It's interesting to think of the world religions that could have been, had the scales of power tipped in different directions. Gnosticism is an interesting take on Abrahamic religions, almost like a blend of Christianity and Buddhism.

There were even literal Greek Buddhists before there were Greek Christians. Heck, Christianity as we know it might not have survived without the original Greek drafts of the New Testament. There's another universe out there where the eastern Greco-Romans were way too busy with the karmic cycle and achieving enlightenment to worry about the execution of some random guy with daddy issues in the desert.

Well, I'm not not gnostic. Or aagnostic, if you will.

Ok, so now I'm wondering if Milton read the Gnostic texts. I'm still amazed that the church approved the publication of Paradise Lost, much less Paradise Regained.

That would explain a lot of historical (and recent) behaviour by many Christians.

ty for reminding me to crosspost