{THE AGNOSTIC} ADVOCATE

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That familiar cliché is often the response I receive after answering that seemingly simple yet complex question: “Do you believe in God?” The response, “I’m agnostic,” usually scares people off or moves the conversation to other points-of-entry, but every once in a while someone will prod a little further because they are legitimately interested or trying to figure out if I’m being serious.  The reason this question persists is because of the power of labels. You can gather a large amount of information about someone who is an atheist or a believer. And in a world where it’s all about how much information you can gather in the shortest amount of time, my stance on ‘God’ does not sit well with many.

Many make the assumptions that I am a cynic or a sinner, true or not, the ideas people have about me does not turn me on or off. I’m always interested in seeing how people react. Labels interest me GREATLY! So much so, that I wrote two other blog entries on this subject (more or less). As a homosexual, I know all too well how the language of stereotyping can be limiting, hurtful, and sometimes dangerous. You’re gay. To some, that also means you’re feminine. Or, it means you know how to dress well. In some cultures and religions, it extends beyond the insulting and carries into the inhumane. To be gay means to be sick or unholy.

I’m not claiming this as a ground-breaking observation. But what interests me is how we label when it comes to ‘God’ when we all are GODS! You don’t like being labeled as gay and having people assume you know the choreography to Run the World (Girls), do you? Well, I don’t. I believe we are many up of many different elements that no matter which side you fall on in the god debate, you can fit into a mold because NO one is 100% correct. Being agnostic, I get to unfold the both sides into something larger. So when I use the word ‘God’, am talking about the believer’s god or the non-believer’s universe? I think you know the answer to that question. So what do you believe?