How would you do it?

[LittlePinky82]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

I don't really want to annoy you with this, but I do think it's quite important to recognise the Bible for what it is and what it isn't. The Bible isn't the book of Christianity, its the book of a very specific form of Christianity that has become dominant.
Back in the 2nd through 4th centuries the orthodox and Gnostic Christians were in quite a fiece competition for believers, the orthodox collected all the books that agreed with their theology and Christology, or wrote their own, and put them all together into what today we call the Bible. If it isn't in the Bible it's because it doesn't agree with the orthodox viewpoint completely, and so shouldn't be in their Bible.

The books of Nag Hammadi, of Jeu and the Pistis Sophia reflect Gnostic theology and Christology and so belong next to, but outside of the orthodox canon because they reflect a very different yet linked set of beliefs.

You're not annoying me. I do agree about your description of the Bible. That's why I'm not a literalist. Right about the Bible but I personally believe the gnostic books are just as much a part of the Bible as everything else that's there. I don't think it was fair to keep them out. Of course I don't consider myself an orthodox.

[Godfather89]

Originally Posted by 3.14

i don't care what religion you are as long as you keep it to yourself. but if someone asked for it point them to google or wikipedia

Maybe Google it, I have seen disinformation on Gnosticism from some Google Search results. As for Wikipedia... Yikes, I give it a very minimal credence because, anyone could edit what one writes.

Originally Posted by LittlePinky82

Okay so many times I have people online ask me what a gnostic Christian is. How do you tell people what you believe in? Also if you were to recommend a gnostic Christian book to someone which one would it be and why? I would the Gospel of Thomas because from what I understand it's so close to the other gospel books.

Tell Them that its a lot like Buddhism. Give them The Secret Book of John, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Truth and Gospel of Philip. Gospel of Thomas actually some think are not Gnostic Gospels but writings from Thomas who made Thomasine Christianity. The Orthodox of Course is Petrine and Pauline Christianity but Thomasine Christianity was never given much credence by the developing orthodox.

[LittlePinky82]

Originally Posted by Godfather89

Maybe Google it, I have seen disinformation on Gnosticism from some Google Search results. As for Wikipedia... Yikes, I give it a very minimal credence because, anyone could edit what one writes.

Thank you! Finally someone agrees with me on Wikipedia. It's a nice place to go for information but you have to vet it properly to make sure it's correct. Stephen Colbert's "truthiness" wouldn't exist without it.

Tell Them that its a lot like Buddhism. Give them The Secret Book of John, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Truth and Gospel of Philip. Gospel of Thomas actually some think are not Gnostic Gospels but writings from Thomas who made Thomasine Christianity. The Orthodox of Course is Petrine and Pauline Christianity but Thomasine Christianity was never given much credence by the developing orthodox.

Ah that makes sense with Buddhism. I never thought about that. But I'll definitely recommend those others as well.

[Mr Cheese]

Originally Posted by gnostic

The Gospel of Thomas makes no mentions of the demiurge Ialdabaoth and Sophia, which is central to understanding Gnosticism. No mentions of why human was created, and why we are trapped in this plane of existence. And no mention of how to achieve ascension to Pleroma (heaven) through gnosis.

I disagree, one has to read between the lines, just like a Gnostic SHOULD