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Gnostic Beliefs

Ravenheart

Ravenheart

Seeker
So as a gnostic, what exactly do you believe? Bear in mind, I am a seeker who does not believe in the existence of Jesus so if gnosticism has anything to do with him, please tell me.
 
earlwooters

earlwooters

Active Member
Gnosticism is wide in its variations. It usually means the search for salvation from this world through the gathering and understanding of knowlege that is only comprehended by persons who seek out that special knowlege. It may or may not involve Jesus. Gnosticism was around long before Jesus. It is very similar to mysticism. It deals mostly with the spiritual part of people and has a long history of persecution by other religions. The Nag Hammadi library is considered the treasure trove of gnostic books, although Jesus plays an important roll in the Nag Hammadi texts. If you read the NH texts you will find an entirely different Jesus than the one potrayed in the Bible. This link helps.

Nag Hammadi Library
 
idav

idav

Being
Premium Member
As earlwooters mentioned, gnosticism was around long before jesus. What I understand of gnosticism is they have knowledge of the divine and got this through some connection mainly wisdom/sophia. If considering christianity to be true it would be likely that jesus would be the greatest of gnostics as they claim him to have a perfect connection to god and being a reflection of the divine. That is precisely what gnostics are after so Jesus is a good candidate for study if you thought he actually existed. There is a lot of wisdom coming from the NT so there is plenty to learn from it even if the miracles didn't really happen.

BTW nice link earlwooters! :)
 
S

swamplizard

Human
To be aware of knowing; existence is knowledge manifest; unlearning conceptual "knowledge;" awareness of the innate knowledge of being.

the boggy nickle,
best,
swampy
 
beenherebeforeagain

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
Hey, swampy. Logged in here. Will take me awhile to figure out where to post most. ;^)
Don't forget the part of gnosticism about being a divine spark caught up in a material world.
 
S

swamplizard

Human
beenherebeforeagain said:
Hey, swampy. Logged in here. Will take me awhile to figure out where to post most. ;^)
Don't forget the part of gnosticism about being a divine spark caught up in a material world.
Click to expand...

Doggone, it's good to see you made it here. Give us the skinny on the "divine spark/material world" concepts.

I hope `mud and some of the others make it here, there are so many topics here to choose from.

best,
swampy
 
earlwooters

earlwooters

Active Member
One thing about gnostics is that they are continually trying to aquire knowledge from any source they find that is relevant to their beliefs. Most, if not all other religions are "closed", in that they are inflexible when new knowledge is discovered, that has been hidden or lost. "Religions", dictate what their followers read and believe, while gnostics, read and decide for themselves what is relevant to their own beliefs and what is not. This is why Gnosticism is and has been persecuted for thousands of years. It gives the power of choice to the believer, and not to the deciever. It removes the "middleman" from the search for God and Truth.
 
S

swamplizard

Human
Mornin' Earl,

I enjoyed reading your take on the gnostics and I think it has some validity. I would enjoy continuing this thread as time allows, hopefully over the weekend.

best regards,
swampy
 
Many Sages One Truth

Many Sages One Truth

Active Member
Well Gnosticism always varies person to person, so I'll just give my personal outlook. To me as a Gnostic, Jesus came to teach the way to enlightenment, of seeing the truth of reality. This knowledge was called gnosis. Through gnosis was a means of enlightenment. It's not the only means, Buddhists and Hindus for example teach paths to the same end, and the three come to strikingly similar conclusions about the nature of life and human existence.
 
earlwooters

earlwooters

Active Member
Gnostics seek knowlege about the truth. Most other religions believe that the truth is what others tell them it is. When your mind becomes closed, and you stop searching for the truth, then you have lost your ability to find it. Gnostism has been the worlds most persecuted religion, simply because Gnostics seek what others hope that they will not find. Truth.
 
S

swamplizard

Human
Good Morning fellow beings,
I am not keen on labels, but if I were to adorn one (other than Human - not Humanist), it would be that of Gnostic. Not to be misinterpreted as mystical, as so many have attempted to incorporate with the terms, but simply to be aware of what one knows and that, that is believed and discernment in regards thereunto.
Love your comments, may we find our awareness liberated through the lifting of the veil.
best,
swampy
 
S

swamplizard

Human
Greetings kind readers,

You know what I find interesting are the words "Gnostic" and "Beliefs" stuck together, when they do have different meanings. What I believe is different from that, that I know; and awareness of both makes all of the difference, IMHO.

best,
swampy
 
Tellurian

Tellurian

Active Member
The first "new testament" was created by Marcion of Sinope about 140 CE. It had one gospel called the Euangelion and ten letters by Saul/Paul. The Eungelion had Isu Chistos, AKA Jesus, come down from the Pleroma, AKA heaven, and start teaching as an adult. The Euangelion was later modified and renamed the gospel of Luke. The gospels of Mark and Matthew were copied from "Luke", and later Irenaeus wrote the gospel called John in order to try to fight some of the Gnostic implications in the other Christian gospels. In the original version by Marcion the Isu Christos did not "die" at the crucifixion, but instead he separated from the body he was using so the physical body died, but Isu Chriostos laughed at the attempt made to kill him. The oldest Christian church that has been found had inscriptions to Isu Christos, the Gnostic version of the biblical Jesus.
 
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