What is Gnosticism

Basically, it's a really really old religion, although as I said, it's almost more like a philosophy.

The beliefs are more or less this: The world is an illusion, albeit a very good one. Or maybe not an illusion, so much as an articifical construct trapping us. Ever see the Matrix? It's sort of like that, only without the evil robots using humans for batteries bit. (Better movies with a similar theme include The 13th Floor & ExistenZ.)

The central point of Gnosticism is gnosis, which means 'knowing'. Knowing what? Knowing yourself. Or more accurately, your 'higher self' or divine nature. That's the best way I can describe it.

Essentially, by existing in this universe, we've blinded ourselves, or cut ourselves off from our true or higher self. By gnosis, we can get in touch with our higher self.

Anyway, since gnosis is something you have to do by yourself (pretty much), Gnostics aren't much at trying to convert others. Most consider it a very private, personal thing.

Although Gnosticism is mostly christian, it has it's roots in Judaism and Zorastrianism and maybe even 'Paganism'. It also sorta exists in some sects of Islam (at least, Sufism shares a lot in common. Way too strict and ordered, though.). It was once really popular, just after Jesus, until the time christianity was made the official religion of the Roman empire.. But for various reasons, mostly because it's pretty mellow, not pushy about converting people, it sort of died out, or at least went 'underground'. Numerous times the Catholic Church has done it's best to stamp it out, because Gnosticism is the antithesis of the Catholic Church. In fact, the whole concept of a 'crusade' was invented to wipe Gnostics out.

Ever heard the phrase, 'Kill them all, let god sort them out'? Well, it originates (more or less) from a crusade against the Cathars, or Albigenisans (which I probably misspelled), a gnostic group in Southern France in the middle ages. Rather than let some possibly live, they (the Crusaders) would kill everyone.

So, Gnostics (including me) don't much like the Catholic Church. But then, other than Catholics, who does?

Should you want to learn more about it, try the Nag Hammadi Library. It was an ancient group of scrolls found around 1945. The Gospel of Thomas is particularly good, and I'm fond of the Gospel of Phillip. Also, try the writings of Phillip K. Dick. He was a science fiction writer who either went nuts or became a gnostic. Or both. At any rate, gnosticism permeates his later writings, in particular 'Valis'. About the half of which is apparently not science fiction, but autobiographical. Phillip K Dick is dead, but his works have been turned into two fairly famous movies - Blade Runner (based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?) and Totall Recall (based on "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale", which was much less bloody than the Arnold S. movie)

An important thing to realize is that most Gnostic writings (and stories and such) are allegorical in nature. (Part of the problem in most religions is people take things much too literally). It's even possible that Jesus was just an allegorical contruction (see the book "The Jesus Mysteries by Freke & Gandy"), although I personally believe he was real, but just a gnostic wise-man or philosopher, not the 'son of god'. But a fairly charismatic one. Sort of like the people my local PBS shows specials about whenever they beg for money. (Usually those are self-help gurus, though. Most of the sayings of Jesus - at least in the Nag Hammadi - seem to try to get the listener to think and figure it out for himself, not be told how to be happy.). The South Park Jesus seems pretty close to the gnostic Jesus, as well.

Admittedly , the whole thing does sound a bit crazy. And maybe all of us gnostics are. But we're harmless. I used to be an atheist, and I'm much happier (and much less smug) since I became a gnostic. So, I figure, I might be deluded, but hey, if I'm wrong, well, I'd likely be screwed anyway when I die.

And consider this: Mathematics has been called the language of nature. If the universe was a computer simulation (or some such), then that would have to be the case. And the nature of the universe does seem to built to conserve processing time - the whole heisenberg principle thing. Things are not actually there until you look, at least on a quantum level. Which would save a lot of CPU cycles. Think about it!

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