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originally posted by: madmac5150
The Gnostic texts ie. Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary etc. probably have the most accurate accounts of Yeshua, his life, and his teachings. The books were banned by the early church as heretical... they undermined the church's control of the masses, and portrayed women as equals in the eye of the Creator.
That was a problem. Judaism preached man's dominion over women... and converting the Jews was far easier if the early church incorporated Judaism.
That is why the Old Testament was included in the original canon.
Many Gnostic texts were lost for centuries (...or buried in Vatican archives), but they deserve serious study. They shine an entirely new light on Christian faith.
I am a cradle Catholic; I believed church dogma for a very long time. One day... I decided to dig deeper. I believe the true Christian message was lost a long time ago; rewritten by men for man's benefit.
Christ taught humility, charity and compassion. Modern "churches" are for profit enterprises hiding behind tax-exempt status. The Vatican is the wealthiest entity on the planet... we could feed the poor, globally, for decades if we liquidated Vatican assets. Think on that... humility? charity? compassion?
Organized religion is not true Christianity... it is thought control, and it has worked for centuries...