Trials, Inquisitions, and witch-hunts of different kinds have been used to suppress genuine spirituality for as long as it has existed. Most famously, Jesus and his disciples (the earliest Christian Gnostics) were persecuted as “blasphemers.” The Gnostics in the centuries who followed (and whose texts such as the Nag Hammadi Library and the Gospel of Judas were banned and lost for nearly 2,000 years), the Knights Templar, Cathars, and even Samael Aun Weor, the founder of modern Gnosis, were all persecuted as “heretics.” In some places, Gnosticism is still viewed and persecuted as “heresy” to this day.
Likewise mystical branches of Eastern religions have been violently persecuted by their orthodox counterparts. Such is the history of spirituality – it is hated, infiltrated, distorted, and often ultimately destroyed until the spiritual teaching can be given anew in a different form, until being attacked again. Like this currents of spirituality have flowed underground, beneath the knowledge of mainstream society. Today it is given publicly due to modern circumstances, and thus faces the modern equivalent of historical persecution – lies, denigrating views, infiltration, internet and media propaganda, smear campaigns etc.
All this makes it nearly impossible to teach spirituality and reach people who truly wish for it. Ancient spiritual sites like the pyramids leave clues to the intelligence and potential of universal spiritual truth, as they themselves stand as unalterable messages where texts and practitioners are easily wiped out. Yet spirituality always continues in some form, as long as humans exist with their innate yearning to experience divinity.
This page gives a brief overview of the persecution of different Gnostic groups that existed in history.
It’s interesting to see certain parallels between historical events of persecution and events of today. Despite outward differences, history provides a pretty clear perspective on what really motivates people to act in this way and how it can lead certain groups to disappear.
Some good links here in this page.
And I have to admit.. Growing up, I barely gave a thought to the persecution that took place during the inquisition all over Europe in the middle ages against the Heretics and the witches. I did thought – poor people, being burnt alive because they were different than the rest of the society or because they thought different. But I did not think much of religious freedom.. And the word heretic to me, meant that you were crazy or something like that. I never even stop to give a thought as to the reasons behind all this inquisition..
Yet now, in Greece and Cyprus, people that think the same than me, and practice the same faith than me are being called heretics and have not been able to practice freely since their centers were taken away from them.. (see blog http://www.gnosticfreedom.com/persecution-gnostics-greece-cyprus/ )
So the historical persecution of the Gnostics has not ended it seems – it just goes under different forms, modern ones.
So I am really glad to see this site exists to shed light and show that persecution is not always about burning someone alive for their beliefs/ideas/convictions (though sadly, people are still being put to death because of their ideals) but that persecution can be down thru lies, deception, and legal matters.
Looking forward reading more as articles come up. Thanks everyone for the great work and care put into this.