Gnostic Christianity

Do anyone of you know anything about Gnostic Christianity? Its Christian mysticism, like the Kaballah is Jewish mysticism and Sufis are Muslims mystics. Edgar Cayce says Gnostic Christianity is the highest form of Christianity. It was deemed heretical by the Orthodox Church, but they were out killing people and getting rich too. They're shit was lost. Christian fundementalists call gnosticism the devils work as it goes against supposed Christian ideals.

The Nag Hammadi Library and the Gospel of Thomas, and Gospel of Philip are popular Gnostic writings. Check them out. Good stuff.

will do

A one-sentence description of Gnosticism: a religion that differentiates the evil god of this world (who is identified with the god of the Old Testament) from a higher more abstract God revealed by Jesus Christ, a religion that regards this world as the creation of a series of evil archons/powers who wish to keep the human soul trapped in an evil physical body, a religion that preaches a hidden wisdom or knowledge only to a select group as necessary for salvation or escape from this world.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gnostics.html

Some Gnostics taught that the world is ruled by evil archons, among them the deity of the Old Testament, who hold captive the spirit of humanity. The heavenly pleroma was the center of the divine life, and Jesus was interpreted as an intermediary eternal being, or aeon, sent from the pleroma to restore the lost knowledge of humanity's divine origin. Gnostics held secret formulas, which they believed would free them at death from the evil archons and restore them to their heavenly abode. See Valentinus for typical Gnostic teaching on the pleroma.
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0821080.html

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I have no clue how it happened, but, I hit something and all of a sudden the quotes' end brackets came up

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My friend, a professor, claims he's a Gnostic, and that he doesn't believe that Jesus Christ existed, so, wouldn't that make "Gnostic Christianity" an oxymoron?

Cool, it's 3:54 and at 3:55, a movie with Graphic Violence comes on.

I have studied that they believe the Old Testament god was evil and that Jesus came to reveal the true God. Here's my interpretation of this....

The God of the "Old Testament" doesnt exist in my opinion. The Old Testament was based on Sumerian mythology and also some Zoroastrian beliefs such as an afterlife and the concept of good and evil. However, the point is that because we live in a dual reality, we have to bring balance to good and "evil". The Gnostic Gospels claim that everything that looks evil is not really evil. Its the material lusts in this world that are evil and should be avoided.

The OT gave people ridiculous laws and ordered the deaths of those who defied him...especially homosexuals. Jesus fulfilled the law through compassion, which is balance between good and evil. I get a lot of shit from Christians when I tell them that Jesus technically sinned against God by not killing the prostitute Mary Magdelene when she was caught in the act. That OT law states that she must be killed! Instead, Jesus forgives her and according to Gnostic literature, marries her and has a daughter. The Gospel of Philip is concerned with the Gnosis of Sacred Union....coming together of man and woman.

I see the whole Bible has a balanced positive (NT) and negative (OT).

Make a little more sense?

Marijuana is not considered a sacrament by our Order and its habitual use is frowned upon by us as well. The use of hallucinogenic plants such as mushrooms and morning glory seeds are not part of the program of Nazirutha, but if an individual member chooses to use them occasionally, they will not be reprimanded.

http://essenes.net/drugs.html


Gnostics are definately not as cool as shamans, then. Obviously more advanced than straight up christianity (which seems geared towards purposely steering the practioner towards spiritual inertia), though. I must say I am disappointed by this stance on drugs.

Also remember that religion and theologies are man made.....as God is infinite and there are infinite ways to explain God. Just because one group smokes weed, and another doesn't, does not mean that weed is frowned upon universally. We have cannabanoid receptors and cannabis is the only natural plant on Earth to have cannabanoids.

And Jesus never preached a new "religion"...he was actually anti-religion as we must worship God in spirit.

exactly, exactly. people piss me off.

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Originally Posted by Great Spirit

And Jesus never preached a new "religion"...he was actually anti-religion as we must worship God in spirit.

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I'm not arguing that, because I'm not fully versed in christianity, but I have to question it. After all, he did tell us we have to accept him, god, and his teachings, in order to get into heaven. that sounds like a religion to me.

Also remember that there are other Gospels around and the official doctrine of "the Church" began in 325 at the Council of Nicea, with the Roman Emporer Constantine present. There were other interpretations of the Gospels, like at the Church of Alexandria. The Book of Revelation that fundementalists hold dear was almost rejected when the official New Testament canon was being put together 400 years AFTER Christ. Also books that are not accepted in Orthodox Christianity, are quoted such as the Book of Jude (NT) quoting the Book of Enoch and any book outside the Bible is considered to be the work of the Devil.

Jesus is a very highly evolved spirit...the fullness of God and humanity. He is One with the Source...which is every creations mission. He preached compassion...which was to accept people as they are and love them as you love God and yourself. By loving God you love others. Buddha was also a great teacher too and was a Christ himself if you put Buddha in a Judao-Christian text.

Fundementalist Jews want a conquering Messiah...they view the Messiah or Buddha as a personality in itself who will conquer. Thats why they never accepted Jesus. Rather...Messiah or Buddha is within you as Y'shua said "the Kingdom of God does not come with observation, but rather the Kingdom of God is within you".

Weird though that Buddhism evolved from Hinduism, and Christianity and Islam from Judaism. Indeed, in my Father's house are many mansions.