Konkokyo

I want to preface this by saying I am not a religious cult nut here to convert you, or anybody. But I do think more people ought to know about Konkokyo, or the Konko faith, which is a Shinto-adjacent "New Religious Movement" from Japan.

I am a very spiritual person by nature, and that extends to talking about my spirituality and my experiences. I know that makes some people uncomfortable, and they have a right to be - often people have had bad experiences with religion in general, or religious people, or just honestly feel like all this stuff is silly and unbelievable, and that's okay.

But, I have been a practicing eclectic pagan since I was twelve or so - in the bible belt! it sucked! - and identified myself as a Heathen since I was about 23, so I have been on the recieving end of a lot of disbelief, teasing and even agression because of my stated beliefs. I try to be reasonable when I'm faced with these situations, and I understand that others may be coming from positions of their own strong beliefs, or lack thereof, which they are not willing to compromise on, or they might just ... Not care, and find the entire discussion distasteful. If any of that describes you, then this page is not for you, and I wish you well.

But, when it comes to Konkokyo, I think a lot of people could benefit from learning a little about it. It is a very practical religion, a gentle religion, that does not insist it holds a monopoly on truth but has intense faith and trust. It is a religion that understands different people have different needs, and asserts that humans are inherently good but often need a lot of help - and it seeks to bring that help to them.

A lot of people's hangups with religion are based on brushes with fundamentalist Christianity, especially American Christianity. I try not to define things by what they are not, but in this case, I think it is apt to show that the Konko faith does not:

  • teach that other religions are wrong or evil (in fact, it stresses respect of other religions and divinities)
  • hold any animosity towards LGBTQIA+* individuals (there is even a LGBT Konko group in Japan, where queer identities can still be very private and low key due to social pressure)
  • insist that their scripture is infalliable and perfect or presents a perfect account of ancient history
  • require you to spend any money (while donations are appreciated, they are never required, and they don't keep records)
  • probably some other things I'll add to this list later

    • So, many things that drive people away from the religions of their childhood simply do not apply in Konkokyo.

    Okay, you might ask - so what DOES Konkokyo have? I CAN'T WAIT TO TELL YOU.

    we got:
  • A god, Tenchi Kane no Kami, who is and is in the universe, and who LOVES you and JUST WANTS YOU TO BE HEALTHY AND HAPPY
  • A Divine intimediary who became a 'living Kami' by helping people - Ikigami Konko Daijin, who also loves you and wants to help you, and will intervene on your behalf like the coolest Japanese grandpa you never had.
  • Churches and Pastors (in the US! English Speaking!) who will talk to you about the religion any time, and perform 'Toritsugi', which is sort of like divine therapy, where you tell them your problems and they relay your prayers to Kami. (this is not required, like confession, but something they offer anyone).
  • Interesting reading materials and youtube sermons in English!
  • No strict rules about personal worship or prayer. You can pray anywhere and however, and Kamisama will hear you. After all, Kami IS the universe, so Kami is everywhere.

    • Does this sound pretty cool to you? Or are you just curious to learn more?

    Check out these LINKS I compiled!