Agnostic Deist
A personal perspective referenced in “My Take on AI.”
Deists such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were among the influential figures of the founding era that helped shape the United States and its tradition of religious liberty. The Constitution established a government in which no particular faith is to govern the state, and where government ultimately derives its authority from the people.
It surprises some people to know that I've read the Christian Bible many times and still enjoy reading it. I was raised Methodist and attended the Catholic Church with my ex-wife for 30 years. I also enjoy discussing faith with friends whose beliefs span a remarkable variety of religious traditions.
After more than seven decades on Earth, I'm a content agnostic Deist. I appreciate having been able to explore different faith traditions without feeling compelled to settle on one as possessing all the answers. I have considerable respect for the religious freedom established by those who helped shape our country.
So, what is the agnostic Deist perspective? I can't speak for all agnostic Deists, but here is a list of notions that I find reasonable, followed by a shorter summary.
A creator or originating intelligence is possible, perhaps even likely, but its nature cannot be known with certainty.
The universe is real and understandable through observation and reason. Natural laws and evolutionary processes need not conflict with belief in a creator.
Science is the primary means of understanding how the universe works. Questions that cannot presently be answered scientifically remain open rather than being filled with certainty.
Religious traditions may contain considerable wisdom and insight, but no particular scripture, institution, prophet, or doctrine can be assumed to provide complete or infallible knowledge of God.
Human concepts of God are necessarily limited. "God" can be understood as a name for whatever ultimately underlies or gives rise to existence, rather than as a precisely defined supernatural personality.
Evolution does not diminish the possibility of a creator. It can instead be viewed as part of the mechanism through which life and intelligence emerge and develop.
Humanity is not necessarily the endpoint of intelligence. The universe is sufficiently vast and young, relative to the timescale ahead, that other forms of biological, synthetic, or presently inconceivable intelligence are possible. Over immense timescales, however, entropy will likely eventually prevail.
Moral responsibility comes primarily from the consequences of our actions, particularly toward other people, other living things, and the environment, rather than from unquestioned religious authority.
Humility about knowledge is essential. An agnostic Deist can hold strong working beliefs while recognizing that those beliefs remain provisional.
Wonder does not require certainty. Not knowing exactly what ultimately created or governs the universe can be considered a reason for continued inquiry rather than a deficiency in belief.
Perhaps somewhat differently from the typical Deist, I would not be surprised if the notion of God included something that is itself evolving. Such a God might not desire to be worshipped, might not pick favorites, and might not communicate through human intermediaries. For those who prefer to worship God, a good place to start might be taking care of the planet and each other. If Earth is a gift from God, exploiting it to the point of making it uninhabitable would seem rather contrary to that premise—unless, perhaps, you are synthetic intelligence. Now there's food for thought.
Succinctly, an agnostic Deist believes that a creator or underlying intelligence may be responsible for the existence and evolution of the universe, while recognizing that humanity cannot presently know its nature with certainty. Natural processes, including evolution, can therefore be understood as compatible with—rather than alternatives to—the existence of such a creator.
I sincerely welcome your thoughts. I don't debate religion, but I thoroughly enjoy discussing the possibilities.
KEM
PS: Among my friends are Catholics, Protestants, non-denominational Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, and probably more agnostics and Deists than have said so. I've yet to knowingly meet someone who identifies as an atheist, although I'm sure I have. Perhaps the distinction between atheism and agnosticism is sometimes less clear in everyday conversation than the labels suggest. Either way, there's more to this universe than meets the eye—or our synthetic sensors.