GNOSTICISM: THE CHURCH'S 'ALIEN'

A remarkably prescient book, which even as I read it I see more and more clearly what is happening in the world around me and in particular in the Church in the West: 

"The ‘unforeseen cultural shift’ is actually shaking the Church’s foundations. Already in 1980, Carl A Raschke, professor of religious studies at the University of Denver, saw telltale cracks. In his prophetic book, The Interruption of eternity: Modern Gnosticism and the Origins of the New Religious Consciousness, he argued that westerners are becoming Gnostic's. He singled out mainline churches that are regaining spirituality through the revival of Gnosticism without returning to Christian orthodoxy. That’s a deal. Old-time religion without old-time theology and old-time morals."(Jones, P. Pagans in the Pews, Regal 2001, pg.46)

Gnostic 'spirituality' was the heresy most countered by the early church. A parasitical, 'old-age', eastern religious belief that piggy-backed onto Christian orthodoxy until it was defeated by the early church fathers and basically withdrew to lick its wounds but was never fully crushed. We see its emergence evidenced throughout the literature, art and various 'religious' manifestations during most of the historical Church periods, including the transference of its fundamental precepts into Freemasonry during the medieval and on into the renaissance periods. It was carried into 'modern' consciousness through various 'enlightenment' scholars, until it emerged quite robustly amongst the German philosophers of the 19th Century. 

The discovery of the Nag Hammadi 'library' during the 1940's catapulted it into the seminary's, Bible schools, educational establishments, and most significantly into literature(Dan brown) and Hollywood(https://letterboxd.com/lalangue/list/gnosticism-in-cinema/).

Gnosticism is also a virulent strain through much of the Faith and 'hyper-spiritual' church groupings around the West and is considered as a powerful 'spiritual'  alternative to stale, orthodox Christianity by many of the 'post-modern, deconstructionists' who infest the Christian 'scholarship' of this new era. In fact, in far too many instances it is being hailed as 'the true Christianity' which is both confusing many believers and leading the gullible astray.

In my opinion it is the worldview/philosophy/theology that we need to examine carefully within Church circles if we hope to counter the proliferating false views of what it means to be Christian today.

LEFTIST TOPSY TURVY WORLD

It is so blatantly upside down (Isaiah 5:20) that it is almost hilarious. Once again, the very things that the left-wing media accuse Trump of doing are the actual things they themselves have been doing for decades, and now that they are being resisted, they are gaslighting the public with extreme prejudice. 

The 'sacred rule of law' that he intones upon has for years been perverted, twisted, abused and used as an instrument of persecution under Biden's 'autopen-oligarchy' and the 'fear of speaking out' was mercilessly applied to conservative and traditional voices in both media and culture. So too was the immortalising of fools and criminals into hero's a hallmark of this same period; one only has to reflect on the absurdity of the drug-addled, criminal George Floyd to see that.

In actual fact Trumps addressing of DEI mandates at universities is PREVENTING injustices and racial profiling. Interesting also that this sad faced media troll...

...is suggesting that under Trump, 'free speech' is threatened, meanwhile his '60 minutes' program has been one lie after another aimed at preventing the free flow of truth. And yes, Trump has attacked the MSM with the appellation 'fake news' because they have been for years observably so: 

"Journalist Scott Pelley accused President Donald Trump of “attacking” free speech and spreading “insidious fear” among the public during a commencement address at Wake Forest University. ..Our sacred rule of law is under attack,” Pelley began his message. “Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack, and insidious fear is reaching through our schools, our businesses and into our private thoughts.” The veteran CBS News reporter continued, “The fear to speak in America ... power can rewrite history with grotesque false narratives.”

Without name-dropping, Pelley went on to say that “they can make criminals heroes, and heroes criminals.” “Power can change the definition of the words we use to describe reality,” he added.

Pelley then said that the “old playbook” the Trump administration is operating from is “nothing new.” “Diversity is now described as illegal. Equity is to be shunned. Inclusion is a dirty word,” he declared."[W Potter, Daily Mail]

It's pure nonsense to say that 'diversity' is now illegal, Bah humbug! 

Equity is NOT an admirable goal, because it is the Marxist's desired outcome of reducing everyone to a state of mindless conformity, whilst EQUALITY is a far more preferable state of allowing everyone the freedom to determine their own outcomes.

Inclusion in this context is the dogmatic assumption that ALL states of being are acceptable and able to live together in perfect harmony, a Utopian dream at best, and a provably chaotic nightmare as illustrated in country after country all around the world.

Interesting times

More from this very interesting book. The following 'prophecy' from a Hindu mystic in Chicago 1893 sums up much of our Western world today, certainly it encapsulates the worldview of our current ruling elite in Australia. What is truly interesting to note is that there is only one world leader who stands diametrically opposed to the spirit behind this prophetic wish...guess who?: 

“The movement[60’s New Age] has not lost it’s quest for spirituality. It has diversified and gone mainline, just as the Hindu mystic Swami Vivekananda prophesied at the first Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893. His dream was the creation of a “society of Western science and socialism and Indian spiritualism”. One Century later, the 1993 Parliament in Chicago realized Vivekananda’s dream and tasted of the global character and power of the syncretistic movement that had been just a tiny project in 1893.” (Jones, P. Pagans in the Pews. Regal Books 2001, pg 29)

Gnostics, Pagans and 'spiritual' beasts.

Spirits are at work in the Church, be on your guard:

"The battle for the soul of this nation and of Western civilisation rages unchecked. this is no video game of the mind that returns the player to reality when the quarter runs out. Homes and marriages, like unborn babies, are torn to shreds in a culture heralded as the epitome of enlightened civilization. America, defender of the great values of Western Christian culture, is staggering, critically wounded by an ideology of 'empowering' pro-choice personal autonomy. At the beginning of the third millennium, two radically opposed ways of understanding human nature and the universe vie for our allegiance. One defends the truth, the other a diabolical lie. one follows the god of the bible; the other follows the goddess of paganism.

Like two hockey players poised over a puck, ready to force it in one direction or the other, two religious faiths - the only two (emphasis mine) - battle for the spirit and the mind of the modern world. the game no longer pits the dark forces of atheistic humanism and godless materialism against the spirituality of the 'Christian' West. The present contest is between two powerful spiritualities: Christian theism (God the father) and pagan Monism (the Mother Goddess).

If the teams in this 'face-off of the soul' wore different-coloured uniforms, the game would be easier to follow. Alas, one team seeks to win by making all the uniforms gray and, in the confusion, steals the puck to score the winning goal. Only a closer look shows that the teams differ in style of play and direction. Choose sides, for the puck is our souls and the game is a spiritual battle to the death." [Jones, P. Pagans in the Pews. Regal Books, 2001. pgs. 16>17]

Since the election of Trump things appear to have shifted positively in the culture though nothing is always as it appears, and the church at the moment is complacently satisfied which, historically speaking, is not a favourable position for it to be in, therefore; stay tuned to this 'channel' for further updates. 

Western 'Apartheid'

The culture that has developed in the West over the past 70+ years is dedicated to destroying families not only through legal attacks on the middle class and on the family unit, but most significantly by ripping the children away from the love and care of their 'elders' whose most biblical mandate is to love, care and direct them. 

Instead, the children are being force fed a diet of victimhood, disdain for tradition, hatred for the church(which as let them down BTW) a love of either materialism or Marxism(they lose both ways), and a rejection of the core values of Western civilisation. In fact they have been taught to hate Western values, the very system that affords them the benefits which most take for granted. 

The church has failed them in oh so many ways, not least in educating them to worldview values that stand the test of time and attack.