We're not life-rejecting!

[ELoWolfe]

Constantly Gnosticism is said to be life-rejecting, because of the view that this world is not perfect and was created by an inferior being. While that may be a correct view of the faith, despite being completely watered down, that doesn't mean we advocate anything from destroying the world or even other people.

Too often I am seeing the falsehood spread. Recently, I had seen Paterson Brown's attempt to argue that Truth, Thomas and Phillip were not Gnostic (Are the Coptic Gospels "Gnostic"). Essentially, he argues that because they're life affirming, they can't be Gnostic.

It seems he is just plain reading the gospels wrong. But his understanding of Gnosticism is wrong, since I content we're not life-rejecting but life-affirming! Yes, we understand that the world is inferior and there is a greater truth out there, but we're not killing ourselves to get to that realm of truth.

In fact, life is more important to us because of the grace and knowledge/intuition we gain in this life. It was the proto-orthodox fathers who encouraged martyrdom, while the Gnostics chose instead to remain quiet (although not to deny). While they were eager to choose death, Origin for example being upset with his mother that he couldn't die, the Gnostics found more value in remaining in the world - but not remaining of the world.

I can't see the thought of forsaking children to be very Gnostic as well. Not having children mean the spiritual seeds are wasted. Create a vessel for the Light, so it could one day return to the Pleroma. It would then be a duty to "sow" in the world, and watch the garden grow, until all could be reaped.

Finally, the condition of the world is important. Did not the Craftsman make the world a terrible place to live to distract us from the Pleroma? Wasn't the thorns of the ground a curse? Why, then, would we want to continue to create a horrible condition for the future Light, so that they may be distracted with the world. As long as we understand that the world is not the same as the Pleroma. It is currently the orthodox (fundamentalist, at that!) who are actively trying to destroy the world to fulfill some false prophecy of Armageddon!

So to sum up:

1. We do not hate life. We are not the ones trying to make life difficult as some sort of "test," nor are we trying to kill ourselves like the orthodox has. Even Jesus valued life. (Luke 22:42)

2. We do not hate children nor would we prevent children from entering the world. Where we differ, though, is that we want to free the light and not create more slaves.

3. We understand the world is inferior, but that doesn't mean we want it destroyed. Otherwise, the Light that is trapped will stay trapped. On the other hand, those who are blind want to make everyone blind. (See: TrustMovies (goes Netflix streaming): WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON: fundamentalist nut jobs on the march ; http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/End-Times/On-The-Road-To-Armageddon.aspx)

 

[frangipani]

Quite well put. But on the point of procreation we must be aware that without conception there is no new spiritual seed created through the nature of inheritance. I can except that in our time of ignorance that a man and woman may very well conceive foolishly thinking that sex is some form of love rather than lust, and that the offspring they bear is what is meant by two becoming one, thinking that this is marriage.
However the enlightened soul realises that sex is lust, love is a spiritual bond and marriage is the bonding of that love. The redemption of spiritual beings to the True God through Christ is to save those with Gnosis from the condemnation and emptiness of the matter world. Therefore when one looks into ones heart and truly examines this life and all the chaos that it is one would not out of all good conscious place this burden deliberately on another. But as you've said quietly bide their time while present here to grow in truth and preparing their soul to receive that redemption when at last that body dies and the spirit is freed.
The Gnostic who in the time of ignorance may have conceived will of course do their very best by their offspring in the hope that will lead productive lives here on earth as well as having taught them both through word and example the Truth of the matter in the hope that their children may see the error of their parents ways and abstain from procreation.

 

[Bunny]

Ugh. People twist the word "gnosticism" to make it mean whatever they want it to. I know there's not much that can be done about it, but it's still super-annoying.

My thoughts are that, regardless of how flawed this universe is, we're still stuck in it until we can rejoin the Light. We can only rejoin it through gnosis, and the only vehicle we have for gaining gnosis is life here in this universe, screwed up though it may be.

The no-children thing, I think, is more of a manifestation of that thread of asceticism that weaves its way through communities of mystics, no matter what their official religion may be. Personally, I don't want children, but it has nothing to do with whether I'm "Gnostic" or not.

But, again, people twist it around and make it mean anything they want it to mean, so what can you do?

 

[nazz]

I agree with most of what you say here. On the issue of marriage and procreation I accept what is recorded in the canonical scriptures, ie, that celibacy is preferred but only for those who can embrace it.

You are right that many fundamentalist Christians have little regard for preserving and caring for the Earth. I've been an environmentalist most of my life and also did fundraising for environmental advocacy groups. I often ran into apathy based on religious beliefs.

How do I reconcile my love of nature with my gnosticism? As I see the natural world is still in many ways a beautiful place and bears the imprint of the Original Source. Therefore I respect and appreciate that.

 

[ELoWolfe]

Well it is said that the Craftsman was urged by Sophia or the Word to design the world. Only it was imperfect material. Because of that imperfection, I believe that the world is as perfect as it can be or at least was (before the Curse laid onto Adam).

In regards to marriage, the Gospel of Philip says: "Great is the mystery of marriage! For without it, the world would not exist." And then when you compare Flora ("In fact, Moses lays down legislation contrary to that of God; for joining is contrary to not joining"), and even Jesus (Matthew 19:4-6), it seems marriage is alright. Although not perfect, as it is an image of the Bridal Chamber.

We see this with Mark 12:25 "When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven." This could be argued that marriage is a corruptible system, as Paul said (1 Corinthians 7:8-9 "Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion"). I don't fully know if it does, though.

But Paul also tells us not to leave our spouses; that we actually save our spouses by staying with them (1 Corinthians 7:14: "For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy"). That line reminds me of David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1: "As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul."). Though we are saved and united to the Light in the Bridal Chamber, so too could we be united to another living soul.

I don't think the problem of sex is lust, per se, but a vain attempt to return to "one flesh," so to say. It is only an image of the union we have in the Bridal Chamber. The problem with our society (and all societies at all times), is that there is a hunger for the union brought by this sensation without the spiritual aspect behind it. Now, I don't advocate or want to speak of anything ritualistic or even spiritual about sex - nothing like kundalini or "magick." But I don't think sex is evil. It just is incomplete. Like the world and the images in the world.

 

[nazz]

I don't think sex is evil either per se. But in the service of lust we can commit much evil. I think lust can also keep us tied to this world. What better bait could there be to entice spirit beings to take on flesh?