So, what do you believe in? Tell me with the passion of someone who would try to sell it to me. I have an open mind and woulkd entertain bidders for my soul on the behalf of their beliefs.:areyoucra
Hey there Dybbuk!
Welcome to the forums
For the sake of your inquiry, I'll answer as best I can. I imagine that you mostly want to get to know people, so hopefully we'll get to know each other better through this discussion. I want to let you know that I'm not posting to get you to come to my side, but I do believe strongly in my faith. On the other hand, I'm not out for your soul, and I don't think you're going to any sort of physical hell if you don't follow me.
I'm Gnostic. I used to be Christian. My mother was Episcopalian, so I still have a lot of respect for the Anglican church in general. I also respect Orthodox Christianity because I feel that it is the Christianity that comes closest to my beliefs - it still has the sacred, and still hints at a divine feminine while retaining some mystery.
First off. Gnosticism is historically a brand of Christianity that started with Mystic Christians. I like to think of it as Eastern thought/philosophy in a Judaic wrapping paper. Many Gnostic Christians were killed off by other Christians, or by Pagans etc... but most of their writings were burned or buried - and many have only recently been discovered and translated. These scriptures tell the story of a Yeshua who was a teacher, a "Christ," who was able to bring "light" into those around him. He was, for lack of a better term, enlightened, and able to see that his relationship with "God" was more like a relationship with Oneness rather than an overbearing lord.
The thought is, basically, that the God of the Old Testament is a demi-god. He is one that demands respect and fear so that he can "control" them and keep them from knowing the Oneness that is beyond himself. There are many theologies that go into this. One might say that Gnosticism can be defined as Greek Philosophy thrown into a Judaic setting, but I don't think that completely applies, for, there are many concepts in Gnosticism that are more akin to Taoism or Buddhism - at least in my personal investigation on the subject. It, however, is not pantheism. For the gods and goddesses that are discussed within the context of the faith are allegorical.
All the mythologies within Gnosticism are allegorical and metaphorical. The best way to think of Gnosticism can be visually shown in the vision of a snake eating it's tail. Ouroboros. Mystics of the Gnostic tradition felt that Wisdom (sophia) was one of the key ingredients to understanding the One. It is not a false wisdom, or a prideful wisdom, but rather a wisdom of love and peace which passes all understanding. (Sorry, I took that from the Bible.)
Anyway, I find that this is the most beautiful and complete faith in my opinion because it doesn't merely subscribe to one philosophy except for that which is to attain understanding of the One. To be a beacon of light and love. It doesn't give rules, because the idea is that once you understand the One, there is no longer need for "sin" for "sin" is a manmade concept. That, Gnostics feel, is how Yeshua demolished sin, by understanding the one and transcending the idea of "sin."
When I first read the Gospel of Mary, I was overcome with a light within me. I nearly cried as I read the words of purity, humility, and grace that I had not seen in any religion of my lifetime at that point. It's not nihilistic, it's not overbearing. It is a way of Wisdom and Love. When the teachings are absorbed, one is able to live a life of nonattachment to the things that matter little, while being able to live a life which encourages understanding.
It's simply beautiful.
