Is this Gnosticism? (ritual, mysticism, churches, Revelation, scriptures)

[Chevalier Violet]

I said to a Christian once: "we don't need scriptures. The word of God is written in our hearts, we need to study our hearts."

And he said, "oh that's a Gnostic position."

I said, I guess I'm a Gnostic then. What is going on? Is Christian Guy (CG) right here?

CV

[Halcyon]

Originally Posted by Chevalier Violet

I said to a Christian once: "we don't need scriptures. The word of God is written in our hearts, we need to study our hearts."

And he said, "oh that's a Gnostic position."

I said, I guess I'm a Gnostic then. What is going on? Is Christian Guy (CG) right here?

CV

He was probably using it as an insult since Gnostic, like Manichaean, has become synonymous with any heretical thinking.
This idea you give above can be found in Christian mysticism in general, liberal Christianity, and if you look carefully enough most orthodox Churches too. The idea of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit could be interpreted as the word of God in our hearts.

Believing in such a thing doesn't necessarily make you a Gnostic, although Gnostics held somewhat of a similar belief - you'd need to further espouse belief in such things as Gnosis for a start, and probably some form of Gnostic cosmology - see here for more information.

[Chevalier Violet]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

He was probably using it as an insult since Gnostic, like Manichaean, has become synonymous with any heretical thinking.
This idea you give above can be found in Christian mysticism in general, liberal Christianity, and if you look carefully enough most orthodox Churches too. The idea of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit could be interpreted as the word of God in our hearts.

Believing in such a thing doesn't necessarily make you a Gnostic, although Gnostics held somewhat of a similar belief - you'd need to further espouse belief in such things as Gnosis for a start, and probably some form of Gnostic cosmology - see here for more information.

I don't believe it was an insult. Thx 4 the link (i'm typing w/ two pens because of wrist problems...)

[Random]

That one can arrive @ a direct understanding of and relationship with GOD through personal revelation and divine knowlege, minus intermediaries and mediators, is the core of gnosis.

Go with it, CV. You never know where the Path will lead...

The opinions of others are irrelevant: Truth is never a matter of opinion.

[Victor]

Originally Posted by Random

That one can arrive @ a direct understanding of and relationship with GOD through personal revelation and divine knowlege, minus intermediaries and mediators, is the core of gnosis.

Interesting....

[Scarlett Wampus]

I was told by a Catholic that the main reason Gnosticism was considered heretical (by that church at least) was its association with Docetism. Found out why here.

[Victor]

Originally Posted by Scarlett Wampus

I was told by a Catholic that the main reason Gnosticism was considered heretical (by that church at least) was its association with Docetism. Found out why here.

That was part of it. It's probably not very productive to talk about "Gnostics" as though they were a denomination. More like a state of "spiritually advanced" Christians...at least that's how they thought of themselves.

[sandhill]

Another part of the problem is that too many people view Gnosticism as being a heresy of Christianity, and it isn't. It is a derivative of ancient Egyptian religion that is similar to Hermeticism, which has been demonstrated fairly well as being a Greek response to the older Egyptian system of henotheism. This view of Gnosticism is described at length in the doctoral thesis at :http://www.colba.net/~drmcb/Egyptian.../page%201.html

[A. Ben-Shema]

Originally Posted by Chevalier Violet

I said to a Christian once: "we don't need scriptures. The word of God is written in our hearts, we need to study our hearts."

And he said, "oh that's a Gnostic position."

I said, I guess I'm a Gnostic then. What is going on? Is Christian Guy (CG) right here?

CV

Yes, Gnosis (the Spiritual Knowledge of God) is within; just as Jesus said: "the Kingdom of God is within you." However, it requires a living Spiritual Master to reveal how one actually goes within to discover this Truth. This is the reason why so many Masters have come to Earth - Masters such as Melchizedek, Zarathustra, Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Nanak, and so many others right up to our own day.

When one seeks and discovers a living Master who can reveal the Spiritual Kingdom within, and then becomes a disciple of the Master and receives initiation into the Divine Mysteries, and then experiences 'first-hand' the Spirit of God within, then, AND ONLY THEN, one is a GNOSTIC.

Peace & Love

[UnityNow101]

I was at one time inclined to lean more towards Gnosticism, found out I was not smart enough to understand all of the concepts, and disagreed with their stance on an evil Creator being at fault for mankind's woes. Gnosticism really interested me, but I could not get around the fact that they believed in more than one God, an evil Creator of the Old Testament and the Perfect Creator that sent Jesus Christ to reveal the unknown.