Actually the fact the Ferengi have 'The Grand Nagus' was a coincidence that came later, it's pretty funny. We just used to laugh at the video because of the implied racism and expected answer the kid was going to give, but then somehow nails it right before you think he's about to drop the N bomb. Somehow the absurdity related to the abstract nature of the Source.
good post, fren.
My best friend and I have an in joke where we refer to it as the grand and holy neegus. We used to crack up at this video, the irony and humour about it sort of stuck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of6a394_Owg
I wouldn't call confidence in your convictions gnosis, that's more a kind of arrogance and everyone suffers from that. However, I see how one could convince themselves of the other. Being so self convinced of a position that you feel it is absolute divine truth revealed through Gnosis. That is something everyone suffers from.
When it comes to spiritual stuff, that is why I don't subscribe to any particular cosmology or doctrine and only hold one simple thing to be the truth. God exists and is the totality of everything and everything is a part of it. I don't even like to call it God most of the time because words cannot do it justice. I've experienced that directly and that is all I know. The rest is all just theories and speculation that has been built upon, it's interesting to think about but isn't usually helpful beyond mental masturbation.
Now, is that self delusion and arrogance posing as Gnosis? Some might say yes but it's the one thing I'm 110% firm on, an experienced changed my life and I cannot feel differently about it. Nothing that I have seen or experienced since has led me to feel any differently, things have only solidified this 'faith'.
As to the details of this stuff, I believe that is why the Buddha rejected speculating about cosmology, even though Buddhists have cooked up complicated cosmologies and doctrines. It kind of is a 'cleaner' way to look at it for people that are bogged down in complex cosmologies and theologies, in my opinion, at least it was for me initially, but as I say, Buddhist doctrine becomes self defeating and full of crap that wasn't supposed to be part of the teaching. Buddhism and Taoism are not incompatible with certain Gnostic thought, either, but that's another subject.
Actually I will say this. Mainstream Christianity is pretty far removed from say Buddhism, and you would wonder how they could be compatible. In that sense, no they are not, they are completely different world views. Jesus is the only way to God and non believers will not be saved, they get purgatory at best (made up by the Catholic church) or hell at worse. It is the Gnostic side of Christianity that allows one to see the parallels in the Eastern traditions. To a mainstream Christian, this is blasphemy or worse, satanic. I personally find that ridiculous.
Also, I'm not trying to shit on anyone's personal beliefs here, because I do recognise people experience this differently and I've learned to see the common denominator and metaphor.
If you haven't already, learn about the the Nag Hammadi library and the dead sea scrolls, where some of the gnostic scriptures were found. The Gospel of Thomas is a short and interesting read. Hopefully you know how the Roman Catholic Church was created and why, and how they came to choose the 4 books to represent the new testament. The Gnostic scriptures were left out and they are of varying ages and legitimacy as far as authorship goes.
I do see that yes, 'IT'S HAPPENING' indeed, the awakening is occurring and it's fantastic. That part is happening, for sure. But I also think it is likely they find a way to jail Trump or stop him being on the ballot, destroying the political movement and causing God knows what to happen. What I reject is the idea that 'patriots are in control' and that they have full control and are slowly rolling out the plan. I think it is more accurate to say that they have some power and are doing what they can to fight back.
If I'm understanding you correctly, you believe everything is happening for a reason, it had to be this way, and everything is going according to plan. This is comforting and you may be right, I just personally am more sceptical.
I believe only the 'awakening' or spiritual element can save us at this point. I do have hope that it does.
I never really thought of that as having a spiritual reason (other than people having been indoctrinated and deceived), I considered it more a product of political indoctrination. Marxism (cultural Marxism), intersectionality etc. But I suppose, yes, if you want to see it in that context. But you're opening up a can of worms. Who was it exactly that was operating the Frankfurt School? And what exactly do these people actually believe? Might it have something to do with Kabbalah or Qliphoth? Probably. Interesting point.
I see why people prefer the simpler framework of other Christian traditions where it's all very black and white and well defined as to what is what. It's easier just to put faith in Jesus and label anything against it simply as Satanic in nature. You don't have to ask awkward questions about certain groups of people and examine a bunch of different things and go down a heap of rabbit holes. You stick to a simple truth and reject everything else.
Correction, you didn't open that can of worms I did so if that gets me in trouble so be it.
I would say there are signs of hope but there are just as many things going against us. I don't feel that things are going according to some plan, is my point. It's war and we're not necessarily winning. That is where you probably disagree if I'm correct
Valentinianism might be a interesting place to start. The cosmology is pretty complex but also interesting if you have the mind to bother with it. Not saying that I personally subscribe to it, just that it gives you a good idea how fleshed out one of the Christian Gnostic schools can be.
What's also interesting, The Lord of the Rings lore includes a creation tale in the Silmarillion. J. R. R. Tolkien was a Catholic but he cooked up a really interesting cosmology and creation story that is part biblical retelling, but with a sort of Gnostic flare. The idea of sound or vibration and different harmonies sung by the Ainur to shape the universe of creation. That in itself isn't really a gnostic idea but it's pretty cool none the less.
not yet, no. It's only just begun
I'm going to call for a truce because I believe we are on the same side and have misunderstood each other and straw manning each other's arguments.
yes, good on you, thankyou. I think you see my point anyway, that's basically what I was trying to say. There's a whole fascinating cosmology that different gnostic schools cooked up. There are several different branches of Christian Gnosticism and there are also things like Hermeticism. Hermeticism is kind of the root of all western occult schools, expanded upon by many others later including Crowley
My personal opinion is that the Cabal, through their occult knowledge, has a grasp of this stuff, and either willingly or unwillingly worships and draws power from what could be considered the demiurge. It's essentially the same as thing as 'Satan' or Satanism. It's also essentially the left hand path of ego worship or seeing yourself as becoming God. These 2 things are slightly separate yet related and I waver back and forth between what I believe it is that THEY believe.
Ok cool.
the interpretation I was presented with is that God split himself infinite > finite (present in man) and man can eventually become God through gnosis
Kinda, yeah, but not really depending on which school of thought you subscribe to. Now I see your point about 'homo deus'. My interpretation or personal understanding that rectifies this would be to say rather than becoming God, the goal is to realise the connection and the achieve a sort of union with God. Not that you yourself become god, but rather you recognise the divine 'spark' within you and know that you are a tiny piece of the whole that is God.
This isn't really a good explanation either and I do actually see you point more and more as I'm trying to avoid the issue.
Put it this way. I've known many people that became part of the psychedelic music and drug subculture. Without going into that too much, I am familiar with psychedelic experience as it relates to mystical and religious experiences. Many of the people that have a mystical experience end up with that interpretation, that they themselves are God. It's a kind of Solipsism. It's an extremely arrogant thing. It seems they take a short-cut towards something they haven't put in the time to study, and draw incorrect conclusions.
I'm a little bit tired and I'm struggling here, it's been a while. Consider this idea. Imagine concentric rings, smaller ones inside larger, expanding out infinitely or to whatever arbitrary point. My understanding of Gnosis is a state in which your mind is stilled sufficiently that you become supremely centred, within your heart of hearts or consciousness. The centre being the centre of the small concentric circle. That's little old 'you'. It shares it's centre with the heart of all creation. This is something within everyone but also outside and expanding to ever greater levels, whence my analogy of the concentric circles. The infinitely large circle if you can imagine such a thing would be the totality of everything or God. So you don't 'become' that, in a sense, but you can connect to the heart of it, the centre of it all that exists within you.
You could also argue that God wouldn't be the infinitely large circle but also whatever exists outside of it, if there could be such a thing. The boundary of the circle and analogy breaks down at that point and it doesn't really matter in any case.
Also the demiurge was presented as an antagonistic architect which placed us in fleshy prisons to suffer.
yes so this is one idea, there are many and it gets super complicated. As to whether the demiurge is something to hate and reject or to accept as a smaller part of the larger totality that is god... there's a lot to it, It gets really hectic
As with all things 'occult' in nature, there are two paths. The Gnosis or mystic state that I described would be the 'right hand path', I suppose, of making your ego small and being humbled before an almighty, infinite God of which you are less than a grain of sand. The other path would be inflating your ego to the point that it becomes the whole. That might be what people are interpreting as Gnosticism, but like I say, it depends on the school of thought.
We are in a unique position as humans. We aren't so lowly as a bug or bacteria, we are capable of reason and self reflection. We also aren't so mighty that we are tempted to think of ourselves as gods, most of the time anyway. It's a unique middle sort of position in the scale of things. I think there is something in Buddhist thought about this.
I aware of the sub-varieties, it's my thing. I don't know, this song IS the stuff they play on the radio.
if I'm guessing correctly, that means 'man as God', and from the schools I'm familiar with, that isn't really what they say. It may be an interpretation or an incorrect interpretation.
There are many schools of Gnosticism and many different conceptions of the demiurge. Would you like me to explain what I personally believe? Or the different concepts? Because it can get super confusing and complicated, I am willing to try though if you genuinely want to know
I consider myself a gnostic Christian, and I think you're completely wrong. Probably just misinformed. I found God through personal gnosis and it the only reason I am not a militant atheist as I was before.
“Is Q willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why trust the plan?”
My argument is that Q is not omnipotent, as many like to believe because of wishful thinking. That's actually all I am saying
I did see those things, and some of that is great. But it's not the huge victory you wish that it was.
We have to pay for our part in letting this Evil proliferate in this world to this extent. Its the cost of our complacency and price for freedom.
I don't like this argument, it's the same as a justification for evil when looking at the argument problem of evil and arguing for or against the existence of God.
Things are not under control, the world is in great peril and victory is not assured. Thinking that victory is assured is to justify sitting back and doing nothing, simply 'trusting the plan'. Unfortunately that is not how any of this works. I'd be willing to make that bet at this point, and if I'm wrong I'll apologise profusely and acknowledge that.
I dunno, you can make the argument that most of what constitutes 'country music' in the same time period is utter trash, and that there is in fact more based and redpilled hiphop. I think they are equally full of shit for the most part.
I'm conflicted. I hate the modern pop-country sound (Everyone since Garth Brooks that does that style), I hate everything it stands for and everything about it. I play American folk music and outlaw country in my spare time, so these people are everything I have to compete with and fight for attention with. But it is amusing that this song is number 1.
person of interest is AWESOME.
I'm not dooming, I'm being realistic. I've been 'digging' since around 2008. You need to open your mind fren because the truth is likely not going to be what you want it to be. It will be what it is.
I don't know what you've been looking at, honestly. I saw a stolen election, with no real consequences. I have seen the systematic destruction of the American and western world economy, and I have seen billions sent to fund a war in Ukraine. None of these are good things. Everything seems to be getting worse and there is no justice with a weaponised DOJ. If this was the plan, then it's not a very good one. People have lost their livelihoods, their homes, their families and worse.
We know this is a huge sting operation
we don't know that. That is what some people hope, and it may just be wishful thinking
you have nailed it fren. I have forgotten how to explain this sort of thing, it's been a while. You've filled in imported bits that I forgot to mention or explained poorly, and given better definitions.
I guess I can see how those that come from within the Church would see this stuff as inherently blasphemous because it defies the doctrines and things they take for granted as their experience of religious expression. I deliberately tried to distance my explanation from the topics and terms that they might recoil at, but you've actually explained that really well.
precisely this.