Tencat....So what you're saying is that because someone isn't worshipping your god, then they are worshipping your devil?  Is that it?  Or because it's different than what you believe, that makes it a cult?  Smeg head.  :P

The doctrine of salvation by knowledge. This definition, based on the etymology of the word (gnosis knowledge, gnostikos, good at knowing), is correct as far as it goes, but it gives only one, though perhaps the predominant, characteristic of Gnostic systems of thought.

Whereas Judaism and Christianity, and almost all pagan systems, hold that the soul attains its proper end by obedience of mind and will to the Supreme Power, i.e. by faith and works, it is markedly peculiar to Gnosticism that it places the salvation of the soul merely in the possession of a quasi-intuitive knowledge of the mysteries of the universe and of magic formulas indicative of that knowledge.

Gnostics were people who knew, and their knowledge at once constituted them a superior class of beings, whose present and future status was essentially different from that of those who, for whatever reason, did not know. Many Gnostics are dualists believing in two forces, good and evil. The adepts strive to achieve the gnosis or depth of knowledge. It is remarkable how resilient is this line of thought.

With the growth of the New Age Movement, Gnostics have a new lease on life.

Again,a broad spectrum of beliefs is lumped into one on this list and condemned by people with little or no idea what Gnosis is.It is NOT so simple as I know something you don't know (which some Christians echo when they speak of faith)-Gnosis means simply DIRECT APPREHENSION of the divine.There were many different kinds of Gnostic Sects-in fact the EARLIEST CHRISTIANS were Gnostic Christians,as a formal Church had not yet been formed,or body of literature (NEW Testament )been codified and written down,much less made available commercially.The Church,once formed,saw the Gnostic Christians as a threat,people who did not need or want the Priesthood playing middle man between them and God.They persecuted and killed these fellow Christians,and kept their GOSPELS out of the Bible.(Many of the Gnostic Gospels are just as ancient and authentic as any of the ones the Church saw fit to leave in-however,they don't fit the program of the CHURCH having control of and lording over (quite literally) it's followers.Some of the other Gnostics include:The Ophites of Celsus,Naasseni,Basilideans,Ebionites,Carpocratians -etc.Most of them believe in the Duality of Good and Evil,and that the material world is tainted,while the spiritual realm is pure.Some of them venerate the Feminine Divine Principle,(Great Mother) and call her Sophia (Greek for Wisdom)-similar to the more esoteric Judaic Binah.The Sotor ,or savior,is the Primal Man,embodied for the Christian Gnostics as Jesus Christ.

Perfectly fine by me.

Its important to ask questions about our faith, but gnosticism isnt that. It's denying of Christs Holiness is denying the critical tenant of Christianity. therefore, Gnosticism can only be concluded to be a philosphical cult.

seems good for some theories, not the usual christian crap. a bit too much on the crazy theories side.

A realy bad mixture. Not that adding knowledge to faith before pretending to salvation is a bad think, because the knowledge is from all mystic corner of the world. So you won't be saved by the knowledge of the world, but by the knowledge of the kindom of God. For the Eternal life is that people know Jesus the Nazarean, and Yahveh, that God who send Him to die for you and for me. ... The knowledge of from other sources certain helps, but not for salvation. The salvation if free, in Jesus the Nazarean.

It sounds very occult to me.

Gnostics (Esoteric knowlage): Christian split.Origianl sect called Simonius existed till 180AD. Said to have started by Simon Magas (sorcerer) of Acts 8 in Rome. Influenced by Buddhism, Platoism, Zorasterism and Judaism. Belive in combining all these religions as one Great religion at that time they all had the same basic beliefs. Believe in meditation to increase psyhic powers, laying of hands for healing, reincarnation, white magic, divination & spiritualism. See Revelations and Genesis 1-9 as symbolic. Condembemed as a heresy by the early Church - Doctrin based on Dt 18:10 which forbids Magic, divination, & spiritualism which all Gnostic groups believe. Killed off by the Church & split into over 30 groups, some became anti-commandment, satanic, orgy groups, pagan groups etc. Often mistaken for Duelist (since the magor groups were duelist, but the magority were Anti-duelist.) and panthiest, yet many rejected these ideas. Being revived by the New Age who call them selves Gnostics, as do some massons & some wicca.

Good theory, yet incomplete. The spirit is good, but since we are off this world, we need to be able to use our spirit and Nature together. Reliance on either one too much keeps us out of touch.

Solenoid DH is wrongly talking about deulism.

Gnostics claimed to have a special "knowledge" that others don't have - hence, the name Gnosticism, from the Greek "gnosko," "to know." They believed that EVERYTHING material is evil, and EVERYTHING non-material is good. This led to two extremes: people who denied their flesh any kind of pleasures at all, since they thought their physical body was evil....and people who swung the other direction, and indulged in all kinds of immoral activity, since they figured the body wasn't worth anything anyway. Thankfully, the Bible teaches us that God made us both body and spirit, and both are good. Gnosticism is ridiculous. That's why the Gospel of John points out not only how spiritual Jesus was while on earth, but also how human he was: able to be tired, thirsty, to suffer, etc., yet still be the son of God.

A very interesting summary by gicau on this topic. I had only a glimmer of an idea of what this was ism was all about, though I did sense a New Age connection. Reading gicau’s post brought to mind the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch - people writhing in a hellish existence of lies, misconceptions and demonic pain. Since there is always a little truth mixed with Satan’s lies I would say then that Gnosticism is apparently just another putrefaction of God’s word. Same old story with a different title.