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For some reason, it gets to me when people say that they're "atheist".


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In colloquial usage, if one says 'gnostic', they're usually implying that you blame your problems on yearnings of the flesh instead of facing the simple truth as to their real source. A stereotypical gnostic exhibits the above, plus a bizarre kind of focus on the experience of suffering.

what kind of circles do you hang around in when this is 'colloquial'

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when you turn forty years old you do not suddenly imply peoples' problems are blamed on their yearning of the flesh when their actual causes are different

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when you turn forty years old you do not suddenly imply peoples' problems are blamed on their yearning of the flesh when their actual causes are different

I was offering an example of the word 'gnostic' being used in informal context. Of course, plenty of 40-year olds will be relaxing in front of the telly instead of implying anything of the kind, or just not have the metaphor ready for use in conversation and occupy themselves with more earthly and practical things - something I'd approve of I think. Many things aren't for everyone; this is one such thing. A world full of gnostics would be entirely different from ours, but it's hardly a fantasy - an omission of certain church policies would possibly let gnosticism of some sort become the prevailing attitude for some time, though my guess is that gnostics wouldn't be very invested in reproducing and raising their children, so more competitive cultures would eventually send them back to earth where they came from.

Point remains, afflictions add up as you grow older, and the multiplication of suffering leads to (greater) religiosity. The interest and investment in the subject I brought up would naturally be more common in older folks, but certainly there are other factors to be aware of (e.g. a materialistic generation being followed by another one opposing and denying the values of the former). I'm often quite disturbed by how ultra-religious people around me become, not in the least owing to difficult afflictions and losses.

Anyway, I'm far from sober and probably need to sleep.

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To be fair to western secularism, taking things that are both impossible and incredibly misanthropic as literally true is a practice that is not exactly extinct here

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I just prayed for you.

heavybrawlsguy please tell me if you are being sarcastic or not so i know whether to strongly dislike you or to strongly dislike you

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Gnosticism and agnosticism can apply to just about anything; meaning 'having knowledge' and 'being without knowledge', respectively.

Distinct from the philosophies and religious affiliations, I mean.

AKA: Mouse is on the right track.

Edited by Makaze
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To be fair to western secularism, taking things that are both impossible and incredibly misanthropic as literally true is a practice that is not exactly extinct here

Indeed, the West is hardly a monolith. The US, European countries like Poland, Romania, I'd add Russia as well (some dispute Russia as being Western, but nobody has ever managed to pinpoint a single idea or philosophy belonging to the territories of the East that would find any reflection there) also have that tradition (in the case of countries of the former Eastern bloc, artificially resurrected from the dead and propagated by political technologies as a means to something else rather than the end, though the extent to which the tradition was interrupted also varies - in Russia, it was entirely destroyed, in places like Romania and the Ukrainian West, it was able to live more or less peacefully with the governing ideology in spite of the contrast). My view is simply that a literal understanding of clearly symbolical systems eventually leads to their complete rejection - most of secular West (the perfect example would be France) is a good example of that. If the columns are weak, the building will shatter and be destroyed.

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gnosicism means knowledge.

Agnosticism means without knowledge

Theism means you believe in god(s) or something spiritual

Atheism means you don't believe in that stuff

you can combine these terms, let us look at gnosticism

Agnostic theist: a person who( has no evidence/believes it is unknowable) but still beleves.

Agnostic atheist: a person who (Has no evidence/believes it is unknowable) that god exists and does not beleive

I am

-

Apathetic Agnostic.

Can't prove it either way and it doesn’t make a difference

summery:

Don't know, don't care

supporting evidence for my belief:

read this tread

Edited by sifer
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