GNOSTIC CHRISTIANS, SYLVIA BROWNE, FOUNDER
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ABOUT EVIL
Concerning the devil: Ignore him - and he will go away.
EVIL IS NOT A CREATION OF GOD
Evil is merely the logical opposite to the concept of good, which we understand all of God's creation to possess. On this issue, Saint Augustine wrote:
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“For the Almighty God ... would never permit the existence of anything evil among His works, if He were not so omnipotent and good that He can bring good even out of evil. For what is that which we call evil but the absence of good?”
What does this mean? It states that evil is, well, a necessary evil. And it contributes in some way to the ultimate good of mankind. We have already met the purpose for evil: to teach us the meaning of good. This is accomplished by living and surviving life in this world.
THE SOURCE OF EVIL
If evil was not created by God, yet it does exist, from whence it came? Man.
It is sad, but true. Yet let us first look at how the concept of evil has grown. From the simple idea of adversity, evil has become a full grown entity, complete with horns and a pointed tail, in direct competition with God.
Novus Spiritus agrees that evil is the absence of good. How then is man to blame for evil? By the simple act of incarnating into an imperfect world we find an absence of good. It is not a total absence (thank God) but enough to realize that Earth is not heaven. Since man alone needs to experience physical life, he is the reason evil exists.
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Evil is a direct artifact of physical life.
Good and evil coexist for man to perfect his soul. The free will of man has also led to expressions of evil. In fact, every person has an innate knowledge of good. Consequently, each person has a notion of its direct opposite. During life, we constantly choose between the two modes of expression. The goal is to keep on the good side, for to do good, is to reject evil.
Please note that this definition of evil is akin to Genesis. The parable of Satan tempting Eve (Eve means "life" in Hebrew) to partake of knowledge, closely matches the Novus idea which is:
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Only by living and facing adversity can you perfect your soul, that is, know the difference between good and evil.
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The only place adversity exists is in the physical world, created by God, as our school.
Be ever vigilant, for as good as you can be, is likewise as bad as you can become.
SATAN
The current popular myth of Satan, the little red guy, as God's rival, is pure nonsense. The sad fact is that most people forget that God is all powerful. Not one of His creations can match Him. Why then does Satan get all the press? And why have we made God so timid and impotent? "Give the devil his due" is fine, but just remember who the real Boss is!
How then did Satan become so prominent? Full credit goes to the early Church Fathers for that one. To build a stronger hold on the people, fear and damnation were retained from the Old Testament, and used to hammer people into submission (in contrast, note that Christ brought the message of a loving God).
Another reason for the devil gaining such popularity is that man is not willing to accept responsibility for his own misfortune. This is the result of not understanding the meaning of life. Life requires that we face adversity, and overcome it. Yet early man saw no reason for life's inequities, so he created an external entity who caused all woe.
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Concerning the devil: Ignore him - and he will go away.
HELL
The only hell we will ever know is Earth. Yes indeed, we are right-smack-dab in the middle of hell. As Milton wrote, the mind is its own place, and can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven.
How do we know this? From the first premise of God. God is all loving. There is no room in Novus' beliefs for a place of eternal damnation and suffering. The mere idea of God tormenting His people is ludicrous.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word "sheol" is the reference for our word hell. However, sheol is simply defined as an abode for the dead. There is nothing in that definition which speaks about wickedness or damnation. Those later uses were crafted by man for ulterior purposes.
Novus Spiritus agrees that hell, this planet, is an abode for the dead. We certainly live for eternity with God in our eternal home called heaven (the Other Side). Your short stay in this world is akin to dying and having to leave home (which is the Other Side). Death on this planet is the reward of living, and a rebirth into the real life with God.
The truest hell is whenever we are separate from God. This planet deludes us into thinking God is not present. Earth is, therefore, the fearsome burning hell of damnation. There is no other.