finn mchuil asked:


Are these just the interpretations of those who did not agree with organised religions? As has been noted many pagan systems and ancient mythologies have beliefs not unlike those of the Gnostics. So why would they be hidden?
Is it strange that centuries later the church of Rome replaced ancient festivals with thier own to convert those that had still to be brought into the universal faith? (this is not a dig at any organised religion but I merely use this as an example, please)
In the Celtic calendar there is beltane, http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/festivals/beltane.html
which is also celebrated around the beginging of may which is also the month of mary, the mother of christ. At Halloween which is the Celtic/pagan or newage for some is the festival of Samhian http://www.chalicecentre.net/samhain.htm
which is also around “all souls day” and “all saints day”. Its not the meanings behind these celebrations I am asking about but the similaraties and the Gnostic writtings.
well the Gnostics themselves certainly were murdered for being heretics I think it was more the writtings that were banned.
I very much feel god dwells within us as us certainly and you can see how certain churches would feel threatened by this. The Gnostics perhaps went into more detail than the gospels of the new testament, especially thomas. Would any one say they took a more philisophical appraoch or would you call it something else?
It may well be that the doctrines of the ancients were threatened by what Christ was teaching indeed and the point may well be that Gnostic ideas were indeed developed to keep these doctrines alive. Certainly in modern times there is a much more wider approach to spirituality and there are more sources of information available so, perhaps a new approach to several doctrines is leading the way in to a new age?

Dylan