My advice

You can't really reason someone out of a position they weren't reasoned into to begin with.

Hahah
I would love to give an idea, but I have never dated. So, I'll just laugh

Yeah - find something else to talk about. Being an atheist is about as meaningless as being a fan of a particular TV show - doesn't need to be discussed that often. Less is more there are other things to discuss where you two likely do agree - the recipe for a great conversation.

I agree with several of the following replies....I don't think your bf is an agnostic either. Continue your conversations with him and be prepared to make some uncomfortable decision.

Mixed relationships don’t work especially when one of them is lying to themselves. No agnostic quotes the Bible and defends gods non origin. Agnosticism is not giving a shit either way and not defending it. Dump the liar and find an man.

Your boyfriend is not agnostic. He is saying that so you will accept him. Which is pathetic.

Try and respect him, he's learning and will probably be more open to change if he's nurtured. Perhaps encourage him to look at some of the more messed up aspects of the bible and why it's not such a great tool if it contradicts itself- old vs. new testament being a case in point. It's good you've found someone, but don't expect him to have the same views as you, it's good to be separate too.

Is it so important that he agree with you in conversation? I would say, don't argue about it. You may decide that you can't live with someone who thinks that way. Remember, belief is irrational (to you I assume). He isn't going to change his mind.

On the other hand maybe the only important thing is his behavior. Does he push it on you? Does he push it on others, or use it to make others or you unhappy?

Also ask yourself exactly why it is so important. How it affects you in daily life. Is it important that you share the same worldview 100%? is it important that he be 100% scientific?

On other dating sites I have not limited my pool to atheists and agnostics. I have considered those to whom religion is unimportant. If it never comes up, I am not real worried. For instance, I had a partner for about 6 years and it was in about year two that I was discussing something political and I stopped and asked if he believed in God. I just hadn't thought to ask. He didn't, and I was glad for that. Had he said yes, I would have respected that; obviously, nothing I had seen in his behavior or general worldview was inhibited by that if he did.

I disagree with those saying he is not agnostic. Who are you to decide? You say he is theist. Theists will call him atheist. But theists and atheists are simply the very extreme ends of a spectrum. Inside, agnostics run the gamut from "Man, this idea of there being a God is kind of off. I wonder if maybe there isn't?" to a near atheist who says "I am sure there are no gods; well, 99% sure." In the middle you will find both people who agonize over it, and those like myself, to whom it does not matter a whit (if I am to defend a position I will defend the scientific; but I claim the right to believe what I want, when I want, including in stream sprites, wood nymphs, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and an entity who will help me if I ask it to in my head. Just like you can believe in light being a particle and a wave (and you probably do not care or think about it very much)).

However, this says nothing about whether the OP can live with her boyfriend's thoughts. She may want to think about that spectrum and decide where she draws the line as to who she can still respect.

Here's a tip, don't have the discussions. It's no different than hitting your head against the wall with religious people and having the same discussion over and over with no resolution. This is your BOYFRIEND. I hope you know how hard it is to find a good boyfriend. Enjoy your life together and pass on those discussions.

It is possible there is a master entity or a master plan....however, simple observation over many years has shown no provable "micromanagement" on our scale. We could just be an expected artifact of an experiment on a grand scale where we neither matter or are unknown the experimenters. Since scientists still argue with various theories about our origin or configuration OF our Universe; who am I speculate with my limited data?

Most atheists are agnostic as it’s just as illogical to claim there definitely is no god as to say there definitely is. With no proof either way, the only logical stance is agnosticism. Or being an agnostic atheist.

Human terms give me headaches simply because there is so much variation in what a word means. So I prefer to call myself human and everything else is up for groups. I like the idea of Deism and refer to myself thusly on occasion. I am not SURE of the existence of God so Agnostic fits also.One question you could ask him is has he ever considered the Bible a attempt (as misguided as it may be) for people over the centuries to explain the unexplainable and not something to be taken as the word of a omniscient being? Maybe be clear about ground rules for conversations such as you would like him to stick to what he personally knows or thinks rather then repeating others thoughts or cultural assumptions about the nature of a book that he has not read? Too me the Bible is a very old self help book mixed with a large dose of useless rules and laws based on a time when so much was not known about the world and how it actually works. Challenge him to read other religious and non religious texts considered popular and of relevance to the nature of mans relationship to the unknown. Like the Koran or the Tripitaka. Or Joseph Campbell's books about myth and its role him human history and culture. Ask him why he personally finds the idea of a Christian creator God so compelling?

if he defends the bible as a guide to anything at all and refuses to read it, then there is no reason for you to ever discuss this subject with him at all in hopes of any rational conversation. that is a gone train. he has admitted he will not be rational about it.

Live and let live

Hmm, seems obvious to me he's not an informed agnostic. Change the subject and talk about something else.

This reminds me of my "Christian" Mother. During a conversation she once said something that caused me to ask her directly if she believed that Jesus Christ was her lord and savior. She said "No". I then said something about her not being a Christian which she seemed to find insulting and insisted, "Of course I am a Christian". (WTF!) At that point all logic to the conversation seemed to leave the room and I just changed the subject. It was clear that her parents were Christians and that she totally indoctrinated to believed that Christians were good people and non-Christians were not and she WAS a good person and, therefore, a Christian. To argue that point were fighting words to her and I was not prepared to punch it out with my Mom (even though I'm pretty sure that I could kick her ass!)

he doesn't sound all that agnostic to me, "if" notwithstanding. love is love, but i would say the man's got religion, whether he admits it or not. if he hasn't read the bible (i am not even going to ask which one) then he doesn't even KNOW his own religion, but he's got it, somehow!

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Mosttheists are codependent. They need something hold onto. Being willing to stand alone goes against human nature. Where “nature” represents both genetics & nurture within a society. I think reading some Sartre might help. If he needs the “greater something” troll him to make up some rituals and a doctrine. It might catch on.

I think it's a distinct possibility that your boyfriend professes to be Agnostic to keep the peace, and because he wants to be with you.To be agnostic means one has doubts, serious doubts, that there is a divine being. Sounds like he's really leaning toward believing, not doubting. Try asking him...

He is caught in the dream. Nothing you can do to my knowledge. If his quest is to defend what he can't prove or reasonably justify - that's it. Sorry. The only thing I can think of is the Indiana Jones movie "The temple of doom" where Harrison Ford is caught in the spells of the master and needs a blow of the fire to wake him up.......

Being an atheist is a journey which some people do very quickly and others take longer. Indoctrination is a difficult thing to shake off. Undoubtedly he should be persuaded to discuss with you some of the threads that have affected or reinforced your thinking and are found on this very site. Better still get him to ask questions on this site. Inquiry is the best mindset.

If he thinks "God" is the cause of the universe and has no logic to support his view, he sounds an awful lot more like a christian than an agnostic -- but I think you already know that.

I'm sorry but your boyfriend is no agnostic.

And if you truly love him, i believe you'd respect his views( whatever they might be) learn to live the differences eventually!