Spiritual Discoveries
It is odd that anyone should fall into some sort of Gnostic duality. It's heresy. Ethical dualism is not the way of God; He is great, He is of both light and darkness, greater by far than either, making one out of the other and manifesting in both. Light and darkness are not opposites, no matter what people say. Light comprehends darkness; darkness does not comprehend light. Light is reason, the manifestation of the Logos; darkness is what is formless and void. But darkness is not always evil, just as light is not always good.
Here, for example, is Exodus 20: 20-23:
Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold."
It is clear here that God Himself contrasts His essence with that which is venal and material, not that which is dark. For the light can be as false as the dark; here is II Corinthians 11:13-14:
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
What should we learn from such passages? Perhaps, that we should be careful with what we say about dualism, light and darkness - in case we end up mistaken for Zoroastrians or some sort of Gnostic heretics.
Here, for example, is Exodus 20: 20-23:
Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning." The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites this: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold."
It is clear here that God Himself contrasts His essence with that which is venal and material, not that which is dark. For the light can be as false as the dark; here is II Corinthians 11:13-14:
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
What should we learn from such passages? Perhaps, that we should be careful with what we say about dualism, light and darkness - in case we end up mistaken for Zoroastrians or some sort of Gnostic heretics.
Labels: Darkness, Duality, Gnosticism, Light, Moses, Religion, Satan
etched with acid at 5:13:00 pm
3 Comments:
So if God is both darkness and light, and as the article that you link claims, He created both evil and good. And yet, God is not responsible for evil, is He? So does that mean that He allows evil to be done?
God is neither darkness nor light. There is no darkness in him, and light proceeds from him, but he is neither darkness nor light. Darkness is just the state of nothing - without form and void, the absence of light. The universe was created from out of it, but not of it.
The articles I linked has classic dualist religious foundations. I do not espouse its theology. And it is manifest that God allows evil to be done - shall we accept good from God, but not evil?
I get what you mean. I guess that it depends what the light and the darkness symbolise. Like in the verse, "God is all light and there is no darkness in Him", is talking about light as goodness. And the verse about the darkness and Moses, is probably referring to the mystery of God.
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