A Conversation for The Nag Hammadi Codices

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Post 1

ajay

Actually, if you do some research you discover that the discovery itself of the Nag Hammadi texts is quite a story in and of itself. Unlike it states in this entry, i do believe that several sources say that the arabs in question were in fact digging a grave for a victim they planned on murdering in some elaborate revenge scheme, i kid you not... look into the most common and proliferated text "The Gnostic Gospels" By Elaine Pagels for the text, as well as the collection known as "The Nag Hammadi Library" and several other texts which relate the story...

peace,
ajay


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Post 2

ajay

Furthermore, your statement about the open mindedness of gnostics, is a little inaccurate. the fact of the matter is that shoddy scholarship layed the foundation of belief that there was this one group called Gnostics, when in fact it was an extremely diverse and disunified movement, and among many of its forms were elaborate religions with strict rules and somewhat bizzare mythologies stretching so far out as so scarecly be called christian or even judeo-chirstian ( i happen to have done a extensive paper on gnostic classifications last semster, which is why im so bothered by the subject)

peace,
ajay


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Post 3

Blatherskite the Mugwump - Bandwidth Bandit

I used "The Nag Hammadi Library" as my primary source in writing this article, and they tell the discovery story that I have presented here. They also support the "open-mindedness" theme. That's not to say they weren't disunified... in the early days, Christianity was just as disunified. The Nag Hammadi codices come to us from one source, and the fact that so many of the writings are from different cults lends credence to the "open-mindedness" conjecture.


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Post 4

Blatherskite the Mugwump - Bandwidth Bandit

"The Nag Hammadi Library" does tell of some violent things going on with the Bedoins who discovered the books. The finder's family was embroiled in a blood feud, nd his wife, thinking the books were the cause of their new misfortunes, tossed them into the fire, and part of one codice was burned pretty badly. Perhaps a full telling of the tale would be a good idea, but I was more concerned with the books themselves. That's the problem with the current state of affairs... by the time you get any useful feedback, it's alrready too late. smiley - sigh


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Post 5

Occasional Hieroglyphic, wanderer in search of the exoteric

As to the Christian church being disunified (I am assuming that is a word, I can't be bothered to go and check), I suspect that there have been more variations of these beliefs than any other known religion.

I believe that the only true Christians were alive during Christ's lifetime and it is meaningless to try and understand exactly what any of these texts really meant.

As history, it is all fascinating, however like all knowledge, the more we understand the more we realise how big the whole subject is,


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Post 6

Macfadyan

I am surprised that you should talk about the only christians being in Christs time. Jesus never wanted or required that anyone should follow him and worship him in any form what so ever.

I am trying to get info on the ancient religions of Egypt can u help?


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Post 7

Blatherskite the Mugwump - Bandwidth Bandit

I disagree. If there is any truth to the Gospels, he quite often tells people to follow him. But then, there isn't much truth to them, is there? smiley - winkeye

I could perhaps recommend a few books to you, but first I would have to know a bit more of what you're looking for.


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Post 8

Occasional Hieroglyphic, wanderer in search of the exoteric

Ah but I never said that Christ named them, and in fact I only use the word so that you know who I'm talking about. For all I know they called themselves something else altogether. I suspect that Christ would have tried to dissuade them from putting him forward in any way, not that that would ever stop anyone in the throes of religious rebirth.

I would suggest that if you really want to know what it all means then you need to find who Peter nominated as his successor, just as he was nominated by Jesus. Then find HIS successor and so on up to the present day. Somewhere on this planet is the current Master, if we may call him or her that, who has all the knowledge of Christ. Happy hunting, (you know he's out there).

As to Egypt, I am afraid all I have is an old childs mythology book. Sorry.


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Post 9

Blatherskite the Mugwump - Bandwidth Bandit

If you turn to the Nag Hammadi Gospels, you find out that Jesus nominated his successor as James, his brother.

But then, if you dig through the historical evidence for Jesus, you might decide he never existed at all... which brings the sum total of "true Christians" to zero.


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