FDQ (Frequently Debated Questions)
The community at r/agnosticism is a delightfully varied one. Theists and atheists alike fill our ranks. Our one common thread is our pursuit of knowledge, and our application of reason. Outside of that, and like many other Reddits, the opinions expressed within are as varied as those individuals that participate.
What is Agnosticism?
That's a terrific question. The word "agnostic" was coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. It was not a commentary on Gnosticism (a specific religious sect), but more a refuting of the gnosis, or knowledge and certainty, that many applied to their beliefs. It was the scientific examination of non-belief for its time, and Huxley defined his new term as such:
Agnosticism is not a creed but a method, the essence of which lies in the vigorous application of a single principle... Positively the principle may be expressed as in matters of intellect, do not pretend conclusions are certain that are not demonstrated or demonstrable.
This "learned" approach to non-belief was further championed by Robert G. Ingersoll, and later Bertrand Russell, both writing extensively on the value of reason and evidence in the examination of the human condition.
In this new modern era, agnosticism has become an oddly abused term, often assumed as either an adjunct to atheism, or an apologist stance for theists or atheists. We hope to restore some value to the term here through discussion and debate.
Isn't it really just Atheism?
No. It's a completely exclusive term. If atheism is to answer the question "What do you believe?", then agnosticism is used to answer the question "What can we know?". To that end, it's entirely possible that an agnostic individual may also be an atheist, just as it's not unlikely that a theist/deist/pantheist/apathetic individual may also be an agnostic.
This Freethinker article does an excellent job of examining these terms: http://freethinker.co.uk/2009/09/25/8419/
Where we as a community may disagree with this article would be the exclusion of positions like 'theistic agnostic' (one has a belief in a deity, but acknowledges that there is no evidence to support a claim of existence), and 'atheistic gnostic' (One who does not believe in a deity, and claims to have evidence that said deity could not exist).
Why don't you just call yourselves theist/atheist/etc?
Well, depending on the question asked of us we might, but a core principal of this reddit is the right to self identify. One may value their reason over their belief. If that is most important to them, then choosing the label agnostic is their right. We are not here to tell people what they should call themselves, but we will aid in the discussion if someone is searching.