For those interested, this list breaks down the figure of the lead link, the total is close so may be the same source, numerical not biblical
That kill list is quiet entertaining,
I can't see the Flood death count on there though. Now that probably killed more than the rest of God's handywork alone.
The Gnostics believed the God in the OT was not the Supreme God but a mere demigod. He made the earth and solar system but not everything else. You can kind of see why. The OT God is quite vengeful and not at all a pleasant God. The contrast between the NT God and OT God is quite striking as the NT is full of love and peace and forgiveness....well apart from the book of Revelations where the author goes off on a what reads like a drug inuced rant.
The gnostics at least tried to explain the vast change in God's personality ,which is more than can be said for the rest of Christianity.
This is true. It is most likely, although I donβt think necessary academically proven, that early Christian Gnosticism is a continuation of Zoroastrian ideas with the dark/light polarities. John looks particularly inspired by Gnostic ideas. These ideas, of course, continued with the Bogomils and Cathars, with the Catholic persecution for their heresy well known.
Itβs also interesting to note that the idea of angels entered Judaism through the Babylonian exile and the Persian influence of Zoroastrianism.
It's sad... every which way it could convince people to die for it. I suppose it helped the Jews during the holocaust. That was so terrible.