Gnosis (γνῶσις)

One of the biggest problems with revealed religion, and fundamentalist interpretations of it, is that it assumes at the onset that anything that humanity can come up with on its own (without god) is at once suspect and flawed, and needs to be proven right by the will of god (usually in the form of some scriptural passages).

This is a dangerous principle to have hanging around your neck, first, since it presumes an inability of mankind to sucessfully navigate the waters of survival and it may become a detriment to our survival (or cause of our extinction). The truth is, mankind has been around for far longer than any of these myths (christianity being one), and there will be a time when the christian myth will be let go, en masse. In fact, we may already be in the starting phase of this process.

Second, this need for revelation (or hearsay of revelation as is in the bible) focuses the worst of mankind's thoughts on every other belief system, in fact, creating a sort of "spiritual warfare" and casting all other spritual system as "of the devil" or other such garbage. Christianity is by far a large offender on this front, islam also, of course (how many christians believe buddhists unintentionally worship satan?)... but other religions aren't quite immune to this sort of "us and them" mentality either.

Dogma, religious or not, will always enslave mankind if left unquestioned, and we all have a personal responsibility to take the first step away from literal and unwaivering interpretations of humanity's sacred texts.

In christianity alone, one MUST openly inquire into the Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Apocrypha. Moreso, one needs to read these books, and the bible (old and new testament) completely and critically before ever thinking of accepting the christian myth as real. Trust in the knowledge and evidence around you. It was all written by men, imperfect as we are. To openly acknowledge this is your first step on a path rich with wonder, understanding, and the wisdom of insecurity.

Once we think we know everything (or a single set of books and a direct prayer-line to god), we have allowed ourselves to stop thinking. The scripture can do it all for us, right?

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