Agnostics

[Whateverist]

I don't think I can point to one of those as exclusively the starting point.  In fact, I'd add others-- a general distrust of the nature of reality and of mind, which makes it hard for me to form beliefs about things in general.  I find it hard, in fact, to see how any serious philosophical-minded person could be more than an agnostic, with regard to God or actually to almost anything else.

I don't understand.  If you're agnostic about everything, how can you take such firm positions?

To be consistent with your expressed skepticism, shouldn't "I find it hard, in fact, to see how any serious philosophical-minded person could be more than an agnostic, with regard to God or actually to almost anything else," really be more like, "Sometimes I think I wonder whether I find it hard, in fact, to see how any serious philosophical-minded person could be more than an agnostic, with regard to God or actually to almost anything else." 

Extreme skepticism seems to me a self-defeating position.

(Not addressed to me but when did I ever let that stop me?)

Agreed.  I don't often look for the gold standard of knowledge in day to day affairs so agnosticism doesn't often apply.  But I think it does apply in the "do you know if God/gods exist" question.  If it were the casual use of "know" then it truly would be just another way to ask "do you believe that God/gods exist?"  

That's where the "do you care whether God/gods exist" question comes in.  If like me you don't much care but recognize the knowledge question as asking for serious consideration, then it is possible to answer "no, I don't have that sort of knowledge in regard to something so nebulous and ill defined but on a practical level I don't give two shits."