im not AGnostic...
2007-11-30 15:38:52 · 14 answers · asked by moderation 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
yes i know what it is, wanted to see what people had to say...thanks for all the KNOWLEDGE...
2007-11-30 15:49:29 · update #1
everything happens for a reason and there is no hell...suffering makes our soul stronger...we've all been here before...
2007-11-30 15:54:59 · update #2
Yes, I do. Gnosticism is an old heresy that was started a long time ago.
http://www.monergism.com/directory/search.php?action=search_links_simple&search_kind=and&phrase=gnostic&B1=Go
2007-11-30 15:43:39 · answer #1 · answered by Last Ent Wife (RCIA) 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Do You?
Falsely Called ‘Knowledge’”
As early as the first century, Christianity was influenced by false religious teachings, causing Paul to warn Timothy to turn away “from the contradictions of the falsely called ‘knowledge.’” (1 Timothy 6:20, 21) This may have been a reference to a movement called Gnosticism that gained prominence early in the second century but that evidently got started in the first century, possibly with a certain Simon Magus. Some authorities claim that this may be the Simon mentioned in the Bible at Acts 8:9.
Gnosticism got its name from the Greek word gno′sis, meaning “knowledge.” Gnostic groups contended that salvation is dependent upon special mystical knowledge of deep things unknown to ordinary Christians. They felt that possessing this knowledge enabled them to teach, as The Encyclopedia of Religion says, “the inner truth revealed by Jesus.”
The origins of Gnostic thought were many. From Babylon, Gnostics took the practice of attributing hidden meanings to Bible numbers, which supposedly revealed mystical truths. Gnostics also taught that whereas the spirit is good, all matter is inherently evil. “This is the same chain of reasoning,” says German author Karl Frick, “that was already found in Persian dualism and in the Far East in China’s ‘yin’ and ‘yang.’” The “Christianity” presented by Gnostic writings is definitely based on non-Christian sources. So how could it be “the inner truth revealed by Jesus”?
Scholar R. E. O. White calls Gnosticism a combination of “philosophic speculation, superstition, semi-magical rites, and sometimes a fanatical and even obscene cultus.” Andrew M. Greeley of the University of Arizona says: “The Jesus of the Gnostics is sometimes incoherent, sometimes unintelligible, and sometimes more than a little creepy.”
2007-11-30 23:41:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Most definitely...
You believe that Jesus Christ came in spiritual form and never really died physically. Also, you believe in something called dualism, or an evil force versus a good force beyond the comprehension of those it is not revealed to.
You might want to check the history on the gnostics. The early Christians heavily opposed this doctrine with rigor. Paul even warns Timothy of the "science so called."
Friend, I'd flee from gnostism. History proves it's origins.
2007-11-30 23:44:44 · answer #3 · answered by Pilgrim Progressing 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, the epistles of John were written largely to refute gnostic teachings. The gnositcs believe that there is some kind of "secret knowledge" that you must become "enlightened" to receive. There are, of course, many words for God, each emphasising a different facet or aspect. The Gnostics use a few words for God that are female.
2007-11-30 23:44:17 · answer #4 · answered by Damocles 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
See link.
2007-12-04 13:22:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"There is actually no such thing as Christian Gnosticism, because they are mutually exclusive systems of belief. A true Christian is not a Gnostic and a Gnostic most certainly is not a true Christian."
This is the first link in Google when I tried to find out the answer.
2007-11-30 23:43:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
yes but my question is just how do Gnostic's resign their belief in the supernatural by natural means as we live in a natural world where only imagination can conceive of such incongruity by avoiding the obvious. do you have a superstitious supernatural yardstick or something?
if so lets see it!
2007-11-30 23:46:56 · answer #7 · answered by dogpatch USA 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm only vaguely familar with the gnostic gospels. So I guess I don't know enough!
2007-11-30 23:41:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Man is god, God is imperfect.. because you claim some connection to Jesus you believe that he brought knowledge to earth... It's so differnt that the mainline Christian churches call in non-christian... IHS Jim
2007-11-30 23:47:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, there are people who know what that is, if you need to ask what it is, why do you claim to be one?
2007-12-01 01:08:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋