Greetings Mike,
As the examples read to me, true agnosticism is an expression of the perspective that "I have not seen, so it is not proper for me to take sides through belief or disbelief" - and there can be weak and strong expressions of this, as per Dave's example (e.g. I do not presently know, it is impossible to know)
Whereas the statement "I don't really understand... but I'll press on and see how it turns out" is about very much about taking sides - in this case, deferring to and passively accepting a particular tradition and its views, and placing faith/belief in that tradition demonstrating its truths in due course, despite not having seen.
MN 60 suggests that views that lead to wholesome activities are the way to go, so the view reflected by your statement is likely to yield better results than true agnosticism which is more neutral, and potentially unskilful if it paves that way for skeptical doubt or indecision. After all, the Buddha taught Right View, not No View. To be clear, I'm not speaking in favour of agnosticism though I do respect its intellectual and spiritual integrity.
Mike wrote:What Dave described sounded like very definite views to me. Is that what agnosticism is, then?
What you intend to communicate by "definite views" in this case is unclear. Do you mean "clear" and/or "confident"?
Agnosticism confidently admits that one definitely doesn't know and one is prepared to be quite clear and consciously aware of this. On the other hand, "I don't really understand... but I'll press on and see how it turns out" reads as neither confident nor clear... rather, it is an expression embued with bewilderment, deference and earnest persistence. It assumes that "I do not presently know, but I
believe that those I trust do know." Unconfirmed belief is guiding action.
On the other hand, there is nothing timid or deferential about agnosticism. Agnosticism is about being crystal clear and self-honest in the separation of belief and knowledge, and never allowing the two to be regarded as synonymous. Alternatively, if there is timidity and deference with regards to the two, the door is wide open to defering both to the knowledge and beliefs of others, and relinquishing the opportunity to differentiate between them. That's not agnosticism - that's submission...
very different.
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."