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Originally Posted by ThomasHenry  Quote:
Originally Posted by GX It was a very gradual process that took years. I first went from religious to what I call "religious agnostic" - meaning I do believe in religion but not necessarily all the specific explanations given by the various christian sects and that I dont have all the answers and am still searching. Then went from "religious agnostic" to "non-religious agnostic" or "agnostic" or "spiritual" (Im not sure which, I asked about this on my introductory thread but didnt get an answer) meaning I do not believe in the explanations given by the christian or any other religion but do believe in an intelligent omnipresent creator and an afterlife as described by people who have had near death experiences. I believe Jesus existed but not sure of his origins and feel that his true message was intentionally distorted and subverted by religion. | Then take the next step... You already know more than most. You seem to be well upon your way to understanding. Once one has become agnostic, it begins to pave the way towards becoming Gnostic. |
Im not sure exactly what it means to be gnostic so I googled it:
"Like Buddhism, Gnosticism begins with the fundamental recognition that earthly life is filled with suffering. In order to nourish themselves, all forms of life consume each other, thereby visiting pain, fear, and death upon one another (even herbivorous animals live by destroying the life of plants). In addition, so-called natural catastrophes -- earthquakes, floods, fires, drought, volcanic eruptions -- bring further suffering and death in their wake. Human beings, with their complex physiology and psychology, are aware not only of these painful features of earthly existence. They also suffer from the frequent recognition that they are strangers living in a world that is flawed and absurd."
I definitely dont believe in the above paragraph nor do I believe that in my particular situation that gnosticism is the next step nor do I wish it to be if that is what they believe. Are there several definitions to the word "gnostic"? Or is what I pasted above what you were referring to?