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Lebell~ Thank you for your learned response. Aside from the Catholic Encyclopedia, I found another definition of what Gnostisism means to me.
What is Gnosis?
Gnosis (Greek), root of: "to know" 1: knowledge by "direct perception" a: primary, personal intuitive or inspirational experience. b: also: empirical, though not necessarily social, verification.
What is Gnosticism:
Aside from anything you may have heard or read about Gnostic "doctrine", Gnosticism is not, catagorically a doctrine. It is, rather, an epistimology. This teaching stands in sharp contrast to the standard epistimology of both orthodox churches and cults, Pistis:
Pistis (Greek), root of: epistimology 1: believing by an "act of will", excluding all evidence to the contrary. 2: willing oneself to believe under threat of imminent and painful extinction or social ostracism. 3: to hold a position as true, against honest identification, in response to the aforementioned fears, or out of presumed inability.
The emblem, or insignia, of Pistic teaching is:
Believe and be Saved
The emblem of Gnostic teaching is:
Seek and you shall find.
Ask and it shall be given.
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
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AzAbOv ZoBeLoE
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