Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00020)

At 08:37 PM 5/31/96 -0400, you wrote:

>Nicea was 325 c.e. - that's a lot of years.  All the N.T. material dates
>from this period, along with a vast amount of other writing, including
>nearly all of the gnostic material.

I have always found the Gnostics to be far too dualistic for my personal
comfort. I am, as my book makes clear, a total monist.

>
>> The
>>primary problem I have with Post-Nicean Christianity (other than my usual
>>problems with oppression and repression, power, control, and profit) is it's
>>absolute obsession with sin and evil. That, I believe, has done so much harm
>>that nothing at all can compensate for it. Christianity Alan, has just done
>>too much harm for me to either condone it or forgive it.

Of course an obsession with "sin and evil" is part of the dualistic view.
But as you surely know it's not as a philosophy that I totally reject
Christianity, it's as a political and social force that I reject it, and
it's as a political force that it has done all its tremendous harm.
>
>Listen, Sunshine :-) I am not making a defence of Christianity, or to be
>more precise, Churchianity.  I am trying to say that what developed into
>"post-Nicean" Christianity (and even, here and there, later
>developments) *contained* and still contains some esoteric or "mystery"
>teaching - quite a bit, in fact.

Alan my question is this: I agree that Early Christianity contains valid
mystery teachings. Cannot one find that same esoteric teaching elsewhere?
I'm sure you know ther's nothing at all original in Christianity and all of
it's esoteric or mystery teachings were taken from others. So why not take
the good from a less tainted source?


Church-wise, I am a heretic and an apostate, and would have been burned a
long time back had I lived in a
>different age.

Alan, there's another thing that's wrong with Christianity. They'd have
burned you, they'd never have burned me!


In-search-of-truth-wise it is another story.  I cannot
>help but think sometimes that your hatred of Christianity (which I can
>fully understand) clouds your objectivity?

Alan: I freely admit to an immense animus against not simply Christianity
but the entire Judeo-Christian-Islamic Triad (which I see as more monolithic
than most), but as regards the search for truth, it is my very strong
perception that it can be found elsewhere more strongly, and less
problematical. If one seeks esoteric truth, and I have spent most of my life
so doing, why "grub about in the muck" when one can find it elsewhere? Do
you see what I mean?

If Christianity possessed some esoteric truth that was unique to
Christianity I would view it differently, but, you will "surprise and amaze"
me if you can prove that Christianity possesses one single esoteric truth
that cannot be found elsewhere.
>
>Xtianity and Judaism contain, between them, a great deal of written
>material, some "canonical" and more "apocryphal".  Don't throw the baby
>out with the bath water!

Oh believe me Alan: I never have, and never will, throw the baby out with
the bath water. Read the section on Judaism too
>
>My favorite example (which I regard as a discovery, though I am probably
>not the first to have noticed it over the centuries) will be posted for
>your consideration in due course ...
>>
>Alan
>---------
>THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL:
>Ancient Wisdom for a New Age
>TI@nellie2.demon.co.uk
>http://www,garlic.com/~rdon/TI.html
>
Alan:

I await that message with baited breath. No Kidding. Some pretty famous
theologians have tried to change my mind but no one has yet presented me
with any definite evidence. I used to have long and enjoyable tete a tetes
with John 23rd and he actually shocked and amazed me by largely agreeing
with my views. In fact, many of my present views result from his work with me.


alexis