The Pitfalls and Dilemmas of Agnosticism

In his book Torah Beloved, Rabbi Norman Lamm raises some interesting points about agnosticism. He highlights its weaknesses and shows how an agnostic’s actions often contradict their claimed neutrality. 

In this article, we will explore part of Rabbi Lamm’s insights on the topic¹, discussing each point as we go. If you’re a religious woman and are wondering if this has any practical relevance to you, we will conclude by considering the lessons we can take from this discussion and apply to our own lives.

Beyond Belief and Disbelief: The Quest for Neutrality

Rabbi Lamm explains that agnosticism is “the name for that attitude of neutrality – [comprising of] suspended judgment, neither belief nor disbelief… It gives the agnostic the comfortable feeling of being a detached, scientific observer, above allegiance and commitment.”² Additionally, we might add that another appeal of agnosticism is that its lack of firm commitment allows individuals to see themselves as open-minded and able to consider all possibilities without being tied down to any one belief system. He then poses the hypothetical question that an agnostic might raise: 

Can’t I just go along without a real commitment? If a shevua to Torah involves a whole new way of practical life and a positive belief in God and Torah and prophecy and the redemption of Israel – can’t I have the privilege of suspending my judgment? Can’t I remain neutral and not sign my life on the dotted line? Must I say “yes” or “no”?³ 

Embracing Life’s Inescapable Choices

Rabbi Lamm then begins his argument as to why this stance of suspending one’s judgment isn’t a coherent option when it comes to practical living: 

Life has its forced decisions. There are certain things about which you have got to decide whether you like it or not… There is no such thing as neutrality on the great issues. It is one way or the other. It is a fact of momentous significance: you can escape making up your mind, but you cannot escape living your life as if you have made it up one way or the other… Insofar as life – real life actual living – is concerned, either you live as if there were a God or as if there were no God. “Neutrality” is only a figment of an unhealthy imagination.⁴

Let’s break this down a little. When it comes to belief, we can identify three choices:

Option A: A person is a religious believer, meaning that they affirm the existence of God and the truth claims of religion.

Option B: A person is an atheist, meaning that they deny the existence of God and the truth claims of religion.

Option C: A person is agnostic, meaning that they are uncertain about the existence of God and the truth claims of religion.

However, when it comes to how one practically lives their life, no such third option exists. Practical living doesn’t allow for a neutral stance. As Rabbi Lamm explains:

Either this world is aimless and life is without purpose… or it has a goal and a purpose, there is a God, He gave a Torah, and we were created in His image – in which case we will live our lives according to His Torah, fulfill the purpose for which we came into being and enhance that divine image.

In other words, when it comes to daily living, one must choose between living as if there is no purpose or living according to the belief that there is a divine purpose. Agnosticism, while a stance on belief, doesn’t translate into a distinct way of living. A person either lives as though there is a God and purpose, or they don’t. Ultimately, we have to choose a worldview that shapes our behavior.

The Illusion of Neutrality: Agnostics’ Preference for Secular Living

Therefore, an agnostic faces two primary choices in how they live their life: they can either choose to live in a secular manner, devoid of religious belief or practice, or they can opt to live a religious life, albeit while perhaps maintaining uncertainty about its truthfulness and retaining their skepticism. 

Either this world is aimless and life is without purpose… or it has a goal and a purpose, there is a God, He gave a Torah, and we were created in His image – in which case we will live our lives according to His Torah, fulfill the purpose for which we came into being and enhance that divine image.

Given these two choices, it is interesting to note that agnostics predominantly opt for a secular lifestyle over embracing religious practices despite their uncertainty about the existence of God. If their uncertainty were genuine, one might expect a more balanced distribution between secular and religious choices. Moreover, considering that belief in a higher power historically predates atheism, there is a compelling historical precedent for adopting religious beliefs. This trend prompts questions about why agnostics lean towards secularism, which suggests a bias towards living as if there is no God. This inclination undermines their claimed neutral stance on matters of faith.

In sum, regardless of one’s internal decision-making process, the way one lives one’s life implicitly shows a choice. Even if agnostics perceive themselves as neutral or undecided, their actions and lifestyle demonstrate a practical alignment with either belief or disbelief. In a practical sense, agnostics often live as though they are atheists. This is what Rabbi Lamm means when he writes, “Insofar as life – real life, actual living – is concerned, either you live as if there were a God or as if there were no God.”

How Conscious Choices Define Our Journey

Let’s now take a look at the takeaway messages from all of this:

The first lesson is that life forces us to make decisions about significant matters, whether we want to or not. Not choosing is a choice, and avoiding making a decision is a decision in itself. This doesn’t imply that we cannot wrestle with complex ideas or that we must oversimplify our perspectives, sacrificing nuance for rigid black-and-white categories. Rather, it means that true neutrality doesn’t exist in matters of deep practical significance – like deciding whether to pursue a new job opportunity, figuring out the best time to try for a baby, or managing work-life balance – and we must confront these issues actively and come to a decision. In essence, whether it’s tackling the big questions or the day-to-day balancing act, being proactive in making decisions empowers us to steer our lives in the direction we desire.

The second lesson is that our daily actions and choices reveal our true beliefs, whether we acknowledge them or not. It’s essential to be aware of these underlying beliefs so that our behavior aligns with them and we can achieve consistency of character. For instance, if we find ourselves constantly prioritizing work over time spent with family, it might indicate that we believe career success is more important than family time, even if we feel family should come first. Recognizing this pattern can help us realign our actions with our true values, ensuring we give proper importance to what truly matters to us.

We live every day according to certain principles or the absence of them. Let us be mindful of our actions and ensure they align with our true beliefs.

1. For the full presentation see Chapter 15 – Shavuot derives from Shevua ↩︎
2. p112 ↩︎
3. Ibid ↩︎
4. p112-113 ↩︎