- Joined
- Oct 30, 2017
- Messages
- 1,865
Nicely done. Thanks.In some ways I agree. I don't mean to make this about you, but I personally think you are well identified as a gnostic because plenty of early (2nd century) Christians, though they were later expelled from the Catholic (not necessarily Roman, just "universal") body, agreed with what is now called the "Heresiarch" Marcion that the god or God of the Old Testament and the "Father" of Jesus Christ were and are far from identical. They were known more as Marcionites than Christians. Then again, the original followers of Jesus weren't called Christians until Antioch, and, by then, St. Paul had become a predominant, vocal apostle, so it could be said that they were converts to his version of Christianity, to the "Pauline sect." As I recall having read, Marcion used the verse cited in your op to help prove his case: "... every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." and concluded, in some ways logically enough, it seems to me, that, because the offspring of Adam and Eve are said to be born in "original sin," they must have been produced by a corrupt tree.
To me, the History of Christianity is fascinating. In terms of doctrines (and dogmas), it continuously morphed in the early decades until it finally congealed into something approaching an uneasy "orthodoxy." Tensions remain, and not just those which arose during the Protestant Reformation. Even on this board, and as it relates to early "heresies," I see those who tend toward Ebionism, a return to the observance of the Laws of Moses, including the Sabbaths, on one hand, and others, such as Marcion, on the other hand, who would be done with the Old Testament altogether. The "orthodox" remain between these two polar extremes.
On the names of the religions, I cannot prove a thing thanks to Christians burning too many primary text, but I see it as follows. Early Chrestians and Karaite Jews, both good man ideologies who focused on acquiring knowledge and wisdom, --- as compare to Christianity and their supernatural garbage god, --- were the root ideologies that became known as Gnostic Christians. They were the two main groups at that time who rejected the demiurges and superstitious supernatural nonsense.
Then as today, Gnostic Christians were the intelligentsia. I am trying to sneak into that category and hope I can mimic intelligence enough to be a good one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rAt-PAkgqls
There have been researchers at this site who are better at research than myself and have agreed with me but the evidence, to my way of thinking, was all destroyed by the ancient Christians. Hitler used the same book burning tactics to try to keep his people stupid.
All such people are bastards of a high order. Gotta love the blood soaked Christian history. Sarc.
Regards
DL