Is there such a thing as a non-practicing agnostic?

I’m an atheist Jew and I love Christmas decorations. You can be of a religion and agnostic at the same time, so one doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the other. It’s okay to be agnostic or atheist and like Christmas carols or decorations, and enjoy a nice dinner with family.

@Rarebear thanks GA

My answer is exactly the same as @Rarebear

I see it as the same as when a person moves out of state. Deep down they still root for the old hometown sport team even thought they don’t wear the team jersey anymore.

@Cruiser I don’t see how that analogy works. The person still identifies Catholic, just does not practice. So she is still wearing the team Jersey in my mind. Or, maybe because I am Jewish I see it that way.

I think you should say anything you want, but be ready to explain it. @talljasperman, how would you respond if someone asked you what you meant by “nonpracticing agnostic”?

I would say it by… saying I’ll get back to you later on it

I would say that agnostic is, for most intents and purposes, the same thing as a non-practicant. “Non-practicing agnostic” would, through the glories of the double negative, suggest that you actually do practice a religion, albeit in something of a non-committal way.

Christmas has a crunchy secular shell around a chewy religious core. The core is the important part, but plenty of people spit it out when they’re done with the crunchy part.

@JLeslie It works because I say so. I was born and raised a Catholic…the whole 9 yards. I won’t waste yours and my time going over the gritty details of my beliefs or now lack there of…. it is what is was. Needless to say, I cherish my upbringing and the traditions it gave me….I may not believe I am a Catholic anymore but my kids do not need to know this…yet.

So my analogy of rooting for the home team many miles from where my love for it originated holds true.

I have a great God given talent for agnosticism, so I have no need for practice.

Seriously, what has most of the stuff we associate with Christmas got to do with religion anymore?

@Cruiser Just curious, if you’re willing to share, it seems to me you are raising your children Catholic. Are you of the thinking that children must be raised with something? Some religion? Will they be confirmed and all of that? I don’t ask because I think it is good or bad, or wrong or right, just find it interesting.

@JLeslie No not really. They have Catholic and Jewish heritages by birth. Neither have been to a Sunday Mass nor Temple services other than funerals, births and weddings. My oldest who I believe is old enough to articulate his feelings…without prompting said he is a spiritualist in that he is holding open all possibilities for his spiritual enrichment. Meanwhile having access to both Jewish and Catholic traditions and mores IMO allows for a more rounded, less biased mindset towards what allows him to better navigate the tumultuous waters of religious fervor.

No, there is not a non-practicing agnostic. Agnostics, by definition, do not practice religion.

Since there are no practices to which agnostics adhere, it is then not possible not be a non-practising agnostic. Just do what you want to do and enjoy your experiences without concern over whether you are active as an agnostic ‘should’ act.

@marinelife Agnostics, by definition, do not practice a religion I disagree. there are agnostic and athiest Jews that practice their religion, although it is typically rather modified. Being an agnostic is about belief in God, not necessarily related to identifying with or partcipating in religious rituals and traditions.

I thought all agnostics were non-practicing but I see now people can supposedly adapt and modify.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Some of us are devoutly Agnostic, and occasionally proselytize.

@jerv You’re joking right?

I never thought there was a such thing as a “practicing” or “nonpracticing” agnostic. Agnosticism isn’t a religion or belief system but more of a personal philosophy at least the way I’ve always looked at it. I also don’t believe most people celebrate Christmas for religious purposes.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Not this time. I don’t proselytize often as I am not one who normally likes to interfere with a persons core beliefs (very few people deserve that) but I am steadfast in my belief that we humans have intellectual limits and cannot fully comprehend the divine.

@jerv Yeah, perhaps words like devout through me off – I feel like devout has little to do with logic.

@Lightlyseared It all depends on what you’re associating with Christmas. I, for instance, end up filing a lot of things – shopping mobs, for instance – under “Christmastime activities” rather than under “Christmas activities.”

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Logic can actually strengthen devotion – you’re less likely to quit being, say, Catholic if you know and are satisfied with why and how you’re Catholic, and the hows and whys of Catholicism, in the first place.

I think that the word that you’re looking to disparage is “dogma.”

@Nullo Eh, potato, potato.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir You say potato, I say spud.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Using the right word can make all of the difference in the world.

Agnosticism is not a religion but rather a theological stance.

@jakegest for now

I’ve just converted to the religion of agnosticism 2 days ago. I’ve started attending the church of agnosticism, purchased the holy agnostic Bible and have been saying my agnostic prayers at night. :+)

@jakegest Atheism, though, can be argued to be a religion.. One might apply the same argument to agnosticism.

@Nullo not overly convinced that the website you linked to is a good source of information about atheism.

@Lightlyseared In all fairness to atheists there are a few varieties. There are enlightened or nondogmatic atheists (who don’t worship physicalism). To these atheists the concept of a “god” or “spirituality” to be possibly proven as a fact someday or are at least willing to be convinced to change their beliefs if/when enough evidence is presented to them. This is different from agnosticism which claims that we can never know if there is a god or not.

There is the other breed of atheists who worship scientism or materialism (I prefer the term physicalism since materialism can have several meanings). They’re almost certain that no god/universal creator could exist. Spirituality/religion is pure rubbish. There are a branch of these atheists who are so extreme they even have their own ‘churches’ where they worship idols as their ‘gods’ such as James Randi, Michael Shermer, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris among others. Yep these special hardcore atheist ‘churches’ have statues of those people I’ve mentioned above in their buildings instead of the traditional symbols of religious figures. Yes they worship their own physicalism or orthodox principles. Fundamentalist disbelief where their concepts to fundamentally oppose are carved in stone. This group even has their own ‘sceptic’ bibles in which they take almost every words of these ‘sceptical’ authors in blind faith.

I get this feeling that our cat is a non-practicing agnostic.

@mattbrowne Many believe that cats are Buddhists.

@jerv – But why would they want to enter nirwana, when human can openers are readily available?

@mattbrowne Actually, they are enlightened enough to realize Nirvana isn’t all it’s cracked up to be so they came back for the fish and the belly-rubs.

@jerv :-)