• christian2017
    1.4k
    Other than that i believe Atheism is as dangerous or more dangerous than some of the chief world religions, i think alot of these are well thought out. I equate modern Gnosticism with a form of naturalism or atheism? I would imagine through interpolation and extrapolation you could produce other attributes of a modern Gnostic.


    BASIC BELIEFS OF A TRUE GNOSTIC



    1. The only proper religion for mankind is humanity itself, for it is from this humanity that God first evolved. God, who is our future, came from humans, who are Their past.

    2. God is a glorified and exalted human being.

    3. It is morally wrong to kill a human in the name of religion, nationalism, or justice, for whenever we kill our fellow man, we strike at the very birthseed of God.

    4. Evolution and natural selection are correct principles of creation, and it is through this creative process that God and Heaven came into existence and continues to evolve. All things which are real must, of necessity, have a beginning. To say that God has no beginning is to say that God is not real. As true Gnostics, we believe that God is very real.

    5. This earth upon which we live is the very first from which God evolved. As a consequence, this world is known by those who believe as the World of the First Power.

    6. The material world contains within its mortal, physical nature, the very essence and similitude of all things wondrous and eternal. Unlike the false Gnostics of ages past, we do not believe that the material world is evil.

    7. The concept of God is represented by two distinct and separate persons, our Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Mother.

    8. We are the literal spiritual offspring of God, and have the capacity to become just like our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother if we so choose.

    9. The Holy Spirit is no less than the office of the Heavenly Mother, and it is she who inspires and guides us through our mortal life experience.

    10. It is holiness, benevolence, and wisdom which define the nature of God, not power, anger, or hate.

    11. True worship is the imitation of God’s goodness; it is to imitate the character, disposition, and attitude of our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.

    12. The Song of God, as written by Azrael Ondi-Ahman, contains the true thoughts and feelings of our Heavenly Parents, and these scriptures are the cornerstone of our faith. As true Gnostics, God has provided us with our own original book of scripture, which scriptures contain the true and living gnosis of our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.

    13. In order for faith to be real and acceptable to God, then such a faith must always acknowledge the believer’s right to walk away from that faith without any judgment or condemnation from God, or from God’s appointed church. True faith, justified faith, is always about choice; for it is the freedom to choose that makes a faith powerful. It is not correct doctrine which empowers the believer, but rather the freedom to choose, and in the choosing, faith becomes the gift we give ourselves. (*entry added upon Azrael’s request: May 12, 2009)

    14. The goal of our faith is exaltation; that by living the sacred principles found in the Song of God, we might become as “only begotten” of our Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother. Furthermore, we believe that exaltation begins with the transformation of the individual, and that with diligent persistence we can achieve the transcendent state, becoming in our daily life the reflection of God’s goodness in the world of mortal men and women. For the true Gnostic, Yeshua is the supreme example of the transcendent state.

    15. The historical Yeshua of Nazareth was the archetype of what it means to become as “only begotten” while living the mortal life. It was from the life of this historical person that early Christian scholars created the theological construct called Jesus Christ. As true Gnostics therefore, we do believe in the Galilean and see in him an example worthy of emulation and devotion, but we do not believe in the Jesus Christ found in the Christian faith.

    16. We live more than one mortal life. We believe in multiple lives. As a consequence, we do not believe in the resurrection of the mortal body which we currently occupy.

    17. The mortal life is a school which provides us the opportunity to:

    • Learn about good and evil

    • Acquire free agency

    • Find the children of God in this mortal life and bring them into fellowship with their Heavenly Father and Mother

    • Pursue the likeness of God through covenants

    • Achieve exaltation through the keeping of covenants

    18. There is virtue in seeking greater knowledge and in pursuing scientific inquiry for the sole purpose of bettering humankind. However, as true Gnostics, we believe all knowledge and scientific inquiry must have a clear moral objective.

    19. The sanctuary of the home is more important to the spiritual life of the family than any church building or temple.

    20. The priesthood of God is available to all men and women equally, and the offices of this priesthood are: son/daughter, husband/wife, father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, Patriarch/Matriarch.

    21. Sexual expression between loving couples is important to a sense of spiritual fulfillment and well-beingness. And whenever such sexual expressions are rooted in love, respect, and mutual consent, there is no sin. We believe that a healthy sexual lust between loving couples is not evidence of a sinful and degenerate nature, but rather the wholesome expression of one’s eagerness to embrace life, love, and sweet communion. As true Gnostics, we believe that to be truly and fully spiritual, we must be fully sexual.

    22. The future of mankind will be exciting, surprising, and wondrous. And although the future, at times, will be filled with challenges, the human family will meet these challenges and overcome them. We will adapt; as a species, we will endure. As true Gnostics, we DO NOT believe that mankind will end in a fiery apocalypse. We are a religion of hope, not doom.
  • christian2017
    1.4k
    nevermind they aren't really atheists at all but there is some element of naturalism in their beliefs even if it is slight.
  • PoeticUniverse
    1.3k
    Well, at first it seemed say that higher beings would be in the future, which higher complexity there is more logical and natural than they being in the past where all gets simpler and simpler and less and less and smaller and smaller, but then this seemed to reverse back to the religious standard of the greatest complexity being First.
  • nsmith
    14
    I don't believe that there's such a thing as a "true gnostic". Being a gnostic has so many different meanings. They can be anything from a spiritualist to a believer in the nag Hammadi and the dead sea scrolls. I just feel that your definitions are too limited for such a broad term as "gnostic" or even "modern gnostic". A lot of Christians do this as well where they'll try and put limiting definitions on those who think differently. Many Christians will refuse to call Mormons Christian although their religion is based on Christ. In summary, I generally just try to refrain from using limiting definitions on something as broad as religion. I may be misunderstanding your post though.
  • christian2017
    1.4k


    thats fair. I would argue as far as Christianity, if you have accepted Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross then that makes you a Christian. I may or may not be a minority on that. As far as Gnosticism, i don't know alot. My knowledge about Gnosticism is about an essay of 6 to 8 paragraphs.
  • nsmith
    14
    You're a chill guy, appreciate the respect and the actual desire to gain knowledge of something. Too many people post on here under the guise of talking about and developing philosophy when in reality they simply want to argue and put people down.
  • christian2017
    1.4k


    i wish i could say that didn't apply to me. I come on here so that i drink alcohol less.
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