Waiting on the End Times

Hi sidelinedThe Gnostic in me says: End of times means a change in priorities of humanity. Away from greed, control, owning and controlling everything, etc., and moving back to a simplistic one on one spirituality with God, simpliticity in most things and acceptance of God's guidance in all things including when life sucks big time.When will 'end of times begin'? As a gnostic -- the answer is not in a day or this many months, but in years. Many years. Like 360 years from beginning to end.The big question for me is, when did the clock start ticking? Because yes, I think we've been in the 'end of times' for a few years now.

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Azure Moon
Free-Thinkers: Those who, abandoning the religious truths and moral dictates of the Christian Revelation, and accepting no dogmatic teaching on the ground of authority, base their beliefs on the unfettered findings of reason alone. Catholic Encyclopedia.

Mespo: There is also the issue of accountability.Huge, huge, huge part of Gnosis. Self accountability. Look at it this way. Traditional religions are basically -- our doctrine says, if you do this and this and that, but not these things and definitely stick to the rules, we're pretty sure your chances of God not ass-zapping you to hell are really increased.For a gnostic who has God in his/her life one to one, it would go something like this: I got angry at my new wife, and slammed her against the wall and her neck broke. I will turn myself in. This attitude is where Gnosis is awesome, and this is where a lot of the changes are going to show up. Accountability. Total accountability. You're not going to let God down and God won't let you down. To a gnostic, God is your partner, an intregal part of who you are. It is soooooo much more difficult to be a gnostic.Being a free-thinker has absolutely nothing to do with being Gnostic. Not even close.***
Mespo: However, the very nature of this new one-ness will gravitate toward conventional worship.Then why aren't all the church pews full instead of continuing on the decline? The gnostic answer is: If God wants those church pews full, they will be. In a true gnostic, control and conformity of others are not part of the belief system.***
Mespo: The new narcissim. God is beautiful. I believe in God. Therefore, I am also beautiful.This is NOT gnosis. I don't know where this comes from but I sure hope you didn't pay for it.

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Azure Moon
Free-Thinkers: Those who, abandoning the religious truths and moral dictates of the Christian Revelation, and accepting no dogmatic teaching on the ground of authority, base their beliefs on the unfettered findings of reason alone. Catholic Encyclopedia.

Amlodhi: Serious question with no slight intended: Are you an "orthodox" gnostic or some version of neo-gnostic? For instance, do you think that YHWH, the God of standard Christianity is the evil demiurge who sought to withhold "gnosis" from mankind?Namaste'Amlodhi***
Hi Amlodhi,Good question. How about neither? I do lean toward more orthodox views, namely simplicity, but the original un-doctored gnostic writings evidentially are long gone. I don't want to use the word orthodox without having those foundational writings complete and un-doctored.For the current Gnostic trends, I tend to refer to the gnostic writings of Sylvia Browne. Which were making some sense to me until I reached the parts about tree gnomes, wood sprites, Lillith who is (if I remember correctly) the underground god who keeps all our nightmares in a cave and we can go there to get the shit scared out of us if we want and she is also the god in charge of all the children but is very upset that she can't find all the missing children. EGADS! So, I shy away from anything the begins to reek of being manipulated. (I think I remember this correctly. It's been awhile.)My view on God. Um. I believe that man removed gnosis (knowledge of god) from man and established for us the god of religion that we know today. I think establishing the Old Testament was necessary for society at the time, but is not a truthful representation of God.So, how about if you tell me. Just where do you think I fit in the labeling department? I've never really bothered to apply a label to my beliefs beyond the word gnostic.

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Azure Moon
Free-Thinkers: Those who, abandoning the religious truths and moral dictates of the Christian Revelation, and accepting no dogmatic teaching on the ground of authority, base their beliefs on the unfettered findings of reason alone. Catholic Encyclopedia.

Hello Phatboy,Thanks for the information. Very interesting. I've read a lot about gnosis, but never this particular description. That is an excellent description BTW. It took a long time for me to deal with changing from a strict (screaming hell and damnation) Baptist childhood to the peace of gnostic.***Gnostics were "people who knew", and their knowledge at once constituted them a superior class of beings,***The part about the "superior class of beings," is probably a huge reason Gnosis was basically irradicated. I can't imagine the Roman Empire being thrilled with that little item. And I didn't know that. It doesn't apply today, but it sure does explain a lot.Again thanks. The stuff I learn here. Amazing.

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Azure Moon
Free-Thinkers: Those who, abandoning the religious truths and moral dictates of the Christian Revelation, and accepting no dogmatic teaching on the ground of authority, base their beliefs on the unfettered findings of reason alone. Catholic Encyclopedia.

Amlodhi: Thus, my question to Azure Moon as to whether her gnostic understanding was the result of instruction or revelation. And, if the latter, what objective checks and balances are used to insure the validity of such "gnosis".***Hi Amlodhi,The gnostic understandings? Awkward wording by the way. I had an NDE. I died one night for just over an hour. And after I got through being totally P O 'ed about being put back into this hell hole called earth life... I discovered I came back a seeker. I wanted more and more knowledge and the traditional churches didn't have anything I needed.I accept no gnostic teachings from anybody unless I can get 3 confirmation's from 3 separate sources stating really plain the same thing. Two sources and it's out. Any hint of human manipulation and it's out. Is that what you mean?

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Azure Moon
Free-Thinkers: Those who, abandoning the religious truths and moral dictates of the Christian Revelation, and accepting no dogmatic teaching on the ground of authority, base their beliefs on the unfettered findings of reason alone. Catholic Encyclopedia.

This delay was not a slight. Honest. I came down with that flu everybody's had. It won.My only comments as to your challenge to others, is to be prepared maybe. The concept of the Vatican being the location for the second coming does have a tiny hole in it. Not big but be prepared.I'm anxious to see what the evo's come up with against it.

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Azure Moon
Free-Thinkers: Those who, abandoning the religious truths and moral dictates of the Christian Revelation, and accepting no dogmatic teaching on the ground of authority, base their beliefs on the unfettered findings of reason alone. Catholic Encyclopedia.

Hi Buzz,Finally getting back from round with flu from hades!About the slight hole and the fix for the Vatican/temple theory... tell me what you want me to do with it please. Public post it, private post it, forget it... Just let me know. I haven't been in here long enough to know what the 'protocol' would be.

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Azure Moon
Free-Thinkers: Those who, abandoning the religious truths and moral dictates of the Christian Revelation, and accepting no dogmatic teaching on the ground of authority, base their beliefs on the unfettered findings of reason alone. Catholic Encyclopedia.