deism is the belief that god created the universe and then went on his way to do something else. Gnosticism...well what I conclude is a knowledge rather than faith was the key to salvation...I'm really not sure, but I know judging from it's definition, it is not the same as deism. Deists deny the Trinity, the inspiration of the Bible, the deity of Christ, miracles, and any supernatural act of redemption or salvation. Deism pictures God as ambivalent, uncaring, and uninvolved.
DE?ism (dim
n.
The belief, based solely on reason, in a God who created the universe and then abandoned it, assuming no control over life, exerting no influence on natural phenomena, and giving no supernatural revelation.
gnosticism
gnosticism, the name (derived from the Greek nosies, ?knowledge?) given to a complex religious movement based on a myth of redemption. It was perhaps Prue-Christian in origin, but it became prominent in the second century AD and had Christian as well as pagan forms. Gnosticism distinguished between a remote and unknowable divinity and a Demiurge descended in some way from the former, who was the (imperfect) creator and ruler of the world, his imperfect creation. Some individuals, however, possessed a spark of the divine spiritual substance and these might hope, by correct observances in this world, to return to the divinity after death. A redeemer was sent, perhaps Christ (or there might be another redeemer still to come), from the divinity, who brought gnosis and temporarily inhabited the body of a human being. Gnosticism in various forms persisted for many centuries.
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How are they similar? After reading both definitions, I don't see why you would they think they are the same.
Any religious order, or belief system, can be painted falsely by people who are not of that set of beliefs, so we need to find some impartial sources to gain an understanding of what the beliefs are all about. We can look to what a group says about themselves, but also need other sources.
it would appear to me that neither philosophy includes the precepts of Christianity Judaism Islam, which have a lot in common, or of other common religions like Buddism. Perhaps they have more in common with early history religions like Druids, Mother Earth.
Definitions of Deism:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism
http://www.deism.com/
http://www.deism.com/deism_defined.htm
Deists derive belief in God from the natural world, from the notion that there must have been an intelligent designer.
Definitions of Gnosticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism
http://www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic.htm
http://www.gnosis.org/
Gnostics believe that humans are divine souls trapped in a materialistic world by an evil supreme being.
Gnosticism has been much in the news of late due to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Okay, what's the difference between Deism and Gnosticism? Or are they same thing?
