Gnosticism

[AN1MAL]

Gnosticism (from Greek gnosis, knowledge) is a term created by modern scholars to describe a diverse, syncretistic religious movement, especially in the first centuries C.E. Gnostics believed in gnosis, the knowledge of God enabled by secret teachings. Some Gnostics considered themselves Christian, identifying Jesus as the divine spirit incarnated to bring gnosis to humanity. However, Gnostic dualism placed it in stark contrast to Orthodox Christian non-dualistic teaching, and Gnostics were labelled heretics. Other Gnostics were not even nominally Christian, and several Gnostic texts appear to have no Christian element at all. Still others were certainly devout mystic ascetics who worshipped Jesus and lived in their own unique ways according to His teachings. Simon Magus is believed by some Christians as being the founder of Gnosticism.
Gnostics taught that humans were divine souls trapped in a material world created by an evil spirit, the demiurge. In order to free oneself from the evil, material world, one needed gnosis, or spiritual knowledge. Initiates were instructed in secret teachings to help them achieve gnosis. God was depicted as a pleroma composed of multiple manifestations.
The textual evidence comes from the first few centuries of the common era. Many scholars have assumed that Gnosticism did not predate this period, but earlier historians of religion saw it as an outgrowth of ancient mystical traditions in Asia, especially Iran.

i dont get Gnosticism, >_<

[tednugent]

From what I skimmed over, it seems they are teachings that enable the knowladge of god in humans.

...Think of it this way. You're some choob, right? okay, then Dave steps down and gives you his knowladge (him being God, of cousre) He has enalbed the knowladge of God in you making you more than a choob. Turning you into a mod or something.

That's what it seems like to me.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Xosmi]

Taken from some site i found with google :

A more detailed Gnostic theology is as follows. The unknowable God was far too pure and perfect to have anything to do with the material universe which was considered evil. Therefore, God generated lesser divinities, or emenations. One of these emanations, Wisdom desired to know the unknowable God. Out of this erring desire the demiurge an evil god was formed and it was this evil god that created the universe. He along with archons kept the mortals in bondage in material matter and tried to prevent the pure spirit souls from ascending back to god after the death of the physical bodies. Since, according to the Gnostics, matter is evil, deliverance from material form was attainable only through special knowledge revealed by special Gnostic teachers. Christ was the divine redeemer who descended from the spiritual realm to reveal the knowledge necessary for this redemption. In conclusion, Gnosticism is dualistic. That is, it teaches there is a good and evil, spirit and matter, light and dark, etc. dualism in the universe.

Even if you do not understand this religion, it is just that, a religion. a system with its own beliefs and understandings.
anyway, you shouldn't need to understand it, unless you widh to become an agnost yourself... or if you want to bash this religion, if you want to do that, it would be wise to know what it is about at the very least