Bananas, Beliefs and The Being

Is the claim that “God’s existence is unknowable” a valid premise for a religious belief? This paper seeks to argue that “determined agnostheism”, a specific version of agnosticism that claims the existence of God unknowable, is an inadequate assertion. “Determined agnostheism” is a logically conceivable proposition that many individuals assert as a religious belief, yet, due to its claim that knowledge on God’s existence is ultimately unfathomable, its originating premise eliminates it from religious discussions. Previous philosophers of religion such as Richard Dawkins have expressed dissatisfaction with the “wishy-washy” tendencies of agnosticism, but none have gone as far as to prove its argument as incoherent. In order to accomplish this goal of proving agnosticism as a false claim of religious belief, an analytic approach that focuses on an explicit use of definitions, premises, and conclusion is implemented. The paper defines basic terms such as belief, doubt, and religion, followed by a contextual explanation of the most commonly held religious positions in relation to each other, namely atheism and theism. Next, agnosticism is explicitly defined, introducing the new term “determined agnostheism”. This version of agnosticism is evaluated under its logical existence as a proposition, and its actual existence as a religious belief using a process of logical deduction, implementing modus tollens. Lastly, the use of the label of “agnostic” as a cogent religious belief is debunked. Invalidating the premise for “determined agnostheism” will allow individuals and philosophers to hold dialogue regarding the religious belief on God’s existence.