You have a wrong impression of Christianity altogether just from reading your post. Chirstianity was a movement of the Roman empire when they noticed that people who followed Jesus didn't agree to do the annual animal sacrifices - check history to confirm this. The true religion of Jesus was molded so many times and rewritten that people actually believe the old testament and the new testament should be together, but they can't understand why would God will kill Egypt's firstborn while "the same" God would send his son to be mocked, tortured, and eventually killed. First of all, you need to grasp an understanding of the true religion that Jesus was explaining and realize that there are many lies in the bible, yet quotes from Jesus are true to this day.
The bible is a big black book with a cross on it. You are probably noticing some problems with it and I guess you didn't notice the obvious dark covers and demonic symbols mentioned there. Moses climbs a mountain that others are afraid to go to and gets two stone tablets, while Jesus talks and makes any person, both rich and poor, find their purpose in life to help humans around them - even their enemies. I guess you don't pay attention to those clear discrepancies but I hope you do now.
"As a follow-up question, why would Jesus/God let this cult rein for literally thousands of years? If he is in control wouldn't he put a stop to the suffering?" - That's ignorant. Sorry, but I calls it like I sees it. First of all, Jesus/God is above time. You want to fix your current problems without seeing that they will be fixed after some time - a necessary time. Why is time necessary? Do you feel perfect to go to heaven? Or do you feel that you should pass trials and tribulations to master your being to the point that you will be worthy to be in heaven? Looking at your post, it is clear that you need a lot of learning. I know I am being painfully honest and may seem rude but as I said - I calls it like I sees it. If it comforts you, I was ignorant before... I was way more deluded than you are now so the same things I say to you can be said 10 times for me. I don't know if it comforts you and I care little if it does, but it is the truth.
"Also, how do you feel about gnosticism?" - Gnosticism means to obey the mind or mind's laws to control your actions. However, the mind can give you the perfect cover for a murder, the perfect way to kill someone, the perfect way to lie. It can give you any solution to your problems regardless of moral. Yet, there is something in us that tells us that killing is wrong, so we won't do as the mind suggests. Examples of this are plenty. Many people who were in wars remember the eyes of the people they are sent to kill, and they remember them with terror and cannot understand why defending their own people came at such a prise. Or for example the test with the mother and the child. A mother and a child are left starving and they are given one portion of a meal. That portion will work to help only one of them but only if consumed in total. Both the child and the mother are aware of that. Yet, both will try to give more to the other without caring about their death - they will only care that they cannot live without the other, thus death will seem better for them. Or is it the fact that they cannot stand beying responsible of losing the one they love? Think about it.
Gnosticism is just that - knowledge. Yet, gnosticism cannot even explain the emotion of love to this day. What is love? Why are we so connected to the point that our life, the one thing that we think we have a firm grip on, means nothing in comparison. I have more examples of that and other things if you want more information. I'd be happy to help you understand yourself because I was on that path about 7 years ago and I still am. I was a gnostic before that but gnosticism only goes so far, where love has no bounds and reaches what gnosticism can only imagine.
You have a wrong impression of Christianity altogether just from reading your post. Chirstianity was a movement of the Roman empire when they noticed that people who followed Jesus didn't agree to do the annual animal sacrifices - check history to confirm this. The true religion of Jesus was molded so many times and rewritten that people actually believe the old testament and the new testament should be together, but they can't understand why would God will kill Egypt's firstborn while "the same" God would send his son to be mocked, tortured, and eventually killed. First of all, you need to grasp an understanding of the true religion that Jesus was explaining and realize that there are many lies in the bible, yet quotes from Jesus are true to this day.
The bible is a big black book with a cross on it. You are probably noticing some problems with it and I guess you didn't notice the obvious dark covers and demonic symbols mentioned there. Moses climbs a mountain that others are afraid to go to and gets two stone tablets, while Jesus talks and makes any person, both rich and poor, find their purpose in life to help humans around them - even their enemies. I guess you don't pay attention to those clear discrepancies but I hope you do now.
"As a follow-up question, why would Jesus/God let this cult rein for literally thousands of years? If he is in control wouldn't he put a stop to the suffering?" - That's ignorant. Sorry, but I calls it like I sees it. First of all, Jesus/God is above time. You want to fix your current problems without seeing that they will be fixed after some time - a necessary time. Why is time necessary? Do you feel perfect to go to heaven? Or do you feel that you should pass trials and tribulations to master your being to the point that you will be worthy to be in heaven? Looking at your post, it is clear that you need a lot of learning. I know I am being painfully honest and may seem rude but as I said - I calls it like I sees it. If it comforts you, I was ignorant before... I was way more deluded than you are now so the same things I say to you can be said 10 times for me. I don't know if it comforts you and I care little if it does, but it is the truth.
"Also, how do you feel about gnosticism?" - Gnosticism means to obey the mind or mind's laws to control your actions. However, the mind can give you the perfect cover for a murder, the perfect way to kill someone, the perfect way to lie. It can give you any solution to your problems regardless of moral. Yet, there is something in us that tells us that killing is wrong, so we won't do as the mind suggests. Examples of this are plenty. Many people who were in wars remember the eyes of the people they are sent to kill, and they remember them with terror and cannot understand why defending their own people came at such a prise. Or for example the test with the mother and the child. A mother and a child are left starving and they are given one portion of a meal. That portion will work to help only one of them but only if consumed in total. Both the child and the mother are aware of that. Yet, both will try to give more to the other without caring about their death - they will only care that they cannot live without the other, thus death will seem better for them. Or is it the fact that they cannot stand beying responsible of losing the one they love? Think about it.
Gnosticism is just that - knowledge. Yet, gnosticism cannot even explain the emotion of love to this day. What is love? Why are we so connected to the point that our life, the one thing that we think we have a firm grip on, means nothing in comparison. I have more examples of that and other things if you want more information. I'd be happy to help you understand yourself because I was on that path about 7 years ago and I still am. I was a gnostic before that but gnosticism only goes so far, where love has no bounds and reaches what gnosticism can only imagine.