In your opinion, how much of modern Christianity is repackaged Gnosticism?
Christian Girl: How very Gnostic of you:
Duality of spirit and body: Spirit is of divine origin and good; the body is inherently earthly and evil. Gnostics were hostile to the physical world, to matter and the human body. But they believed that trapped within some people's bodies were the sparks of divinity or seeds of light that were supplied to humanity by Sophia.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic2.htm
Diego: I'm confused: are you calling me a Jehovah's Witness? If you are, you're wrong. I'm an atheist and a (Pantheistic) Pagan.
Not that much, if you are considering 1st and 2ND century gnosticism.
Lots of repackaging, though. Christianity for the majority is something made Prue-processed: bite-sized and neatly wrapped, to suit modern communities and modern tastes.
Delivered tidily in books, websites and sermons.
The *other* Christianities of history with which the modern brands claim continuity would be almost unrecognizable to the average churchgoer.
Everything from the commonality (communism?) of Acts 4 through to "The rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate..." a Victorian capping of religious support for feudalism.
That verse of "All things bright and beautiful isn't often sung, now.
That's not to say gnostic threads can't be found.
Mark 4:33-34 is about as gnostic as you can get, without supposing any "secret Gospel of Mark" that has been suppressed by orthodoxy.
The trinity concept i believe is from the gnostic gospels, but Gnosticism is only about gaining inner knowledge through personal experiences (some Gnostic's don;t even believe in God, some Gnostic's are pantheists others pagan. Gnostic Christianity wan;t the first form of gnosticism).
Half, all? Do you really want to know, or are you trying to make a point. There are many belief systems out there which can compare to Gnosticism, and by the way does modern Christianity relate differently to Gnosticism than old Christianity?
Incidentally, Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their purity of worship, and for their rejection of worldly philosophy and human tradition which conflicts with the standard sixty-six books of inspired Scripture. Additionally, Jehovah's Witnesses have never been shy about challenging the scripturalALoots of many of Christendom's beliefs and practices.
.. ..(Matthew 15:8-9) This [tradition-loving] people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.
In your opinion, how much of modern Christianity is repackaged Gnosticism?
