What the devil is a "gnostic atheist"?

[Doubting_Thomas]

Stimbo, re origin of term. The Gnostic were called that at the time, by Latin/greek speaking people (They are also known as Hellenistic Christians I think, or Heretics by loving bishops of orthodox Christianity. I think most of the original gnostic gospels were written in Greek, but one of the key collections was transcribed in Coptic, as in the Coptic Christians in Egypt). The reason Gnostic Christians are so rare today is because they were persecuted/assimilated by other Christians and Muslims.


Gnostic texts/gospels include such gems as:
> The Gospel of Philip, who talks about Jesus snogging Mary Magdalene (oh-noes.... Dan Brown)
> The Thunder, Perfect Mind, a document including a poem implying that God is female
> Apparently some evidence that not all early Christians believed either the virgin birth or reserection