To be Gnostic is to be a seeker of truth, why does the church consider them heresy? I'm not saying that Gnosticism is right or wrong, but can anyone honestly say that the MEN who run the mainstream Church, Vatican (including the Pope), and religious institutions are infallible? Also, why were some (I think four if I'm not mistaken) scriptures/gospels left out?
I'm a skeptic on everything, though I am a firm believer in GOD, I'm just looking for others take on this. = ) Have a nice day.
What I'm getting at is I do believe in God, but I also believe religion is corrupt. None of us were there when the Church was established, so none of us really can say if what they are doing is right (or wrong). We could be ALL following something we totally shouldn't be.
Gnostic means special knowledge. The Gnostic's also subscribe to books that are forgeries. They are written by someone else, and attributed to whomever. I cannot think of a better term than heretical. What better proof of a forgery, that they do not correspond in any way with the true gospels.
Gnosticism was condemned at the Council of Nicea convened by the Emperor of Rome. This is the same council that codified the doctrine of the Catholic Church and the books of the Bible.
I wonder why the fun dies hate Catholics, the essentially believe what the Romans tell them to.
Because it's a power struggle .. who's right and wrong...
Historically-Rome was in power and we all know that the winners write history-including religion. Even though I am a practicing Catholic, I thoroughly enjoy the Nag Hammadi text and I have read many sections of it time and again. AND to the poster that said the Gnostic texts are in opposition to the Bible...quite the contrary-in many instances they are identical.
Addition-some people are writing things about the gnostic belief and are doing so in ignorance....the Nag Hammadi-an ancient gnostic text does not say that only men will go to heaven. If you don't understand it-you probably shouldn't be expressing your opinion. We all have fruits of our labor-if you actively seek God-he knows-he knows the fervor in your heart and you will be educated about him---this is the fruit of your labor...only those who truly seek the truth will find it!
Because they contain writings that contradict some of the gospels that are in the bible. As for them being written by other people, all the gospels were written by people other than the person who supposedly wrote them. Most of the bible started being written long after Jesus was killed. If being written by other people is a case for heresy, then the whole bible is suspect.
The Gnostic's believed that one didn't need to be 'indoctrinated' by a 'leader' they saw no reason for a middle man (clerics) They saw that 'God' was within, and approachable. Orthodox leaders went through rituals in parts of the temples, out of bounds with rules attached ...To go against the orthodox was heresy.
Christian Gnostics denied Christ's real incarnation and the salvation of the flesh. They rejected the tradition and scriptures of mainline Christianity, claiming a privileged knowledge of God and our human destiny from secret traditions and revelations.
For me, since your question is a matter of opinion and not necessarily a right or wrong response, gnosticism embraces far too many ideals. It's a free-for-all without a solid foundation.
Many people embrace the Gospel of Thomas. It says women don't go to heaven. I'm a woman. I do not believe that Jesus would EVER say such a thing. It goes against his actions in the bible. He treated women with more respect than other men of his day.
Believes that there is no independent supreme being that stands apart and separate from His creation, but rather, we are all "god".
Gnostics also believe that not everyone has the capacity to understand spiritual things, and that not everyone has a spiritual component to themselves. Only a select few have this quality, and are capable of attaining and understanding the special hidden knowledge of these spiritual things (which is what the word "nosies" pertains to).
Gnostic belief is centered on the quest for improvement of self by looking within yourself, but largely ignoring God. It's actually a very popular belief in modern-day America, and many of these modern "self-help" books have this philosophy as the basis.
All of these beliefs are not the God of the Bible, or the God or KIngdom of Heaven that Jesus Christ preached while He was on earth. That is why they are considered heresy.
Most of these "Gnostic Scriptures" that were left out of the Biblical canon were written much later by non-Apostolic authors who picked out bits from original Scripture and then added their own spin to it. One of the primary criterion's for inclusion into the canon of the Christian Bible was that the authorship of the particular book or epistle had to Apostolic in origin.
Many of the pagan "Mystery Religions" that were popular during the time of the Roman Empire when Christianity started were basically gnostic in their belief and outlook. Gnosticism actually existed before Christianity and a form of it was given Christian trappings and appearances after the Church was established. Gnostics contention that the Church somehow ruthlessly suppressed "the truth" and that this supposed "truth" has been hidden from view, is one of the oldest lies in existence today.
No one likes being in the same class room with someone smarter then themselves, Gnostics are smarter than the average Christian. So they wish we would die. Simple as that.
To pretty much put in it in a nutshell, it all has to do with the time these "Gnostic Gospels" came into being. Some came around the middle to late second century AD. As for the biblical Gospels, you will have to look at the apostle Paul. He was converted around the middle to late 40s AD. Which could only mean the the Gospels themselves were written much earlier than most scholars say they were. As well you have the fact that most Gnostic text were given sensational names. IE, The Gospel of Mary, The Gospel of Thomas. One characteristic of the biblical Gospels, is that they have the embarrassment factor to them. You have three of the most respectable followers of Christ who feel asleep in the garden while Jesus prayed. One, Levi or Matthew, is a tax collector. Peter, nearly drown walking on the water cause he took his eyes off Jesus, denied him three times, but yet Christ calls him "the Rock on which I shall build my church". Another thing that most people don't take into consideration is the culture of where the biblical Gospels were written. The culture of Israel is that they have a strong oral tradition of history that goes back even further than the Gospels. In that event, if someone is wrong about something, there were many people, still alive to when the events took place, who would correct it. Finally, if what most people say is true about Gnostic being the "true" Christianity, then like Paul writes that "our faith be in vain and we shall die in our sins".
Why do people consider Gnosticism heresy?
