Gnosticism? Is This True?

[Alluring_Mystique]

I admit i dont know anything about Gnosticism. Just little things here and there. I came across this video in my suggested videos section on youtube. For those that are Gnostic Christians or whatever how accurate is this documentary.



Edit*

I found this video of this guys pov of the video above.

What do you guys think of his breakdown?

[Vestri Umbra]

Are you being legit? I don't want to come of as being snide or anything malicious. I'm genuinely curious.

[Alluring_Mystique]

Vestri Umbra

Are you being legit? I don't want to come of as being snide or anything malicious. I'm genuinely curious.

Ide like to hear from a Gnostic Christians point of view on how they feel about the two videos yes

[Vestri Umbra]

Alluring_Mystique

Vestri Umbra

Are you being legit? I don't want to come of as being snide or anything malicious. I'm genuinely curious.

Ide like to hear from a Gnostic Christians point of view on how they feel about the two videos yes

Ok. Thank you

[Alluring_Mystique]

Vestri Umbra

Alluring_Mystique

Vestri Umbra

Are you being legit? I don't want to come of as being snide or anything malicious. I'm genuinely curious.

Ide like to hear from a Gnostic Christians point of view on how they feel about the two videos yes

Ok. Thank you

Yep im pretty bored and i feel this is a good topic to discuss and a topic you dont see quite often and in my opinion its pretty different from the same regurgitated topics we see here on a daily basis smile

[Dieu des hommes]

Some snippets are true, the rest is misinformation in an attempt to discredit Gnosticism as untrue compared to Christianity; and then it goes even further by talking about some kind of satanic conspiracy conceived by Gnosticism. Don't take any note of what you've heard in these videos.

Save yourself from bumbling proselytisers and just read the wikipedia article. You'll realise that Gnosticism is a very diverse range of beliefs based on Judaism and early Christianity. Not a satanic cult waiting to eat your babies or whatever.

[rmcdra]

If you're actually curious about the history of the Gnostics, you'd be better off looking into the works of Karen King and David Brakke. Both are notable scholars that specialize in the study of early Christian history.

1st fail of the video. The "Gnostics" was a catch all for any early pre-catholic Christianity that didn't get included in the catholic moment. While you did have one sect that did possibly refer to themselves as Gnostic because they were intellectuals, these Christians didn't identify as such and it was used a pejorative after the 2nd century.

The point of the video isn't about teaching about the Gnostics. Litmus test concerning the Gnostics, if it doesn't acknowledge Gnostics as early Christians or it brings up the Gnosticism/Christianity dichotomy, the source is s**t and out of date. The Gnosticism/Christianity has been discredited by modern historians and the term "Gnosticism" didn't appear until the 18th or 19th century.

Edit:Correction

[rmcdra]

Dieu des hommes

Some snippets are true, the rest is misinformation in an attempt to discredit Gnosticism as untrue compared to Christianity; and then it goes even further by talking about some kind of satanic conspiracy conceived by Gnosticism. Don't take any note of what you've heard in these videos.

Save yourself from bumbling proselytisers and just read the wikipedia article. You'll realise that Gnosticism is a very diverse range of beliefs based on Judaism and early Christianity. Not a satanic cult waiting to eat your babies or whatever.

That wiki article is pretty good. They've updated it since last I checked it. The sources are pretty solid from what little I've perused of it.

[I_Write_Ivre]

rmcdra

If you're actually curious about the history of the Gnostics, you'd be better off looking into the works of Karen King and David Brakke. Both are notable scholars that specialize in the study of early Christian history.

1st fail of the video. The "Gnostics" was a catch all for any early pre-catholic Christianity that didn't get included in the catholic moment. While you did have one sect that did possibly refer to themselves as Gnostic because they were intellectuals, these Christians didn't identify as such and it was used a pejorative after the 2nd century.

The point of the video isn't about teaching about the Gnostics. Litmus test concerning the Gnostics, if it doesn't acknowledge Gnostics as early Christians or it brings up the Gnosticism/Christianity dichotomy, the source is s**t and out of date. The Gnosticism/Christianity has been discredited by modern historians and the term "Gnosticism" didn't appear until the 18th or 19th century.

Edit:Correction

[rmcdra]

I_Write_Ivre

rmcdra

If you're actually curious about the history of the Gnostics, you'd be better off looking into the works of Karen King and David Brakke. Both are notable scholars that specialize in the study of early Christian history.

1st fail of the video. The "Gnostics" was a catch all for any early pre-catholic Christianity that didn't get included in the catholic moment. While you did have one sect that did possibly refer to themselves as Gnostic because they were intellectuals, these Christians didn't identify as such and it was used a pejorative after the 2nd century.

The point of the video isn't about teaching about the Gnostics. Litmus test concerning the Gnostics, if it doesn't acknowledge Gnostics as early Christians or it brings up the Gnosticism/Christianity dichotomy, the source is s**t and out of date. The Gnosticism/Christianity has been discredited by modern historians and the term "Gnosticism" didn't appear until the 18th or 19th century.

Edit:Correction

Seeing as the there are a number of scriptures that did not get included in the official canon; that the Gospel of John and the letters of Paul were popular among many of the sects regarded as Gnostic; and you have quotes like this found in the Gospel of Philip: "Faith receives, love gives. No one will be able to receive without faith. No one will be able to give without love. Because of this, in order that we may indeed receive, we believe, and in order that we may love, we give, since if one gives without love, he has no profit from what he has given";

I'd say that's a yes.

[0lexis]

❥ ▌I didn't watch your videos due to internet restrictions. So I'm responding to whether or not gnosticism is legit.
I don't know if that's the actual question, forgive me if I've misinterpreted.

But I thought I'd share this diagram. It tends to clear up some questions.



Gnosticism is a philosophical term regarding whether or not an individual makes knowledge claims about their belief (or lack of belief) in a deity. It is the opposite of agnosticism. It doesn't make any other claims, and one gnostic theist can have completely different reasons for their beliefs as another. It isn't some sort of denomination. Especially when you consider there are gnostic atheists roaming the earth as well.

[rmcdra]

FaceThatMeows

❥ ▌I didn't watch your videos due to internet restrictions. So I'm responding to whether or not gnosticism is legit.
I don't know if that's the actual question, forgive me if I've misinterpreted.

But I thought I'd share this diagram. It tends to clear up some questions.

There were a group of early Christians that were called Gnostics by their detractors. "Gnostic" was the term used for an intellectual of the time that later developed into a slur meaning "know-it-all". The video is basically a propaganda piece about how the "Gnostics" were a satanic conspiracy.

[0lexis]

rmcdra

FaceThatMeows

❥ ▌I didn't watch your videos due to internet restrictions. So I'm responding to whether or not gnosticism is legit.
I don't know if that's the actual question, forgive me if I've misinterpreted.

But I thought I'd share this diagram. It tends to clear up some questions.

There were a group of early Christians that were called Gnostics by their detractors. "Gnostic" was the term used for an intellectual of the time that later developed into a slur meaning "know-it-all". The video is basically a propaganda piece about how the "Gnostics" were a satanic conspiracy.

❥ ▌Oh, I see. I guess I don't really care all that much then. The term gnostic comes from the Greek "gnostos" meaning “known, perceived, understood” and the prefix a- means “not” or “without”, bringing you agnostic.
Whether or not some weird elitist group adopted the terms to describe anything otherwise is irrelevant to me... as long as people understand what the words mean.

The term "agnostic" is widely misunderstood. I don't want gnostic to be another such epidemic. That's why I posted. -shrug-

Carry on!

[Aporeia]

FaceThatMeows

rmcdra

FaceThatMeows

❥ ▌I didn't watch your videos due to internet restrictions. So I'm responding to whether or not gnosticism is legit.
I don't know if that's the actual question, forgive me if I've misinterpreted.

But I thought I'd share this diagram. It tends to clear up some questions.

There were a group of early Christians that were called Gnostics by their detractors. "Gnostic" was the term used for an intellectual of the time that later developed into a slur meaning "know-it-all". The video is basically a propaganda piece about how the "Gnostics" were a satanic conspiracy.

❥ ▌Oh, I see. I guess I don't really care all that much then. The term gnostic comes from the Greek "gnostos" meaning “known, perceived, understood” and the prefix a- means “not” or “without”, bringing you agnostic.
Whether or not some weird elitist group adopted the terms to describe anything otherwise is irrelevant to me... as long as people understand what the words mean.

The term "agnostic" is widely misunderstood. I don't want gnostic to be another such epidemic. That's why I posted. -shrug-

Carry on!

As an additional bit of info, Gnostic (<- big G) is referring to a religious/political movement that is not necessarily indicative of gnosticism (<-small g). In fact, some of their beliefs come off as rather agnostic, at times.

The big graph that most of us have seen a billion times before doesn't really apply here because Gnostic and gnostic are not formally related.

[Xiam]

Damn, in editing I removed the first part of my own post...

Not really into watching videos, but I was almost considering it just to get into the discussion about the scattered memory I had of learning about Gnosticism, and the history of Christianity. But then I saw the title of that second video.

The instant I see words like "Illuminati" or "Satanic" to describe something, I'm inclined to believe the people describing it are [******** insane. So I'm not sure if my heart is in this discussion.

FaceThatMeows

Is there even any academic basis behind this? I've yet to actually hear where actual studies were carried about by this, or where in the history of religion or philosophy this might actually have any cause for actual validity. People on Gaia just seem to post it as if it's true, and then when I point out that trying to categorize such a nebulous subject as belief is folly, they get all shitty at me.

We're not computers. "Yes or no" is not a valid realm of logic, especially when dealing with the metaphysical.

At any rate, that's not the Gnosticism OP is talking about - even context clues could show that - so it seems sort of pointless to mention it.

(And yet inevitable, I kind of expected someone to.)