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gnostic christians

syo

Well-Known Member
Most christians hope God exists. These christians don't react good when they encounter someone who doesn't believe in their God. They want all people to believe their idea of God.

But gnostic christians are the greatest. They know God exists and they never force their knowledge unto others. When they meet atheists, they don't feel threatened, and they don't try to convert them. At least that's what I understand.
 

Ellen Brown

Well-Known Member
Sounds like a reasonable approach. There is an undefined link that somehow presses people who feel insecure about their own belief to try to recruit others to validate their own beliefs. In my own dotage, I see the wisdom of people following their own hearts.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Most christians hope God exists. These christians don't react good when they encounter someone who doesn't believe in their God. They want all people to believe their idea of God.

But gnostic christians are the greatest. They know God exists and they never force their knowledge unto others. When they meet atheists, they don't feel threatened, and they don't try to convert them. At least that's what I understand.
I have found that just the opposite is true. Those who are uncertain, but choose to trust in their God on faith, tend to be more respectful of those who disagree. Whereas those who are certain that their God exists exactly as they imagine tend to take that surety as permission to judge and condemn anyone who dares to contradict their presumed "righteousness".
 

dianaiad

Well-Known Member
I have found that just the opposite is true. Those who are uncertain, but choose to trust in their God on faith, tend to be more respectful of those who disagree. Whereas those who are certain that their God exists exactly as they imagine tend to take that surety as permission to judge and condemn anyone who dares to contradict their presumed "righteousness".


...and those who are utterly convinced that a: there is no god and b: the world would be better off without religion are more likely to sue, to mock, to deride, and to attempt to force by law or arms their opinion upon others.

They CERTAINLY are more willing to be insulting.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
...and those who are utterly convinced that a: there is no god and b: the world would be better off without religion are more likely to sue, to mock, to deride, and to attempt to force by law or arms their opinion upon others.

They CERTAINLY are more willing to be insulting.
I agree. Self-righteous certainty tends to make people *****s whether they're theists or anti-theists.
 

syo

Well-Known Member
I have found that just the opposite is true. Those who are uncertain, but choose to trust in their God on faith, tend to be more respectful of those who disagree. Whereas those who are certain that their God exists exactly as they imagine tend to take that surety as permission to judge and condemn anyone who dares to contradict their presumed "righteousness".
Gnostics do not imagine. They know, so nothing threats them. People with faith are threatened easily.
 

Ellen Brown

Well-Known Member
...and those who are utterly convinced that a: there is no god and b: the world would be better off without religion are more likely to sue, to mock, to deride, and to attempt to force by law or arms their opinion upon others.

They CERTAINLY are more willing to be insulting.

I nurse the hope that because I am very sure of my belief in the Creator, it is more difficult to be insulted. It seems clear that the deceiver runs to and fro devouring and deceiving who he may. Believers seem to cultivate the delusion that they are safe, but to the studious it seems that the opposite is true. I will pray for strength in the day of persecution. And sometimes it seems as if other believers are our worst persecutors.
 

dianaiad

Well-Known Member
I nurse the hope that because I am very sure of my belief in the Creator, it is more difficult to be insulted. It seems clear that the deceiver runs to and fro devouring and deceiving who he may. Believers seem to cultivate the delusion that they are safe, but to the studious it seems that the opposite is true. I will pray for strength in the day of persecution. And sometimes it seems as if other believers are our worst persecutors.

Nobody likes 'the other,.' Ellen. Non-believers persecute the believers, believers persecute other believers....

....and yeah, it's handy to keep one's cool and not feel insulted, but that doesn't mean that the folks after you aren't indeed being insulting. ;)
 

Ellen Brown

Well-Known Member
Nobody likes 'the other,.' Ellen. Non-believers persecute the believers, believers persecute other believers....

....and yeah, it's handy to keep one's cool and not feel insulted, but that doesn't mean that the folks after you aren't indeed being insulting. ;)

Almost my sole quarrel with the church of my choice is their ideas about "worthiness". It feels like being punished for being assaulted.
 

Firemorphic

Activist Membrane
Most christians hope God exists. These christians don't react good when they encounter someone who doesn't believe in their God. They want all people to believe their idea of God.

But gnostic christians are the greatest. They know God exists and they never force their knowledge unto others. When they meet atheists, they don't feel threatened, and they don't try to convert them. At least that's what I understand.

How are you defining "gnostic", if it's lowercase g than sure. If it's uppercase G then that's an entirely different topic altogether.
 

Firemorphic

Activist Membrane
gnostic is someone who knows.

So you mean more in your own definition of someone who is affirmative in their beliefs?

The word gnostic, relating to gnosis (which is a concept alike Bodhi and Jivanmukta, it's also called Irfan in Islam).

However the way your describing it isn't of relevance to me, so I'll disappear :sweatsmile:
 

PureX

Veteran Member
Gnostics do not imagine. They know, so nothing threats them. People with faith are threatened easily.
They can't know. They can only believe that they know. Saying otherwise does not make it so.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I disagree.
If "God" hovered in the air right in front of you, in a 'blaze of existential glory' (whatever that looks like), and told you that it was "God", how would you "know" this phenomena is as it proclaims? How would you know it was not some sort of figment of your imagination, or some sort of clever alien masquerading as your "God"? Or that there was not some other explanation that you and I can't even imagine?

The problem with claiming to "know with certainty" is that for that claim to be logically true, we would have to be omniscient. We would have to be able to eliminate all the other possible explanations for the thing we are claiming to know for certain. And we are not omniscient. That much we can know. And if we are honest, we do know. In fact, the one thing that we humans can know for certain is that we do not know all there is to be known.
 

syo

Well-Known Member
If "God" hovered in the air right in front of you, in a 'blaze of existential glory' (whatever that looks like), and told you that it was "God", how would you "know" this phenomena is as it proclaims?
There are christian saints who have witnessed these kind of pictures and they claimed it was god.

Personally, I don't care about the christian God and I don't know what to expect from him and I don't care really.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
There are christian saints who have witnessed these kind of pictures and they claimed it was god.

Personally, I don't care about the christian God and I don't know what to expect from him and I don't care really.
The point remains, that none of us can "know God". All we can do is trust in our own understanding until further information comes along and changes it. "God" and life are both an act of faith, for we humans.
 

syo

Well-Known Member
The point remains, that none of us can "know God". All we can do is trust in our own understanding until further information comes along and changes it. "God" and life are both an act of faith, for we humans.
What do you mean ''know God''?

Be Gods?

I am me, you can't be me, but you know I exist.
 
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