One main reason the church is failing is that by and large, its leaders have not seen the revival and implementation of the ancient gnostic heresy. Gnosticism separates the spiritual and material worlds, believing the soul transcends material existence by means of esoteric, spiritual knowledge.

We currently see its most vivid manifestation in the denial of the reality of the human body. Sexuality is freed from embodiment. Desire, freed from any restrictions can be expressed toward anyone and anything.

Gnostic assumptions are behind the green movement's revulsion toward the materials of oil, coal and natural gas—sunshine and wind as close to the immaterial as one can hope.

Money is detached from real economic activity of goods and services in the form of crypto currencies backed only by the ontology of mathematics--de rived from the mind only.

Every area of life has been invaded by gnostic assumptions, including art, literature and music. For example, for a least a century, abstract art such as a black on black "painting" represents the mind of the artist without regard to the realities of nature. The viewer is expected to discover the artist's inner light.

The Church universal generally has not recognized the heresy and thus has failed to confront it. The result is that even the Church itself has accepted core gnostic beliefs such as attempting to separate the abstract spoken Word from any earthly or even heavenly symbols based on created realities. The Kingdom of God and material creation are seen as separated. This is why so many churches have embraced the untenable idea that the church can and must separate itself from entanglement with the "world."

Tim adds:

Brilliant observation Fay! I think you are spot on with this. It seems so many old heresies have returned in our modern times. The ancient heresy of dualism is another. example, and several heresies were dualistic (such as Manicheanism, one of the roots of Islam.) We see dualism today in the Conservative/Liberal split. Liberals hate conservatives as they see only good or evil and believe they are on the side of the good so we are simply evil. That is the embodiment of dualism. It also explains the Lefts love of Islam and all those who are opposed to anything that can be considered "on the right" even if it be brutish or violent. The modern Church is full of dualism, of Gnosticism, of so very many isms without centering Christ. Liberation Theology is a kind of dualistic Gnosticism, for example. And Pope Francis is bringing it back.

1 Both of you are spot-on.

2 I just fleshed out Faye's thesis a bit. She's right; we are now the church Heretical.

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