R
Rossanne
Guest
How can you deal with agnosticism and recon?
Hi, I'm new here. I hope it's not rude to jump in and ask questions.
As a small intro, I've been a struggling aspiring (I think) Irish Celtic Reconstructionist for years...but I have so many problems in my way I really haven't got a clue what to do. I can't leave it alone, and yet I don't feel as if I can do anything with it. All I'm doing at the moment is learning Irish.
I think my biggest problem is that I find blind faith very difficult. I am agnostic about gods, goddesses, land spirits and spirits of the ancestors. It's not a choice, I just can't help it, even though I feel incredibly drawn towards them. I don't feel as if I can say "they exist externally to me" or say "they exist within me" or even say "they don't exist". You, see, I can feel something there.
Problem is I have this pull to connect with them. And I really don't know how to go about it if I'm unsure about the nature of their existence. And since I'm unsure, and think that it is impossible for me to be sure (perhaps it's the philosophy degree...damnit, seemed like a good idea at the time!) then perhaps my longing is useless?
It is really difficult to express your feelings about something when you don't know what it is!
So my questions are ...can you be agnostic and reconstructionist? Or even agnostic and any neopagan religion in which you need blind faith? (By "blind faith", I guess I mean "faith in something which is not scientifically proven" ...perhaps?)
And...has anyone had this problem? If so, how did/do you deal with it?
Thanks for reading my post
Rossanne
[edit] Oops, just seen the thread on agnostic stuff and paganism...I think I still have a different question though - how do you deal with being an agnostic recon? (If it isn't an oxymoron) *scuttling off to read the rest of the thread* sorry!
Hi, I'm new here. I hope it's not rude to jump in and ask questions.
As a small intro, I've been a struggling aspiring (I think) Irish Celtic Reconstructionist for years...but I have so many problems in my way I really haven't got a clue what to do. I can't leave it alone, and yet I don't feel as if I can do anything with it. All I'm doing at the moment is learning Irish.
I think my biggest problem is that I find blind faith very difficult. I am agnostic about gods, goddesses, land spirits and spirits of the ancestors. It's not a choice, I just can't help it, even though I feel incredibly drawn towards them. I don't feel as if I can say "they exist externally to me" or say "they exist within me" or even say "they don't exist". You, see, I can feel something there.
Problem is I have this pull to connect with them. And I really don't know how to go about it if I'm unsure about the nature of their existence. And since I'm unsure, and think that it is impossible for me to be sure (perhaps it's the philosophy degree...damnit, seemed like a good idea at the time!) then perhaps my longing is useless?
It is really difficult to express your feelings about something when you don't know what it is!
So my questions are ...can you be agnostic and reconstructionist? Or even agnostic and any neopagan religion in which you need blind faith? (By "blind faith", I guess I mean "faith in something which is not scientifically proven" ...perhaps?)
And...has anyone had this problem? If so, how did/do you deal with it?
Thanks for reading my post
Rossanne
[edit] Oops, just seen the thread on agnostic stuff and paganism...I think I still have a different question though - how do you deal with being an agnostic recon? (If it isn't an oxymoron) *scuttling off to read the rest of the thread* sorry!
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