Agnostics...Halfway in Between, Or Just Another Side?

      As humans, everyone holds numerous beliefs covering a broad range of subjects. Perhaps one of the most controversial of these areas is religion. But, why is this the case? Why is it that even after thousands of years humans are still trying to find which religion can be proven to be the "correct" one? And how does one even go about proving to the world that there religion is justified? The way I see it, religion is essentially based off stories that are passed down through hundreds of generations. Those who believe these stories are considered to be following that particular religion. Many would argue that this "game of telephone" with regards to religious experiences incredibly unreliable...but is it? After all, stories do originate somehow. I just get the feeling that though certain aspects of the Christian stories from the time of Jesus might be exaggerated, they probably do still have some truth in them.
     So, considering all of this, why do some people thing negatively of agnostics, who simply assert that they have no idea if there is a god or not, and that it is most likely impossible to prove either way? I have a couple friends who identify themselves as agnostic, and they basically assert that they do not know what to believe, though they admit it there is a possibility of a god, just as there is the possibility that there is not one. This beliefs seem rather reasonable, seeing as navigating the world of religion is often very confusing and strenuous. But, I have heard other Christian friends of mine make certain comments to the agnostics such as, "oh that's just a cop-out isn't it, so you don't have to choose to believe in anything?" It is just rather ridiculous how these things work. If you identify yourself as a Christian, people will attack you for believing in a higher power so blindly. If you identify as an atheist, people think of you as being a negative, pessimistic person who does not feel the need to go along with society's ideas of religion. Finally, if you identify yourself as somewhere in between, such as an agnostic, you get attacked for not choosing a side. When will this ever stop? It is within human nature to have a diversity of opinions, but people need to try harder to recognize that though someone may not know what to believe, that does not mean they need to be forced into choosing a side.