I am a Christian. And I am an agnostic. I hold as true what cannot yet be verified. An agnostic is one who says we can’t know whether there is a God or not. His existence can’t be proven, and it can’t be disproven. That is a philosophical position. Though we can’t know, we can form a personal belief. Mine is theistic and Christian. Many of my readers are also philosophically agnostic, but their personal belief is atheistic (few will admit it’s a belief and not a scientific certainty).
My Limited Goal
I don’t generally argue for Christianity here; I leave that to others. My specialty is doing part of their job -- advocating one step out of atheism. It may be the first of many steps, as it was for me, or it may be the only one. In any case it’s transformative and far better than none. I call it Pure Theism. Read my various postings, especially the next few, and you’ll see what I mean by the term and the case I make for it.
Caring Critics Needed
Sometimes I’ll comment on current issues affecting Christianity or one of its branches, e. g., the Catholic Church. I love the Church as I love my children and as my parents loved me. At times it is the part of love to criticize and even castigate, as Christ did his disciples, and as even Paul upbraided Peter. The human element of the Church is not above reproach, nor are its policies and practices, as distinguished from its doctrines. I hope Catholic readers will bear this in mind: Even when I speak harshly I speak out of love for a great and venerable institution. The next posting, "The 'Third Rail' of Church Policy Making," is an example of this.
To those who say, "Who are you, to criticize?" I reply: One who invites criticism of everything he says. There's a comment box at the end of each posting.
