The next time someone asks you 'how's life?', don't respond 'my experience has convinced Me that this universe could only be the product of a malevolent being'
Dr. Sledge, really appreciate your take on all of this stuff. I feel like too many channels that get suggested to me by the algorithm are looking at gnostic christianity as a means to convert people and in all reality, I just want to learn about it objectively. Really appreciate your content. Keep it up!!
@@azanudniy By "objectively" I mean, I am interested in this topic, but I have no interest in converting my life and mindset to Gnosticism or to any religion. I feel that this channel presents the history and information without trying to convince you that it's real.
As a Catholic, an Esoterica fan, and a Neon Genesis Evangelion fan, whenever Eva is mentioned I have to pause and make sure I'm thinking of the right Evangelion.
Question. As a fan of this channel, how do you still believe in a god when he's discussed the origins of said god from combinations of other religions/deities?
@@H0n3yMonstah Good question and one I've grappled with on and off even before I watched the Yahweh episodes (the first one was my literal introduction to his channel which was recommended to me after I watched a Wendigoon video of all things.) I've always had a complicated relationship with God and religion in general but I've personally found no reason to antagonize Catholicism despite me various disagreements with it. Though iunno I don't feel too comfortable talking about my complicated feelings on it in a comments section. Do you have a Discord?
Here in Japan I've been working on this English educational program for kids, and this year the theme is space. At the end of the work day, as I put away the decorations I've made that day, I noticed a very striking image of a giant green space worm I had placed on top of the sun. In that moment, I realized I had accidentally created the Demiurge.
@@ProbablyOnLSD69 Hahaha. Jokes aside, the true God itself never has created anything bad. It does not create, it emanates in alignment with the natural (neutral) state of infinity, which is goodness aka life. God is "good", it's in the word as well. Contrary to our conditioning and brainwashing since birth, God does not sit in sky, speak to humans in human made languages, judge people and hand out rewards and punishments of "hellfire" like some toddler tantrum. Only an imperfect and flawed being would create imperfect creations like humans and then literally judge them on said imperfections it created in the very first place. God has no imperfections. Otherwise it wouldn't be God. Only conscious beings have the "desire" to create anything, because they are lacking *something* within themselves, and are thus not aligned with their own piece of God within them. When you are apart of God, you are thus apart of everything (and nothing at the same), so you don't lack anything and have zero desires since you already know that you are everything. They (archonic beings and jinns) are devoid of God (goodness). The opposite of God, is Dog. The devilish Dog aka Demiurge who created the human body and all religions. Hence why Sirius is also called the "dog star" and its speculated that the Archons reside/come from Sirius. The "Dogon tribe" (yes that's their actual name) from Africa has immense knowledge of both Sirius A and B. They have a very interesting story and religion where eons ago beings from Sirius came and taught them. Our God source (the heart and its eye the pineal gland) has been trapped by the ego and Demiurgic mind or lizard brain quite literally. This is all by design by that demonic craftsman every religion is unknowingly worshipping. Us humans also suffer so much because we've been brainwashed to believe God is an external being and separate from us. Rather it is inside of us, and outside of us. We are in infinity, and infinity is in us.
Don't know how I ended up here (no alchohol nor drugs involved, just Insomnia). But I must say that both the contents and the didactic style, with that subtle sense of humor, are simply excellent.
What a fascinating couple lectures! Listening to these lectures, along with alot of other professors have encouraged me to join Peterson Academy, where I can listen to even more lectures at work and work toward a certification other than my construction experience. Thank you so much for all the fascinating lectures and the time spent putting them together.
Love that you often use Blake for your scrolling images. Personal favorite when it comes to artists. Also grabbed that book from the library and looking forward to diving in. One of the main reasons I follow this channel is for all the great recommendations!
Thanks! Cant wait to see where this gnostic demiurge tale goes, I see the third released yesterday so I get a double dose today. The first lecture was fascinating!
You haven't even encountered some of the weirdest stuff of Gnosticism. At least from a modern christian perspective. Lucifer is a distinct and opposed being to Satan and the Demiurge in some interpretations of Gnosticism.
It's like the idea of knowing you're going to mess up, but dad can fix it... I feel like demiurge is just another example of people trying to explain something they can't understand in it's fullness... Separating the image from the being is difficult, but the being is more than the image.
@@adinocc2042 gnostic teachings definitely have their high points. Take the -ism off and keep going... If you believe that you're truly eternal then there's a creator somewhere that made you that way with reason and for a purpose. If you were someone else outside of that purpose, you wouldn't be looking for Him/It or even trying to understand. Keep going.
If you watch a lot of David Lynch movies, the idea of a sinister/dark diety behind the scenes is very present in the storylines. I wonder if there's a connection to the Demiurge in some way. Lynch is a proponent of transcendental thought and it wouldn't surprise me if such an idea made it into his works.
As a practicing Buddhist…. This concept isn’t too far of a jump from my beliefs. I mean this place at times can feel like a Prison. Concepts like the Demiurgos or Archons aren’t that much of a leap….
i think of the imbalance between pleasure and pain being evidence of a malevolent (mostly) creator of this place. the pain of being eaten alive outweighs the pleasure of eating something alive by staggeringly, exponentially more. pain is dreadfully easy to receive whereas pleasure is hopelessly fleeting. even neutral states become boring and thus painful if enough time passes.
Initially, I rejected this "demiurge" idea because I asked myself, "but what about the beauty in this world, or when Jesus worships the creator during the sermon on the mount?" but then I read it again, and I noticed he says "your heavenly Father", and he doesn't say "my heavenly father"... Very subtle. Could this really be true? Matthew 5 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how **God** clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith?"
Isn't that just an obvious result of evolution? Being injured reduces your fitness and thus ability to pass on your genes or help your relatives pass on theirs and dying makes it completely impossible for you to do so, meanwhile eating something just keeps you going. Therefore the incentive to avoid being maimed or dying would always end up being much higher than the incentive to just stay alive, otherwise we might do stupid things like eating our own limbs. It's just simple natural selection, an animal that is more strongly motivated to stay alive and unharmed is more likely to pass on its genes than one that is less motivated to do so. And you can't achieve the same with reward systems because if an animal was rewarded for avoiding harm then it would never be willing to risk harm in exchange for a greater reward, plus it's generally just simpler to figure out what you need to avoid to stay alive than it is to figure out what you need to seek.
What are your own personal beliefs? I don't think I've ever watched/listened/learned anything that was so intriguing. Not to mention so clearly spoken! Thank you for sharing and spreading this knowledge!
According to his personal website, prof. Justin Sledge considers himself part of the Jewish Reconstructonist movement. While at the same time, he does not believe in any Gods, at a personal level. Quoting from his FAQ section: "- Do you believe in God? I don't find the conception of god(s) either metaphysically convincing or mythologically desirable, i.e., I have no good reasons to think such beings exist and, given what I have learned about the lot of them, I hope none of them do. - What are your religious beliefs? Are you a rabbi? I am Jewish, belong to the Reconstructionist movement, and closely align myself with the teachings of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, z”l. I’m not a rabbi but I am married to one".
It's always interesting to me when the people who study religions and different esoterica are atheists. Let alone married to a Rabbi (albeit Reconstruction)! What do they do with all the knowledge that many theists would love to have?!
Nah its best to learn about what millions and millions of other believe. Especially when they control certain aspects of society. Unless one wants to live like a monk in a cave we are bound to the system of control and it makes for more ease maneuvering throughout that system informed. @PatriarchOfCork
Good! It's a very fear based cult, probably one of the religions on the planet. I'm talking specifically about southern baptism, even though most of Christianity is a fear based cult, Baptists seem to be the worst of the worst IMO. Keep overcoming.
There is no normal version. There are many brands of Christianity and Judaism throughout history and the world. Two thousand years provides countless examples.
@@iatebambismom He did a video on the Pistis Sophia. It could be argued that in Gnosticism or in some forms of western Kabbalah or occultism it meets your criteria. Is Satanism a subset of Christianity or Judaism? What kind of God does Job have in his book in OT?
Thank you Dr. Sledge! I feel Marcion was fundamentally right about the necessity to think about Christianity as an all new religion, independent of Judaism and its sacred texts. I feel it would have more sense than the final mix we had with the name of Catholicism, and then all the variety of Biblical "Christianity" we suffer right now.
I agree. Constantine and his priest class messed up by including parts of the Torah into the Christian Bible. They are incompatible. Marcion was too wise to be such a fool about this mistake. Likely Constantine thought that he could get more converts to Catholicism if he tried to blend the two faiths.
@@markrodriguez2132 I find it curious that people think that G-d is a racist that makes contracts with a small tribe in the Middle East and ignores the other 99% of the world's population. ""I LOVE YOUR TINY TRIBE MORE THAN ALL THE OTHER BEINGS ON THE PLANET."" Yeah, right.
@@markrodriguez2132 So you believe that G-d makes contracts with a tiny tribe from the eastern Mediterranean region to the exclusion of the other 99% of the people in the world? How nice. I would never assume that the all powerful would be a räçi$T. Interesting....
@@markrodriguez2132 Yes, I've heard the same hundreds of times until I realized it had no sense. Only empty words to justify the kidnapping of the Jewish sacred texts by the Christians, from a time when Christian proselytism was still carried out among Jewish people at the Roman empire, and it was necessary to demonstrate them through hermeneutics that Jesus was truly their expected Messiah.
i always feel the need to thank you. Information is so wide spread and hard to gather. Especially if you don't have a full overview / roadmap of what to do when and how
Thank you for the raw historical lessons. I still have my faith as strong as ever. What you do for my faith is peel away the influence of human motivations and a deep understanding that all faiths have been twisted to aid those in charges power and aims. I have been aware that stuff felt twisted and forced; you have helped me to understand why it feels that way.
This episode was secretly a crash course on the connection between Christian esotericism and antisemitism. I used to go on unwholesome parts of the internet and was regularly exposed to the latter and it luckily never stuck, but *a lot* of the rhetoric I heard there suddenly came back and fell into context, listening to the second part of the video.
Its that glance out of the corner of your eye. Or to use the words of Pink Floyd: "When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse. Out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but it was gone. I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone"
@@HappyHermitt Why would a Christian spend any time on the internet? Is that the ideal christian life? Why do people always ask absurd degrees of commitment from people with fringe views but not from people with common ones? It's ridiculous. No one ever embodies the picture-perfect stereotypical ideal version of their belief system.
Just picked up Dr Litwa's book. Read the first 30 pages or so and so far it's a great read. Actually like going back and forth with this episode and the book. Helps to grasp the idea presented.
Thank you. Watching from Alaska. 🤔 Reviewing the series again and downloading for continuing study. I'm starting to recognize elements that still exist.
A very fascinating turn of events culminated into all of this. The early schisms between Christianity and Judaism compounded with pagan sentiments towards Judaism made way for a story involving Jesus that appeared in the last bit of the first century to have a line within it that people to this day couldn't come to agreement on whether it was about The Devil or a supposed Father of The Devil... Then a guy named Marcion, a Christian many call a heretic, showed up and saw the God of the OT as evil and the God of Christianity as good. Given the schisms present already and the amount of churches he had, people agreeing with him, he probably wasn't the first to have this idea but he certainly popularized it. Fascinating stuff... Considering all the people who were martyred by religious institutions for professing scientific truths, I see a very clear parallel here in how easy it is to read like Marcion with regard to just about everything in Abrahamic faith. People who professed a true knowledge of how things are, the Giordano Brunos of the world, who had truth ringing out long after their demises at the hands of religious institutions. I think that Marcion had the pattern correct but applied it in the wrong place. His true pattern was applied within the bounds of the heart hardening mechanism he discovered, this realm of subjectivity where anyone could have chimed in and said "No thanks. Anyone I don't like is The Devil and I don't like you." Then his ideas rang out through his detractors alone... This true pattern here cannot be erased, it's seemingly placed by the aeons as evidence for their power. All these institutions can do is carry The Devil in their words in response to truthful accusations, carry powerful illusions in their words by claiming these Giordano Brunos were Devils and all their undeniable truths were actually convincing lies. When confronted with Evolution they might carry powerful illusions and lies in their words by claiming dinosaur bones are a powerful illusion and a lie. I have sapped all of these words of their power, this is a vaccine of sorts so a mind's immune system may later detect them and combat them before they result in an infection. These institutions are indeed the source of all of these illusions. The natural laws, laws one is unable to defy in all encompassing fashion, purvey the entirety of all things. They predate theories such as The Big Bang because these theories are constructed with them in mind. They are seemingly atemporal, primordial, without a creator. Any egregore borne of human fragility owes itself to these laws, these laws that allowed words of both the OT and the NT to be carried with conviction. There is seemingly only one inerrant verse to quote in the entirety of all things, and that is the universe. The universe allowed for every verse to be uttered, for every false lie with true implications. At the end of the day the world is only positive on truth, it never goes into negative. These Abrahamic deities are deeply flawed. I'm hesitant to call them evil because my morality is relative to objectives. Essentially, what is practical for achieving an objective is good and what is impractical is bad. Each individual likely has a separate objective that may be similar, and can only have one objective at a time. Those objectives may oscillate very quickly and might construct the illusion of something simultaneously being bad and good, but only if one is multiple people at the same time is there such a thing... and I consider that an impossibility. There are multiple exogoods and exobads, exoneutrals even, but there is only one good at a given moment. If they do exactly what I expect them to, then they're good... That's a whole spiel though, very inspiring video. Thanks for another banger Dr. Sledge.
This second part delves even deeper into the complex role of the Demiurge in Gnostic beliefs. The connection made between the Demiurge and the concept of law is particularly intriguing.
If our direct creator is not God, then I think it's reasonable to assume our direct creator is imperfect. That wouldn't make this creator evil though imo. Maybe our direct creator is learning and trying to make a better creation each iteration using information obtained from previous iterations. As a software engineer, I can't even begin to imagine how complicated and challenging programming an entire realty could be. I doubt I could do even a fraction as good a job as the one who directly created all of this. An interesting question to ponder: Why does our direct creator have to be 100% perfect and who are we to demand that? If God is allowing this being to create, then I'm sure not going to question it.
The demiurge is evil because it has all the urges of the heavenly beings in the Plural while being unable to participate. It’s therefore super resentful and petty about that fact.
I'm a Christian. Although not a religious one. And I think Marcion has some great points, if you read the Torah literally. BUT... I think we should read it using its symbolic meaning (the various degrees of them). I have jewish ancestry, and I don't know how people can read all those texts in a literal sense (we can... using historical context, but...). And, part of the old testment is also inspired by other myths and legends of the old. So... yeah... I'm a Christian who believes in the moral/spiritual values and massage of Christ, but i'm also a Christian who understands that I don't know a lot of the symbolic meaning retained in these old texts. I think we can find some astrological correspondences with all the myths/legends/messages/symbols presented to us in the scriptures. And maybe that's why they are so relatable to us all. Oh... and thank you for your work. And also - not relatable-, but you have a very sexy voice😊.
You are a beast of esoteric knowledge. Furthermore… you seem to have an uncanny perspective void of bias with a great sense of dry humor.🤣Love it brotha!
Great Episode! You should look at the Mandaean version. The light being (demiurge) is called Ptahil. (Coincidently the creator god of the Memphis triad in Egypt is called Ptah. This god thought in his heart and spoke everything into being). Ptahil with the seven demons, (children of Ruha, the seven planets, the old Mesopotamian gods) out of clay creates Adam. Adam did not live until his soul (and the souls of all humans) is delivered from the light world. Waiting for the episode about us Mandaeans. 😊
Given that you're wonderful religion is still very active and given that I only cover historical stuff I probably won't cover it anytime soon. Not for lack of admiration but because this channel covers historical topics and you're amazing religion is very much not mere history
@@TheEsotericaChannel It would definitely give some historical insights, but I understand that it might be sensitive to discuss a still living tradition.
For some reason whenever I see Mandaean baptism or read prayers from the Qolasta I end up crying profusely. Theres some unexplainable beauty to it. One of my favorite prayers would have to be “prayer of the witnesses at the Jordan”
@@TheEsotericaChannel if Ole Red/horned one WAS a hipster and thinks he is the ONE, then we got news for him, that there are others who think they're the ONE, and it's difficult to tell them apart in their perceived one and only-ness which is basically their loneliness because they can't seem to strike out and think outside of their self-built box/unable to not paint themselves into a corner/break out of their perceived reality prison. The Hipster curse. I suspect they never got to break their hip like the human Jacob did when the latter wrestled an angel. Would love to find the historical conceptualization of the levels of the soul and the four worlds of the Kabbalah and how the Daimon emerged as a concept in antiquity.
i got a copy of that book mentioned in part I - Facing the Abusing God, and I don't think I can get through it. It's just too difficult a read. But what I've got from it so far is that it is suggested that God is beyond ethics, therefor is under no obligation to behave ethically, yet is still perfect and good in all things. I recall something like this from my southern Baptist upbringing and remember thinking how awful that sounded. One moment he might be blessing you, the next he forces you to sin and then ends your life, and judges you to be unworthy and off to hekk with you. Jesus was supposed to come in at some point and somehow make that better.
28:53 "Which is an admittedly hilarious story." Being a bald man myself, it is especially hilarious. I will summon bears next time a child makes fun of my bald head.
@@PaulaHawk99 Socrates has a great argument about “care of the soul” before death because if there was nothing or nihil, then evil would get away with things upon death. So perhaps “Goodness” in your thoughts and actions and treatment of others, is the “way out.”
@@nvbl2806 personally, and I just say this personally, I think it's crystal clear, I prefer not to try to bamboozle and instead focus on doing good in order to get good results, first because it forces reality checks to what we think is good, which is essential to avoid ending up doing all the sort of things which have marred faith through history, and secondly because good is no longer some abstract dependent on miracles and divine will but the work of men and that's plural on purpose, we rely on each other if we want things to work.
@@nvbl2806 is not sending a calamity upon a people a moral evil. For example if I could create a tsunami that killed thousands, would you say I had no moral responsibility?
I have a theory that if you talk long enough to a Catholic, they'll admit to at least one heresy (according to Roman doctrine). Lately I'm thinking of adding: if you talk long enough to a Catholic, they'll admit to being at least a little bit gnostic.
While i appreciate someone trying to explain these things based on the way they were written, i find it hard to accept that we're left again and again with this good vs evil concept, and life, love, growth, and our bonds with others in life is always glazed over because the squeaky wheel got the grease... Sometimes I feel like we've been eating from the wrong tree.
Man just that name alone sounds cursed and terrifying 36:07 it feels demonic to the core. I keep repeating it and every time I get this feeling of dread. Weiirrd
Interesting. I felt that this "world" was a prison of sorts decades back. The whole of Earth feels like a sort of Cosmic Australia where many forms of life have been brought that do not necessarily belong. Notice how all of Life endures suffering from birth through to its finality. If there was a benevolent creator why would their entire system necessitate pain and suffering for all living things?
@@JimmyMatis-h9yI find it that people that are Antinatalist themselves can easily believe into Gnosticism it can follow up with Christianity that we’re living in the Devil’s kingdom which entails suffering and to lead to salvation we have to walk hand to hand into extinction. But anyway antinatalism is insane philosophy and not going to happen.
Another amazing presentation! Thank you Dr. Sledge. The late great Jos. Campbell wrote an essay 'No More Horizons' in which he talks about the obsoletion of what he called the "monster over the hill" answer used by peoples to explain the ills that befall their societies, making the point that there were no more horizons in the modern world to conceal the imaginary monsters. No longer can "the Jews", or any other monster, be blamed for the myriad ills plaguing the dying religions of today. We are living in a time that Campbell termed the 'conflagration of cultures', out of which would arise the next great religion. He said his biggest regret was his inability to stay alive to see the new global religion that will manifest. I've no doubt that this new great religion will be founded by divinely gifted minds of men and women such as you, Dr. Sledge. In fact, it's not hard for me to imagine that you could be one of the - if not the - founder of this great religion. And that's no joke.
I'm not entirely sure why but this video was very therapeutic. iirc the subconscious has been debunked? either way, I can't even exactly tell precisely why this video resulted in that. I just felt a weight off my shoulders and a sense of recognition of a certain belief I'd been carrying with me for most of my life and just don't really need to any more. Thanks Mate!
I love the channel. One of my favorite non-rot channels. But here's a rot question: what happens when a myth or religion gets RetConed? How do the previous beliefs get expunged?
" GOD" can only be good, fore the creation of the internet has been allowed to exist Which has allowed access to such fabulous academia as has been so expertly presented here for heretics (me)or other. Great work Dr. Sledge.
This is my favorite Gnostic subject. Part 1 is what got me hooked on your channel! Based on my own spiritual experience I believe this creation story or more accurately mis-creation story to be true. However just as there is only One Creator there is only One Creation and therefore all mis-creations of the One Creation are shared. To put simply we are all the Demiurge in the dreamworld and at the same time all Christ in the Real World. Looking forward to part 3.
31:18/32:10 - Maybe I'm just seeing weird connections but listening to Doc Sledge talk about Marcion's interpretation, makes me think of these lyrics from a Yakuza game of all things: We're breakin' the law! Breakin' the world, together! (Breakin' the world) Throwing out all tenderness! We're breakin' the rules! No cause, no choice, no going back to how it was! (Breakin' the world) No slowin' down because We'll keep our heads high, our fists raised 'till we die We're livin' by our own judgement!
Japanese RPGs are well-memed as always finding an excuse to "attack and dethrone God". Kiryu's rebellion against authority by means of being incredibly principled is not actually different from that. (And the Amon clan is obviously supernatural, like, come on.)
@@Duiker36 you should check out Moon Channel's take on Why you kill Gods in JRPGs. It's actually a pretty deep and surprisingly nuanced take; citing the powers that be and foreign influence taking the form of "Gods" that Japanese creatives are trying to encourage the youth to challenge in their fictions.
The concept of an architect God, either "evil" or simply mechanical in its functionality, may be older than we normally consider. The dualism aspect however seems to come to the front during ancient gnosticism, made fundamental during early Christian gnositicsm. The pneuma concept, as well as the emanations from the Monad, makes concept such as angel and Gods difficult to seperate. At any event, wisdom was the lack of complete understanding, and Sophia is thus the cause of Yaldabaoth, the aborted God of the material, a crude emanation of the divine ruled by a blind God. Interesting stuff.
This is just plain pleasure to listen to a real scholar on a mystic subject, much more than viewing some entertainer fantasy movie. What is interesting to me, is the idea of malevolent demiurge did not hold with the Jews, there is no single stream in Judaism with such a concept. Probably the reason is that a faith is something people need for optimistic reasons, even the Christian version of the evil God replaces it with updated benevolent version of Christ. It is interesting what kind of values such faith will develop in its followers if it was worshiped as a concept.
I can very much appriciate your neutral and objective aproach to theological mysteries! I watched part 1 and 2 of this series and have some remarks. All the scriptures and accounts you lay out, are in line with the idea that at least the abrahamic religions were derived through the following of the patreon god of ivrahim who let himself be known as yehova (ivrahim interrestingly enough being of mesopatamian origin). And yehova probably being one of the pantheon of rivaling and related gods that all civilisations seemed to commonly worship beforehand, perhaps ante-deluvial. I cant help but note though, from a historical perspective, (at the risk of sounding anti-'semitic', and I do appoligize in advance), I wonder rather or not the exodus was an example of jewish colonists (mainly from greece) being expulsed because of too succesfull attainment of land and lending and pawning of goods and coinage with excessive interest, which they allegedly would have practiced in Egypt. Moses having been of a certain 'divine' lineage and having been taken in by the Pharaonic court as a prince of their own, does suggest that there was a complex and rivalling interconnection between 'royal' families and cultures. This may not be true though, or may not have been practiced particulairly by the jewish people, but rather blamed on them. After all this contradicts the idea that the jews where slave-labourors incapable of leaving Egypt. Besides that, I wonder about the meaning of deities being animal-headed in the egyptian hieroglyphs. Could it be that the kind of animal indicated certain characteristics or qualities that came with the alloted role or performed tasks of each god. So as to arrive at the notion that Seth was the god in charge of labour, donkey's being the animal that bares the load of work. Again, I am sorry if I offend anyone by entertaining the notion of expulsion because of excessive usury, rather than exodus by order of their lord yahwee. Offending is not my intention, exchanging knowledge is. Very much open to (constructive😅) feedback! Thank you for your work! This stuff is fascinating!❤
Agreed! My thirst for knowledge is never quenched! I found this channel researching who was Lilith and why she was not mentioned in the KJV bible, next thing I knew, it was 6 hours later 😂
Hey Dr Sledge, at 11:20 minutes in or so there is a graphic drawing displaying Paul (I Guess) but why is there a subdued pyramid in the background? Interesting at the least.
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Hey you said that your merch was black metal themed. Do you listen to black metal?
This Subject Should
Never Have
A FINAL EPISODE/ SEGMENT.
🤘🤘🤘
The next time someone asks you 'how's life?', don't respond 'my experience has convinced Me that this universe could only be the product of a malevolent being'
Honesty is the best policy lol jk
R’lyeh Chtulu!😂
@@louisnemzer6801 but I must….😤
But the look on their face could be pretty good.
I'm absolutely stealing that line
Very demiurgic of you to make us wait this long for part 2!
I'd say pretty....what tf really....I mean WHY? Good grief.
not very pleroma of u bro
Is this a demure joke?
What are "y'all da both" of you really talking bout
Ikr
Dr. Sledge, really appreciate your take on all of this stuff. I feel like too many channels that get suggested to me by the algorithm are looking at gnostic christianity as a means to convert people and in all reality, I just want to learn about it objectively. Really appreciate your content. Keep it up!!
Yeah we just educate around here, no preaching
ditto
By "objectively" do you mean from the standpoint of the discourse that won?
@@azanudniy By "objectively" I mean, I am interested in this topic, but I have no interest in converting my life and mindset to Gnosticism or to any religion.
I feel that this channel presents the history and information without trying to convince you that it's real.
@@intuitivehomebrew3199 just wondering: what's the problem if someone tries to convince you that Gnosticism is real?
As a Christian who loves theology and history, this channel is DESTROYING my sleep schedule😭
As a Catholic, an Esoterica fan, and a Neon Genesis Evangelion fan, whenever Eva is mentioned I have to pause and make sure I'm thinking of the right Evangelion.
😊😅 same as an Orthodox, Esoterica, Evangelion fan.
Question. As a fan of this channel, how do you still believe in a god when he's discussed the origins of said god from combinations of other religions/deities?
@@H0n3yMonstah Good question and one I've grappled with on and off even before I watched the Yahweh episodes (the first one was my literal introduction to his channel which was recommended to me after I watched a Wendigoon video of all things.)
I've always had a complicated relationship with God and religion in general but I've personally found no reason to antagonize Catholicism despite me various disagreements with it. Though iunno I don't feel too comfortable talking about my complicated feelings on it in a comments section. Do you have a Discord?
Evangelion mentioned 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ what the fuck is going on?? 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ Am i worth anything 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
@@coalgolem4697 I will say that the tree of life stuff at End of Evangelion started making sense after I started watching esoterica LMAO
The look around the room as you say “cosmic warden of this prison” is chilling 🙇
Here in Japan I've been working on this English educational program for kids, and this year the theme is space. At the end of the work day, as I put away the decorations I've made that day, I noticed a very striking image of a giant green space worm I had placed on top of the sun. In that moment, I realized I had accidentally created the Demiurge.
Who amongst hasn’t accidentally created the demiurge a time or two?
@@ProbablyOnLSD69 Hahaha. Jokes aside, the true God itself never has created anything bad. It does not create, it emanates in alignment with the natural (neutral) state of infinity, which is goodness aka life. God is "good", it's in the word as well. Contrary to our conditioning and brainwashing since birth, God does not sit in sky, speak to humans in human made languages, judge people and hand out rewards and punishments of "hellfire" like some toddler tantrum. Only an imperfect and flawed being would create imperfect creations like humans and then literally judge them on said imperfections it created in the very first place. God has no imperfections. Otherwise it wouldn't be God. Only conscious beings have the "desire" to create anything, because they are lacking *something* within themselves, and are thus not aligned with their own piece of God within them. When you are apart of God, you are thus apart of everything (and nothing at the same), so you don't lack anything and have zero desires since you already know that you are everything. They (archonic beings and jinns) are devoid of God (goodness). The opposite of God, is Dog. The devilish Dog aka Demiurge who created the human body and all religions. Hence why Sirius is also called the "dog star" and its speculated that the Archons reside/come from Sirius. The "Dogon tribe" (yes that's their actual name) from Africa has immense knowledge of both Sirius A and B. They have a very interesting story and religion where eons ago beings from Sirius came and taught them. Our God source (the heart and its eye the pineal gland) has been trapped by the ego and Demiurgic mind or lizard brain quite literally. This is all by design by that demonic craftsman every religion is unknowingly worshipping. Us humans also suffer so much because we've been brainwashed to believe God is an external being and separate from us. Rather it is inside of us, and outside of us. We are in infinity, and infinity is in us.
Budget Neon Genesis Evangelion.
@@hedgehog3180 Escape the demiurge shinji!
Don't know how I ended up here (no alchohol nor drugs involved, just Insomnia). But I must say that both the contents and the didactic style, with that subtle sense of humor, are simply excellent.
What a fascinating couple lectures! Listening to these lectures, along with alot of other professors have encouraged me to join Peterson Academy, where I can listen to even more lectures at work and work toward a certification other than my construction experience. Thank you so much for all the fascinating lectures and the time spent putting them together.
Love that you often use Blake for your scrolling images. Personal favorite when it comes to artists. Also grabbed that book from the library and looking forward to diving in. One of the main reasons I follow this channel is for all the great recommendations!
Maybe Blake should be thought of as a Lost Gnostic.
I cast summon Dire Bear
The best part of that story is just specific all the details are. Really makes for a good bears mauling children story.
Awesome to see you two connecting on any capacity. Your sharing of the Wandering of Ulysses by Taylor, was superb material.
Thou shan’t shame a bald man - God, probably
“Bald ass motherfucker…”
- Those kids, 10 seconds before, probably.
I appreciate how you present topics without bias and immerse yourself in the subject matter as if you truly believe in it
He doesn't believe, he knows
You mean he gnos.
@@antonyroberts4438
Thanks! Cant wait to see where this gnostic demiurge tale goes, I see the third released yesterday so I get a double dose today. The first lecture was fascinating!
Satan: "I'm not the Demiurge, I'm the Demiurge's son. I'm only Demiurging until the Demiurge comes.😂
You haven't even encountered some of the weirdest stuff of Gnosticism. At least from a modern christian perspective. Lucifer is a distinct and opposed being to Satan and the Demiurge in some interpretations of Gnosticism.
It's like the idea of knowing you're going to mess up, but dad can fix it... I feel like demiurge is just another example of people trying to explain something they can't understand in it's fullness... Separating the image from the being is difficult, but the being is more than the image.
@@dannturbo I think you may have something there.
@@timothystamm3200 I look forward to learning more about Gnosticism
@@adinocc2042 gnostic teachings definitely have their high points. Take the -ism off and keep going... If you believe that you're truly eternal then there's a creator somewhere that made you that way with reason and for a purpose. If you were someone else outside of that purpose, you wouldn't be looking for Him/It or even trying to understand. Keep going.
Great. We're a project of lower management. Sounds about right.
It was great working with you.
This one cracked me up, thank you 😂
@@leeshiflett1863 Thanks you for your service
If you watch a lot of David Lynch movies, the idea of a sinister/dark diety behind the scenes is very present in the storylines. I wonder if there's a connection to the Demiurge in some way. Lynch is a proponent of transcendental thought and it wouldn't surprise me if such an idea made it into his works.
This is common below all religions.
I mean, the characters are, in fact, trapped within a physical matter created by an evil demon. We call it "the director".
Just like the matrix
Ol Yaldy Baldy at it again
Hahaha ha I nearly spat my drink at this Yaldy Baldy lmfao
This comment had me folded over at work lmao
Y'alldabaoth
Hey! You two over there how y'al da both doing
Mekhanites and their propaganda...
As a practicing Buddhist….
This concept isn’t too far of a jump from my beliefs.
I mean this place at times can feel like a Prison.
Concepts like the Demiurgos or Archons aren’t that much of a leap….
It's almost like multiple theologies circle around one great truth!
@@Stig92 and the faiths that have the opposing view?
Where can i learn about the bhavacakra (wheel of life)? Any books you recommend?
The leading modern theory is not that the physical universe is a prison, but the earth itself. And a certain group of people act as its warden.
@@Zugetzu "leading modern theory" lmfao
i think of the imbalance between pleasure and pain being evidence of a malevolent (mostly) creator of this place. the pain of being eaten alive outweighs the pleasure of eating something alive by staggeringly, exponentially more. pain is dreadfully easy to receive whereas pleasure is hopelessly fleeting. even neutral states become boring and thus painful if enough time passes.
Initially, I rejected this "demiurge" idea because I asked myself, "but what about the beauty in this world, or when Jesus worships the creator during the sermon on the mount?" but then I read it again, and I noticed he says "your heavenly Father", and he doesn't say "my heavenly father"... Very subtle. Could this really be true?
Matthew 5 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how **God** clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith?"
@same5songseveryday ❤
@@same5songseveryday To me this sounds a lot like Zen Buddhism, also my favorite words of Christ.
Isn't that just an obvious result of evolution? Being injured reduces your fitness and thus ability to pass on your genes or help your relatives pass on theirs and dying makes it completely impossible for you to do so, meanwhile eating something just keeps you going. Therefore the incentive to avoid being maimed or dying would always end up being much higher than the incentive to just stay alive, otherwise we might do stupid things like eating our own limbs. It's just simple natural selection, an animal that is more strongly motivated to stay alive and unharmed is more likely to pass on its genes than one that is less motivated to do so. And you can't achieve the same with reward systems because if an animal was rewarded for avoiding harm then it would never be willing to risk harm in exchange for a greater reward, plus it's generally just simpler to figure out what you need to avoid to stay alive than it is to figure out what you need to seek.
Nice, been waiting months for this!
This channel is truly a gem. Sorry, i can be "backbiting."
Your erudition is something to aspire towards
Whenever I hear "Demiurge", I instantly think Messugah! which is coincidentally one of my favorite bands.
"Just trust this, nemesis, to sign and seal extinction"
Suffer in TRUTH!!! 🤘
Marcion Class - bc-6561.freshlearn.com/introducing-Marcion
use code ESOTERICA10 for 20% off this course!
Sláinte
Everyone I hate is the devil. Put that on a shirt and I’d buy it.
What are your own personal beliefs? I don't think I've ever watched/listened/learned anything that was so intriguing. Not to mention so clearly spoken! Thank you for sharing and spreading this knowledge!
Check his personal website. That one comes in the FAQ. 😊
Bro wears the hat of The “Chosen”. Unless he’s mocking them, fair to say he’s Jewish.
According to his personal website, prof. Justin Sledge considers himself part of the Jewish Reconstructonist movement. While at the same time, he does not believe in any Gods, at a personal level.
Quoting from his FAQ section:
"- Do you believe in God?
I don't find the conception of god(s) either metaphysically convincing or mythologically desirable, i.e., I have no good reasons to think such beings exist and, given what I have learned about the lot of them, I hope none of them do.
- What are your religious beliefs? Are you a rabbi?
I am Jewish, belong to the Reconstructionist movement, and closely align myself with the teachings of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, z”l. I’m not a rabbi but I am married to one".
It's always interesting to me when the people who study religions and different esoterica are atheists. Let alone married to a Rabbi (albeit Reconstruction)! What do they do with all the knowledge that many theists would love to have?!
Thanks! Best series yet!
This is not only a very interesting Christian theology but probably more intellectually sound version of Christianity than what ended up surviving.
Also without a doubt a way more fun theology.
Because less useful to Rome?
Deconstructing from a strict southern Baptist upbringing. I find your videos fascinating!💜
You're going in the wrong direction.
Nah its best to learn about what millions and millions of other believe. Especially when they control certain aspects of society. Unless one wants to live like a monk in a cave we are bound to the system of control and it makes for more ease maneuvering throughout that system informed. @PatriarchOfCork
Good! It's a very fear based cult, probably one of the religions on the planet. I'm talking specifically about southern baptism, even though most of Christianity is a fear based cult, Baptists seem to be the worst of the worst IMO. Keep overcoming.
@@PatriarchOfCorkvery compelling! Wow!
Best of luck. I guess you know about 'The Line' an others already. Be kind to yourself.
Given the difference between the old and new testaments, it makes you wonder how this isn't the normal version of things.
There is no normal version.
There are many brands of Christianity and Judaism throughout history and the world.
Two thousand years provides countless examples.
@markrodriguez2132 Non of them have god as the bad guy, though, do they?
@@iatebambismom Yes, they do.
@markrodriguez2132 who?
@@iatebambismom He did a video on the Pistis Sophia.
It could be argued that in Gnosticism or in some forms of western Kabbalah or occultism it meets your criteria.
Is Satanism a subset of Christianity or Judaism?
What kind of God does Job have in his book in OT?
Thank you Dr. Sledge! I feel Marcion was fundamentally right about the necessity to think about Christianity as an all new religion, independent of Judaism and its sacred texts. I feel it would have more sense than the final mix we had with the name of Catholicism, and then all the variety of Biblical "Christianity" we suffer right now.
I agree. Constantine and his priest class messed up by including parts of the Torah into the Christian Bible. They are incompatible. Marcion was too wise to be such a fool about this mistake. Likely Constantine thought that he could get more converts to Catholicism if he tried to blend the two faiths.
Is is not though. Jesus came to fulfill the old law in The New Covenant...which is based on the old one.
@@markrodriguez2132
I find it curious that people think that G-d is a racist that makes contracts with a small tribe in the Middle East and ignores the other 99% of the world's population.
""I LOVE YOUR TINY TRIBE MORE THAN ALL THE OTHER BEINGS ON THE PLANET.""
Yeah, right.
@@markrodriguez2132
So you believe that G-d makes contracts with a tiny tribe from the eastern Mediterranean region to the exclusion of the other 99% of the people in the world? How nice. I would never assume that the all powerful would be a räçi$T. Interesting....
@@markrodriguez2132 Yes, I've heard the same hundreds of times until I realized it had no sense. Only empty words to justify the kidnapping of the Jewish sacred texts by the Christians, from a time when Christian proselytism was still carried out among Jewish people at the Roman empire, and it was necessary to demonstrate them through hermeneutics that Jesus was truly their expected Messiah.
i always feel the need to thank you. Information is so wide spread and hard to gather. Especially if you don't have a full overview / roadmap of what to do when and how
Thank you for the raw historical lessons. I still have my faith as strong as ever. What you do for my faith is peel away the influence of human motivations and a deep understanding that all faiths have been twisted to aid those in charges power and aims. I have been aware that stuff felt twisted and forced; you have helped me to understand why it feels that way.
love the pause between every iteration of "...The Jews"
I kept imagining how things would have turned out if this was adopted as the orthodox view / the parallel universe equivalent of the catholic church
Even More Antisemitism would probably be an unpleasant consequence. Hopefully it wouldn’t get too bad.
Pause for the algorithm. The father of the devil...
This episode was secretly a crash course on the connection between Christian esotericism and antisemitism. I used to go on unwholesome parts of the internet and was regularly exposed to the latter and it luckily never stuck, but *a lot* of the rhetoric I heard there suddenly came back and fell into context, listening to the second part of the video.
I agree, we are in prison. But fortunately your episodes are a peek out the window if there were one.
'Peek.' Just sayin'... lol
Peep is a better word 😈
Yes. You nailed it !
Its that glance out of the corner of your eye. Or to use the words of Pink Floyd: "When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse.
Out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but it was gone. I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone"
As a Gnostic, I was just watching the other videos yesterday! Thank you!
😂
A gnostic wouldn't be on UA-cam or even an internet device.
But ok.
I find it interesting too.
@@HappyHermitt And why is that? Everyone doesn't have to follow something set in stone. There are many different types of Gnostics.
I consider myself a gnostic because i read believe and am blessed to read the gnostic gospels and text and kjv bible
@@HappyHermitt Why would a Christian spend any time on the internet? Is that the ideal christian life? Why do people always ask absurd degrees of commitment from people with fringe views but not from people with common ones? It's ridiculous. No one ever embodies the picture-perfect stereotypical ideal version of their belief system.
This reminds me of the simulation hypothesis that states that our universe is a simulation. The architect of this simulation can certainly be evil.
Yes and we are breaking out of the matrix all at once.. what a time to be alive 🎉
Holodeck try to escape room
I'm personally a big fan of stories involving evil AIs so this is right up my alley.
To dream of non-existences is a dream to far
Since my earliest memories until now I have never understood existences
Just picked up Dr Litwa's book. Read the first 30 pages or so and so far it's a great read. Actually like going back and forth with this episode and the book. Helps to grasp the idea presented.
AND Dr Sledge fixes my friday again, merci Bon Docteur.
I’ve been waiting for part 2 for soo long
I'm firmly agnostic in my beliefs, but I love how you present your content. With references and objectivity and without trying to convert anyone lol
Thank you. Watching from Alaska. 🤔
Reviewing the series again and downloading for continuing study.
I'm starting to recognize elements that still exist.
This was great to watch, can't wait for the 3rd installment.
Been waiting for part 2 :)
A very fascinating turn of events culminated into all of this. The early schisms between Christianity and Judaism compounded with pagan sentiments towards Judaism made way for a story involving Jesus that appeared in the last bit of the first century to have a line within it that people to this day couldn't come to agreement on whether it was about The Devil or a supposed Father of The Devil... Then a guy named Marcion, a Christian many call a heretic, showed up and saw the God of the OT as evil and the God of Christianity as good. Given the schisms present already and the amount of churches he had, people agreeing with him, he probably wasn't the first to have this idea but he certainly popularized it. Fascinating stuff...
Considering all the people who were martyred by religious institutions for professing scientific truths, I see a very clear parallel here in how easy it is to read like Marcion with regard to just about everything in Abrahamic faith. People who professed a true knowledge of how things are, the Giordano Brunos of the world, who had truth ringing out long after their demises at the hands of religious institutions. I think that Marcion had the pattern correct but applied it in the wrong place. His true pattern was applied within the bounds of the heart hardening mechanism he discovered, this realm of subjectivity where anyone could have chimed in and said "No thanks. Anyone I don't like is The Devil and I don't like you." Then his ideas rang out through his detractors alone...
This true pattern here cannot be erased, it's seemingly placed by the aeons as evidence for their power. All these institutions can do is carry The Devil in their words in response to truthful accusations, carry powerful illusions in their words by claiming these Giordano Brunos were Devils and all their undeniable truths were actually convincing lies. When confronted with Evolution they might carry powerful illusions and lies in their words by claiming dinosaur bones are a powerful illusion and a lie. I have sapped all of these words of their power, this is a vaccine of sorts so a mind's immune system may later detect them and combat them before they result in an infection. These institutions are indeed the source of all of these illusions.
The natural laws, laws one is unable to defy in all encompassing fashion, purvey the entirety of all things. They predate theories such as The Big Bang because these theories are constructed with them in mind. They are seemingly atemporal, primordial, without a creator. Any egregore borne of human fragility owes itself to these laws, these laws that allowed words of both the OT and the NT to be carried with conviction. There is seemingly only one inerrant verse to quote in the entirety of all things, and that is the universe. The universe allowed for every verse to be uttered, for every false lie with true implications. At the end of the day the world is only positive on truth, it never goes into negative.
These Abrahamic deities are deeply flawed. I'm hesitant to call them evil because my morality is relative to objectives. Essentially, what is practical for achieving an objective is good and what is impractical is bad. Each individual likely has a separate objective that may be similar, and can only have one objective at a time. Those objectives may oscillate very quickly and might construct the illusion of something simultaneously being bad and good, but only if one is multiple people at the same time is there such a thing... and I consider that an impossibility. There are multiple exogoods and exobads, exoneutrals even, but there is only one good at a given moment. If they do exactly what I expect them to, then they're good...
That's a whole spiel though, very inspiring video. Thanks for another banger Dr. Sledge.
Thank you for this. Gnosticism is endlessly fascinating.
Man I just recommended the original to a friend and wondered what happened to part 2, couldn't have timed it better!
This second part delves even deeper into the complex role of the Demiurge in Gnostic beliefs. The connection made between the Demiurge and the concept of law is particularly intriguing.
Don't panic. Sophia's on her way to save us from ignorance 🤘❤️
Sophia as in Wisdom.
I hope so ❤
It's literally Sophia's fault
She was the one who created Yaldaboath and cast it into chaos in the first place. Nah I’m glad she keeping quiet.
What's a building going to do?
If our direct creator is not God, then I think it's reasonable to assume our direct creator is imperfect. That wouldn't make this creator evil though imo. Maybe our direct creator is learning and trying to make a better creation each iteration using information obtained from previous iterations. As a software engineer, I can't even begin to imagine how complicated and challenging programming an entire realty could be. I doubt I could do even a fraction as good a job as the one who directly created all of this.
An interesting question to ponder: Why does our direct creator have to be 100% perfect and who are we to demand that? If God is allowing this being to create, then I'm sure not going to question it.
I agree. The Monad is the real villain
The demiurge is evil because it has all the urges of the heavenly beings in the Plural while being unable to participate. It’s therefore super resentful and petty about that fact.
Looking around the world, the Gnostic perspective seems to make more sense.
I'm a Christian. Although not a religious one. And I think Marcion has some great points, if you read the Torah literally. BUT... I think we should read it using its symbolic meaning (the various degrees of them). I have jewish ancestry, and I don't know how people can read all those texts in a literal sense (we can... using historical context, but...). And, part of the old testment is also inspired by other myths and legends of the old. So... yeah... I'm a Christian who believes in the moral/spiritual values and massage of Christ, but i'm also a Christian who understands that I don't know a lot of the symbolic meaning retained in these old texts. I think we can find some astrological correspondences with all the myths/legends/messages/symbols presented to us in the scriptures. And maybe that's why they are so relatable to us all. Oh... and thank you for your work. And also - not relatable-, but you have a very sexy voice😊.
You are a beast of esoteric knowledge. Furthermore… you seem to have an uncanny perspective void of bias with a great sense of dry humor.🤣Love it brotha!
I love how you called his scepticism - “uncanny perspective void of bias”.
@@nathanielgillespie2627 You use the word "beast" as a compliment.
Great Episode! You should look at the Mandaean version. The light being (demiurge) is called Ptahil. (Coincidently the creator god of the Memphis triad in Egypt is called Ptah. This god thought in his heart and spoke everything into being). Ptahil with the seven demons, (children of Ruha, the seven planets, the old Mesopotamian gods) out of clay creates Adam. Adam did not live until his soul (and the souls of all humans) is delivered from the light world.
Waiting for the episode about us Mandaeans. 😊
Given that you're wonderful religion is still very active and given that I only cover historical stuff I probably won't cover it anytime soon. Not for lack of admiration but because this channel covers historical topics and you're amazing religion is very much not mere history
@@TheEsotericaChannel It would definitely give some historical insights, but I understand that it might be sensitive to discuss a still living tradition.
Especially one that's faced such tremendous trauma and oppression
Hi, were could I find good sources about your religion? I would like to understand it and learn more! Thank you in advance!!
For some reason whenever I see Mandaean baptism or read prayers from the Qolasta I end up crying profusely. Theres some unexplainable beauty to it.
One of my favorite prayers would have to be “prayer of the witnesses at the Jordan”
Hipster Satan playing the long game?
Always, drinking PBR and listening to Weakling demos
Time for some Gnostic Drone Metal?
😂@@TheEsotericaChannel
hipster satan sounds like a lil trickster😅😅
@@TheEsotericaChannel if Ole Red/horned one WAS a hipster and thinks he is the ONE, then we got news for him, that there are others who think they're the ONE, and it's difficult to tell them apart in their perceived one and only-ness which is basically their loneliness because they can't seem to strike out and think outside of their self-built box/unable to not paint themselves into a corner/break out of their perceived reality prison. The Hipster curse. I suspect they never got to break their hip like the human Jacob did when the latter wrestled an angel. Would love to find the historical conceptualization of the levels of the soul and the four worlds of the Kabbalah and how the Daimon emerged as a concept in antiquity.
Part 3 !!!! Love your videos just stumbled into this niche
i got a copy of that book mentioned in part I - Facing the Abusing God, and I don't think I can get through it. It's just too difficult a read. But what I've got from it so far is that it is suggested that God is beyond ethics, therefor is under no obligation to behave ethically, yet is still perfect and good in all things. I recall something like this from my southern Baptist upbringing and remember thinking how awful that sounded. One moment he might be blessing you, the next he forces you to sin and then ends your life, and judges you to be unworthy and off to hekk with you. Jesus was supposed to come in at some point and somehow make that better.
He did make it better.
Want the new deal or the old one?
Old deal, bad.
Son's new deal, good.
@@markrodriguez2132 No, the deal is just the same just in different wrapping paper. It still stinks of shit.
@@bria243 Nein. Can be proven philosophically. Watch the movie Barabbas.
@@bria243 What's wrong with JC?
@@nahual7x62 He couldn't breakdance.
28:53 "Which is an admittedly hilarious story." Being a bald man myself, it is especially hilarious. I will summon bears next time a child makes fun of my bald head.
Would a truly benevolent creator do something so hilarious?
this channel is pure gold
Enjoy all your video series. Love the professional quality and in depth presentation to things I may have otherwise had no interest in.
The plasticity of the mind is both a blessing and a curse.
Choose your beliefs carefully.
The mind won't argue.
Do you not argue with yourself?
@@kaylynnanson6231
Yes.
In the realm of beliefs there is contention.
Don’t choose any belief but to seek knowledge and maybe one day you will find the truth. Don’t ever label yourself.
@@Maknorr-v8w
OK.
Make sure to eat your vegetables and stay in school.
Isaiah 45
7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
OUTSTANDING 🤘❤🔥🤘 it has cooled off here in PA too thankfully, thank you for all your work doc!!
This is a dreadful Prison.
The question is:
How do we get out of it?
Are we captured at death, and recycled?
Thank you.
@@PaulaHawk99 Socrates has a great argument about “care of the soul” before death because if there was nothing or nihil, then evil would get away with things upon death. So perhaps “Goodness” in your thoughts and actions and treatment of others, is the “way out.”
Don't go towards the light, exit samsara
Choose now that you won't come back. Make a declaration
@@Stig92unless you can lucid dream, it's an unconscious process
@@Stig92 where does the dark go to?
Cthulhu approved this message.
Isaiah 45:7, baybay
Love the abundance of Blake in this one.
Keep up the great work, Dr Sledge 👏⚒️
I believe Isaiah 45:7 is supposed to be about Cyrus (A Calamity upon people) instead of moral evil.
@@nvbl2806 personally, and I just say this personally, I think it's crystal clear, I prefer not to try to bamboozle and instead focus on doing good in order to get good results, first because it forces reality checks to what we think is good, which is essential to avoid ending up doing all the sort of things which have marred faith through history, and secondly because good is no longer some abstract dependent on miracles and divine will but the work of men and that's plural on purpose, we rely on each other if we want things to work.
@@nvbl2806 is not sending a calamity upon a people a moral evil. For example if I could create a tsunami that killed thousands, would you say I had no moral responsibility?
@@Rory-co4vm The author of life may take it at any point for any reason is my PERSONAL stance.
@@nvbl2806 you answered a different question
This video is not loading for some reason. I blame the demiurge
You go hard! Crunching videos out like no body's business man
I have a theory that if you talk long enough to a Catholic, they'll admit to at least one heresy (according to Roman doctrine). Lately I'm thinking of adding: if you talk long enough to a Catholic, they'll admit to being at least a little bit gnostic.
While i appreciate someone trying to explain these things based on the way they were written, i find it hard to accept that we're left again and again with this good vs evil concept, and life, love, growth, and our bonds with others in life is always glazed over because the squeaky wheel got the grease... Sometimes I feel like we've been eating from the wrong tree.
Man just that name alone sounds cursed and terrifying 36:07 it feels demonic to the core. I keep repeating it and every time I get this feeling of dread. Weiirrd
Interesting. I felt that this "world" was a prison of sorts decades back. The whole of Earth feels like a sort of Cosmic Australia where many forms of life have been brought that do not necessarily belong. Notice how all of Life endures suffering from birth through to its finality. If there was a benevolent creator why would their entire system necessitate pain and suffering for all living things?
A cosmic Australia is one of the best analogies I’ve ever heard and totally understand your words
nothing can extend its life (eat) without something else dying, even scavengers rely on death to live.
@@JimmyMatis-h9yI find it that people that are Antinatalist themselves can easily believe into Gnosticism it can follow up with Christianity that we’re living in the Devil’s kingdom which entails suffering and to lead to salvation we have to walk hand to hand into extinction. But anyway antinatalism is insane philosophy and not going to happen.
@@JimmyMatis-h9y The many autotrophs of this world would beg to differ.
I mean the majority of life is single celled and can't feel anything including suffering.
Another amazing presentation! Thank you Dr. Sledge. The late great Jos. Campbell wrote an essay 'No More Horizons' in which he talks about the obsoletion of what he called the "monster over the hill" answer used by peoples to explain the ills that befall their societies, making the point that there were no more horizons in the modern world to conceal the imaginary monsters. No longer can "the Jews", or any other monster, be blamed for the myriad ills plaguing the dying religions of today.
We are living in a time that Campbell termed the 'conflagration of cultures', out of which would arise the next great religion. He said his biggest regret was his inability to stay alive to see the new global religion that will manifest. I've no doubt that this new great religion will be founded by divinely gifted minds of men and women such as you, Dr. Sledge. In fact, it's not hard for me to imagine that you could be one of the - if not the - founder of this great religion. And that's no joke.
Newtypeism!
Yes! Thank you!
I'm not entirely sure why but this video was very therapeutic. iirc the subconscious has been debunked? either way, I can't even exactly tell precisely why this video resulted in that. I just felt a weight off my shoulders and a sense of recognition of a certain belief I'd been carrying with me for most of my life and just don't really need to any more. Thanks Mate!
Another awesome episode. Thanks Dr. Sledge!
Sky Ted Bundy 🤣🤣🤣
@randomchannel-px6ho humor is a very interesting concept in general
@@civilprotectionofficer858 is indeed cool like that
☠️
I have no lips but I must laugh!
Lmfaoo, comment of the day
Ohhh! I love Plato’s timaeus and critias!!!! Definitely in my top 5 favorite books of all time
I love the channel. One of my favorite non-rot channels. But here's a rot question: what happens when a myth or religion gets RetConed? How do the previous beliefs get expunged?
'spoiler: it me' is one of the cutest memefications of a sinister figure. i'm here👏for👏it👏
Brilliant! Going where others don't dare. Fantastic and thank you.
" GOD" can only be good, fore the creation of the internet has been allowed to exist Which has allowed access to such fabulous academia as has been so expertly presented here for heretics (me)or other. Great work Dr. Sledge.
@@j.r.operhall6473 CP and TikTok exists on the internet, so yeah, no.
God is great and good
I'm always pleased with inherent value of comparative religious studies. Thanks, Dr. Sledge.
Yes!!!!! This is the one i've been waiting for. I'm so excited
Another awesome thumbnail for part 2!
This is my favorite Gnostic subject. Part 1 is what got me hooked on your channel! Based on my own spiritual experience I believe this creation story or more accurately mis-creation story to be true. However just as there is only One Creator there is only One Creation and therefore all mis-creations of the One Creation are shared. To put simply we are all the Demiurge in the dreamworld and at the same time all Christ in the Real World. Looking forward to part 3.
Thanks!
I have absolutely loved this series
I just rewatched part 1 earlier - great timing.
Simultaneously stimulating and relaxing.
31:18/32:10 - Maybe I'm just seeing weird connections but listening to Doc Sledge talk about Marcion's interpretation, makes me think of these lyrics from a Yakuza game of all things:
We're breakin' the law!
Breakin' the world, together! (Breakin' the world)
Throwing out all tenderness!
We're breakin' the rules!
No cause, no choice, no going back to how it was! (Breakin' the world)
No slowin' down because
We'll keep our heads high, our fists raised 'till we die
We're livin' by our own judgement!
⚡️
Japanese RPGs are well-memed as always finding an excuse to "attack and dethrone God". Kiryu's rebellion against authority by means of being incredibly principled is not actually different from that. (And the Amon clan is obviously supernatural, like, come on.)
@@Duiker36 you should check out Moon Channel's take on Why you kill Gods in JRPGs. It's actually a pretty deep and surprisingly nuanced take; citing the powers that be and foreign influence taking the form of "Gods" that Japanese creatives are trying to encourage the youth to challenge in their fictions.
I'm in my late 60's, & just learning these these.
Good, need that for another Kult Divinity Lost session.
What is that?
@@markrodriguez2132 TTRPG based loosely on Gnostic Mythology.
Always cogent, comprehensive, and unbiased 👏🙏👊
That was fascinating. What an incredible story.
The concept of an architect God, either "evil" or simply mechanical in its functionality, may be older than we normally consider. The dualism aspect however seems to come to the front during ancient gnosticism, made fundamental during early Christian gnositicsm. The pneuma concept, as well as the emanations from the Monad, makes concept such as angel and Gods difficult to seperate. At any event, wisdom was the lack of complete understanding, and Sophia is thus the cause of Yaldabaoth, the aborted God of the material, a crude emanation of the divine ruled by a blind God.
Interesting stuff.
This is just plain pleasure to listen to a real scholar on a mystic subject, much more than viewing some entertainer fantasy movie.
What is interesting to me, is the idea of malevolent demiurge did not hold with the Jews, there is no single stream in Judaism with such a concept. Probably the reason is that a faith is something people need for optimistic reasons, even the Christian version of the evil God replaces it with updated benevolent version of Christ. It is interesting what kind of values such faith will develop in its followers if it was worshiped as a concept.
I can very much appriciate your neutral and objective aproach to theological mysteries!
I watched part 1 and 2 of this series and have some remarks.
All the scriptures and accounts you lay out, are in line with the idea that at least the abrahamic religions were derived through the following of the patreon god of ivrahim who let himself be known as yehova (ivrahim interrestingly enough being of mesopatamian origin). And yehova probably being one of the pantheon of rivaling and related gods that all civilisations seemed to commonly worship beforehand, perhaps ante-deluvial.
I cant help but note though, from a historical perspective, (at the risk of sounding anti-'semitic', and I do appoligize in advance), I wonder rather or not the exodus was an example of jewish colonists (mainly from greece) being expulsed because of too succesfull attainment of land and lending and pawning of goods and coinage with excessive interest, which they allegedly would have practiced in Egypt.
Moses having been of a certain 'divine' lineage and having been taken in by the Pharaonic court as a prince of their own, does suggest that there was a complex and rivalling interconnection between 'royal' families and cultures.
This may not be true though, or may not have been practiced particulairly by the jewish people, but rather blamed on them. After all this contradicts the idea that the jews where slave-labourors incapable of leaving Egypt.
Besides that, I wonder about the meaning of deities being animal-headed in the egyptian hieroglyphs. Could it be that the kind of animal indicated certain characteristics or qualities that came with the alloted role or performed tasks of each god. So as to arrive at the notion that Seth was the god in charge of labour, donkey's being the animal that bares the load of work.
Again, I am sorry if I offend anyone by entertaining the notion of expulsion because of excessive usury, rather than exodus by order of their lord yahwee. Offending is not my intention, exchanging knowledge is. Very much open to (constructive😅) feedback!
Thank you for your work! This stuff is fascinating!❤
I thank you mr sledge knowledge is the most important thing in life to me and your selfless teaching is blessing
Agreed! My thirst for knowledge is never quenched! I found this channel researching who was Lilith and why she was not mentioned in the KJV bible, next thing I knew, it was 6 hours later 😂
Hey Dr Sledge, at 11:20 minutes in or so there is a graphic drawing displaying Paul (I Guess) but why is there a subdued pyramid in the background? Interesting at the least.
It is the Pyramid of Cestius -seen in other old paintings as well.