/lit/ - Literature

>What does /lit/ think of heresy

Gnosticism may be interesting, but will ultimately only lead one to Hell

>>13508304
based slave to the lion-headed serpent

As far as Gnosticism goes, what it brings is a Star. Within every person lies the divine, and Gnosticism suggest that this is more evident in the powerful and the god-like. But it is obvious that the gnostic wish us to pursue our own Stars, which in turn is the pursuit of the divine in all of us.

>think

>>13508282
You must not forget that "gnosticism" is just an umbrella-term used to denote early AD sects (1st to 5th century) which took Christianity as a dome under which mystery cult-concepts, hermetic and platonic myths developed.

I see the gnostic movements as vehicles through which many initiatory, mystical and cosmogonical knowledge made it's way past Christianity - as well as into it - as The Church, by refuting gnosticism, included via osmosis parts of it.

In any case, Gnosticism is a treat for anybody passionate about the promise of fusing reflexive rationality with religious thought, but from a practical standpoint, it was doomed to fail as it's systems virtually led to anti-humanity and anti-cosmism. Most of what remains are references in masonry and other initiatory groups.

>>13508555
Trips, impressive.

>>13508385
See Against the Gnostics by Plotinus. Everything good in Gnosticism is derived from Plato, Gnosticism is incoherent because it has two sources of emanations, one good, and a second co-equal source of evil and matter.
http://trisagionseraph.tripod.com/Texts/Plotinus5.html

>Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

>>13508751
The Enantiomorph actually has three parts, not two. But, you already made up your mind, zealot.

Stop with this pretension, you've done your duty, +1 good deed.

>>13508282
it's retarded shit only schizos are into

>>13508282
I don't know what it is. I've read the word countless times. I've even read books and articles about it. Still don't know what is meant by the word gnosticism.

>>13508304
>muh heresy
Non argument. Pedos at Vatican have no authority on determining truth

>>13508282
Only form of gnosticism that still exists that isn't larping is mandaeism, but they don't accept converts

>>13508809
There exists knowledge that can be communicated. There even exists knowledge that can be empirically proven.

Gnosis is neither of those.

>>13508282
>quite

>>13508304
FPTP fist post truth post

Gnosticism is what happens when a 14-year-old Deviant Art edgelord gets a few fragments of Platonic ideas, completely misinterprets them, and continually tries to out compete his own totally wicked nihilism and edginess.

>>13508282
what ancient nerds did before DnD was created

>>13508385
get this elder scrolls bullshit out of here

It's the truth, it's the only religion that has a coherent and logical idea of G*d, and a satisfying answer to the Problem of Evil. Maybe Buddhism too but I haven't studied their texts yet.

>>13509086
Gnosticism isn’t nihilistic though.

>>13508751
>and a second co-equal
I'm pretty sure the demiurge is not considered "co-equal" to the true God in any branch of Gnosticism.

>>13509160
There's no problem of evil in Buddhism because there is no all-powerful all-good god. Polytheistic religions are exempt as well.

>>13508304
Retard

>>13508304
This. It's blatant to see how gnostics never read the Bible.

>>13509160
Define evil.

Where does one start with gnosticism, if I may ask?

Is there a chart that someone has handy and could post?

>>13510178
Gnosis by Kurt Rudolph. Along side or after that texts from Nag Hammadi library

>>13508385
>lion-headed serpent
i bet you dont even know its name.

>>13510162
The Holocaust.

>>13508809
Neither does /lit/, don't worry about it too much

>>13509110
Where were you when the dragon broke?

>>13508809
is believing in god, but your own version of god, maybe?
like a coping mechanism for people who lost their faith.

>>13510647
>dragon broke
transcription error

The sermons are based on crowley's book of law though

its really entertaining and interesting.....I wouldn't take it seriously. It'll turn you into a spastic.

>>13508809
its about mini-demons, archangles and current 93

>>13510681
>based on book of the law
as someone who poured a lot of crowley down their throat; source or explanation please. i'm not seeing it.

>>13508282

>>13510748

>>13510732
It's limiting to say "based on" in the sense of "wholly based on" but the influence is strong. One of the more obvious examples is the parallel of the "the ending of the words is [magic phrase]" meme. Root around the old bethsoft forums or Imperial Library or /r/teslore and include "Michael Kirkbride" in your searches and I'm sure you'll find something.

>>13510753

>>13510762

>>13510765

>>13510769

>>13510769
This is now a TES thread, cease thy posting.

>>13510772

>>13508282
Study Zoroastrianism, the Aryan root of gnosticism

>>13510748
>>13510753
>>13510762
>>13510765
>>13510769
>>13510772
>>13510777
inb4 this is all completely true

>>13510757
That's a single phrase though, abrahadabra/ almsivi. I've read both the sermons and the book of the law, played TES and ESO and loved kirkbride for years and honestly anon, you're gonna get way further comparing TES lore to esoteric Hinduism than Crowley/Thelema.

Also read Brahma Samhita

>>13510792
>'I am the Face-Snaked Queen of the Three in One.'

The Three-in-One is an old Christian concept of the Trinity but one that is recapitulated in Thelema. In the Gnostic Mass, there is a line "Glory to Thee, eternal Sun, Thou One in Three, Thou Three in One!"

>'Fa-Nuit-Hen, or the Multiplier of Motions Known'

Nuit is one of the two "Infinities" in Thelema, being the Infinitely Expanded. See chapter 1 of 'The Book of the Law' for more on Her.

>''For I have crushed a world with my left hand,' he will say, 'but in my right hand is how it could have won against me. Love is under my will only.''

This comes from The Book of the Law, chapter 3 verse 72: 'I am the Lord of the Double Wand of Power; the wand of the Force of Coph Nia— but my left hand is empty, for I have crushed an Universe; & nought remains.' The phrase "Love is under my will" also comes from The Book of the Law, chapter 1 verse 57: 'Love is the law, love under will.'

>'The third spirit, At-Hatoor'

This comes from the name "Ahathoor" that is used in the Thelemic practice of Liber Resh, a solar adoration, where Ahathoor (a form of the name "Hathor") rules the Noon sun. The name is also mentioned in the Book of the Law, chapter 3 verse 37 (which will come back again soon).

>'Vivec felt that his mother was afraid, and so consoled her. / 'The fire is mine: let it consume thee, / And make a secret door / At the altar of Padhome / In the House of Boet-hi-Ah / Where we become safe / And looked after.'

This comes from The Book of the Law, chapter 3 verse 37, specifically: 'The light is mine; / its rays consume Me: / I have made a secret door / Into the House of Ra and Tum, / Of Khephra and of Ahathoor. / I am thy Theban, O Mentu, / The prophet Ankh-af-na-khonsu!'

>'There will be a splendor in your name when it is said to be true.'

This comes from The Book of the Law, chapter 3 verse 74: 'There is a splendour in my name hidden and glorious, as the sun of midnight is ever the son.'

>''My rituals and ordeals and all the rhymes within,'

This comes from The Book of the Law, chapter 1 verse 33: 'Write unto us the ordeals; write unto us the rituals; write unto us the law!'

>''Ordeals you should face unimpeded by the world of restriction. The splendor of stars is Ayem's domain.'

This comes from The Book of the Law, chapter 1 verse 41: 'The word of Sin is Restriction.' and also chapter 3, verse 38: 'Show thy star-splendour, O Nuit!'

>'He said, 'I am not of the slaves that perish.''

This comes from The Book of the Law, chapter 2 verse 49: 'I am unique & conqueror. I am not of the slaves that perish. Be they damned & dead! Amen. (This is of the 4: there is a fifth who is invisible, & therein am I as a babe in an egg.)'

>'This sermon is forbidden.'

This comes from the Comment to the Book of the Law that begins with the line: 'The study of this Book is forbidden.'

>>13510793
This image reminds me of that one occult, information design artist.

Also, Gnosticism's concept of the demiurge makes a lot of sense to me. Maybe it's just because I'm an edgelord.

>>13510792
No shit, and there are many other influences besides, thus:
>It's limiting to say "based on" in the sense of "wholly based on" but the influence is strong
In the end, Kirkbride was a PKD or RAW flavor writer, playing up faux weird exoticism and directing it towards a readership that he didn't expect to be familiar with his many pilfered ripoffs of slightly spicy but largely garbage esoteric movements. I loved it all as a teenager though, and it helped me move towards more serious reading.

Dualism and life denial is shit, but i do find it fascinating academically

>>13510732
to be honest, Current93 *are* divine

>>13510871
>>13510732
shiz, I meant to direct this to >>13510717

>>13510845
It is not metaphysically dualist; there is an admission that dualism is an illusion, and that which is to be overcome; Gnosis is literally the transcendence of dualism, and a recognition of subject as object and vice versa

"He is a man in the world, but he is not one of the world. And Amen, I say unto you: that man is I, and I am that man"

>>13510637
>implying it happened

>>13508282
"gnosticism" is an anachronistic term

>>13508282
General rule of thumb: if Tolkein would have called it bullshit, it's not good Christianity.

>>13510777
where is the next page? Whats the sauce on this series?

>>13508282
Come to Christ

>>13512152
haha based tolkien saving the white race

>>13512152
Cringe

>>13510782
Where do I start with Zoroastrianism?

>>13508809
It means nothing. Gnosticism is a collection of pretentious fags writing made up gibberish to sound smart.

>>13509160
Advaita and similar types of non-dual Hindu thought is pretty coherent and logical. To me it seems more intuitively correct than Gnosticism insofar as God projecting a vast universe as a dream-like illusion seems more sensible than some malevolent entity creating some sort of prison/hell.