief systems and practices and taught them to you.

"Raised without religion" = raised in a home in which no one practiced religion but no one was a convicted atheist, either.

"Raised atheist" = raised in a home where at least one parent or guardian who was an atheist taught you that belief system. "Conviction" = religious conviction that matches the religion you were raised in.

"Rel" = religion.

This poll is specifically for agnostic people as opposed to people who practice a specific religion or people who are atheist. If you consider yourself agnostic, please take the poll! I'm curious to learn more--in a very surface-level tumblr poll sort of way--about the way beliefs change over time, whether gradually or suddenly. Feel free to elaborate on your experience with agnosticism, atheism, and religion in the tags.

[creature-wizard]

Technically, I am agnostic. One thing I feel very certain about is that if it's possible for an infinitely infinite creator to exist all on its own for no special reason, then it's just as possible for our comparatively simple universe to exist all on its own for no special reason.

[sinful-skeptic]

Religious conservatives love talking about trans people “mutilating their genitals” and then go off to circumcise their children without their consent 😇

[music-for-them-asses]

Happy holidays from your favorite agnostic!

[positivelyatheist]

Forest Creature: You’re a person who knows everything aren’t you?

Snufkin: Little one, if you worship someone too much, you’ll end up losing your freedom.

[magnetothemagnificent]

How can you be religious and atheist? Genuinely curious, never heard that before, the two kinda sound like the opposite don't they? I get being secular and theist because secular culture doesn't stray far from religious culture (at least speaking for American Christianity), but wouldn't being atheist kinda negate the need for religion?

Well, first of all, *I'm* not atheist. I very much believe in G-d at the moment, but it's not something I worry about too much and it's not really something I think too deeply about.

But there are lots of religious people who *are* atheist. To be religious is to take part in religious practices and rituals. You don't have to believe in G-d (or and god) to do that.

I can't speak for other religions, but Judaism is very practice-based and community based. Many Jews are religious and wholeheartedly participate in religious life.....while being agnostic or atheist. When we practice Judaism, we don't just practice Judaism just for a belief in G-d. We practice it for our community, for our ancestors, for our heritage, for ourselves, for the land, and for the world. There are Jews who are religious because it comforts them, or because they're honouring those who perished for the chance to be religious, or because they believe it contributes to a more just world, or because they value their community.

And in Judaism, belief in G-d also varies- there are those that believe in an all-knowing powerful deity, or a comforting spirit, or believe that G-d manifests as gravity and atoms, or believe that G-d exists as the spirit of living things, or as the invisible force behind incredible phenomena. G-d can be a loving spouse, a grandparent, a parent, a stranger, and a friend. Or G-d can be impossible to even attempt to compare to human concepts. Even among believers in G-d, the way we conceptualize G-d isn't uniform.

[thepersonalwords]

My gut instinct is that these heavens and hells exist nowhere else except in our hearts and minds

Bangambiki Habyarimana, Pearls Of Eternity