In Gnosticism: Why is the material world seen as evil?

In Gnosticism: Why is the material world seen as evil?

people who are religious think that the spiritual world (heaven etc) is the most important thing, and the material world is a distraction that might get in the way of their ultimate goal. I'm not one to think the material world is evil, because it's the only one we've got.

distracts you from God i suppose? >.>

I wasn't aware that it was. I thought they had more of a Buddhist take on it, like it was to be overcome. I dunno, just a brainstorm.

Gnostics believed heavily in duality. Seeing the Good & bad in everything.
Material belongings were seen as bad influences.

John The Baptist was a Gnostic!

The Gnostics acquired the concept of Dualism from Zorostrianism (also known as Parseeism, an ancient Persian religion). In this view there are two Gods in eternal conflict, one Good, one Evil. The Gnostics grafted this belief onto the beliefs of the early Christian church. Jesus was identified as Good, while the God of the Old Testament (who created the universe) was Evil. It helped them explain the existence of evil in the universe and still have Jesus as Savior. But their Jesus was not a material human, but a spiritual being (with the illusion of being physical).

There is evidence that the Gnostic heresy made an early appearance (as early as the writing of the Gospels). The gospel of John (the last of the four Gospels and probably written around 80 or 90 AD) is full of references of the physicality of Jesus (more than the other Gospels). It is John that states "the Word became flesh". It is in John 20:24-29 where Thomas demanded to put his fingers on the nail marks of Jesus body, which demonstrated a bodily resurrection, something that the Gnostic's did not believe (the Gnostic's believed that Christ's death was an illusion to confound Satan). It is an indication than the early church was already combating the Gnostic view that Jesus was not a physical being.

Gnosis in any dimension is never evil.Gnosis is a state of open mind, it a state of knowing i.e a mind without any conclusions.It is a state of innocence of the mind.How can it be evil.

Because everything visible was created by Yaltabaoth (Satan, YWHA). One could suppose that everything created by Satan would be inherently evil or it could be that what he created was innocent and neutral with the capability of either. I choose the latter.