I have regularly run across the term Gnostic as a tool to subordinate opposition. This comes from Fundamentalists discussing the Gnostic tendencies of the "liberal" Emergent Church contemplative style of worship and combine it with neoplatonism. I have heard liberals use it to downplay conservative theology, calling it platonic.

So which is it? Maybe we are all heterodox, and if so then lets deal with heterodox issues, but why bring in heretical thoughts, such as gnostism to downplay the other side. Do we seek to make heterodox statement heretical? Heresy is not the problem, the problem is power over slight modifications of theology. I'm sure neither side has it right and neither side deserves the title "Gnostic".

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