I’m a Heretic

I’ve just finished watching (and reviewing) The Gospel of Judas. The actual documentary was so-so, but the special features were a bit of an eye opener – you see, Elaine Pagels has opened my eyes to the fact that I’m a heretic.

Now before you reach for those large and very solid looking stones, or before you start to stroke your chin and say ‘I knew it!’, lets look at the original meaning of the word heretic:

[Middle English heretik, from Old French heretique, from Late Latin haereticus, from Greek hairetikos, able to choose, factious, from hairetos, chosen, from haireisthai, to choose.]

Able to choose. That defines me rather well. I’m able to choose. I chose to belong to a church that calls itself Cession. I’m able to choose not to eat the noodles on offer last Sunday.

I’m also able to choose what I believe, and I’m able to choose to discuss, debate and be convinced or convince others that certain streams of though are valid or not.

And that apparently makes me a heretic.

Hooray for the heretics!

I’m also probably a bit of a Gnostic:

[Late Latin Gnsticus, a Gnostic, from Late Greek Gnstikos, from Greek gnstikos, concerning knowledge, from gnsis, knowledge. See gnosis.]

I’m a seeker of spiritual knowledge. I want to know more. I choose to know more.

Is there any hope for a Heretical Gnostic wannabe?