The word “agnostic” comes from the Greek, combining “a” and “gnosis.” Gnosis means knowledge; the prefix “a” basically nullifies or neutralizes whatever follows it. So to be an agnostic means you’re not so sure about the “knowledge” (of God, or Spirit, or Brahama or Prosperity) purportedly offered in the wide spiriritual tradtions, be they east or west. At some stage, generally an early, youthful stage, it makes perfect sense to not be sure of such “knowledge.”
Alas, many agnostics in our time are not only unsure whether such a Knowledgeable Presence exists, but don’t really care, or don’t have the courage to find out for themselves. They are too busy making a living, or working on their Fantasy Football or Rental Rehab project to give it much thought. Thus we get old geezer and geezer-ess agnostics. So it goes in modern times.
Here’s why that happens so often: Many agnostics take the position that not only do they themselves not know, but they are quite certain (e.g. they have certain knowledge) that nobody else knows either! Again, this is most often an un-examined prejudice not based on direct investigation.
The good news is that it doesn’t really matter. Methods exist– such as Dream Study , Self Inquiry, simple meditation or just reading ” — none of which require faith in someone else’s knowledge and any one of which can and will quicken the agnostic’s inner life and allow him/her to experience and express much more Peaceable Prosperity in daily life. And that’s what we’re wanting, yes?
Most agnostics I know unwittingly employ either “The Method of No Method” or “The Most Dangerous Method.” Unfortunately, without training in any of the other methods, they do not employ these methods either very methodically or successfully. So their experience and expression of Peaceable Prosperity is generally somewhat muted. So it goes. For every thing, as scriptures know, there is a season.
I of course encourage your feedback on my knowledge of agnostics!
Question of the Week
For the past 20 or 30 years or so, a number of us have been meeting on a weekly basis to discuss topics of “Buddhist Methodist” import. Ten years or so ago (unlike most Methodists and a majority of Buddhists, our archives and record keeping are kept more spontaneously than rigorously) we started sending out a “question of the week” prior to our meeting in order to kick off our
discussion. Most of us, find the “discussion starters” to be quite useful, though a few find such a format restrictive. Nevertheless, recently, it was suggested I start posting these questions of the week here on our website., for the growing number of “non-locals” who find this site useful, or at least interesting. I’ll add more questions– both new and from the archives, as time and inclination allow.4/22/18 Question of the Week: Big I and Little I, Ram Dass , Don Juan and Joel Goldsmith
