My Discovery of Yaldabaoth: Why Gnosticism Makes More Sense Than Christianity
I recently started exploring Gnosticism, and it feels like a missing puzzle piece I did not even know I needed. If I were to try and believe in the Bible, then Gnostic texts make way more sense than mainstream Christianity.
- The Problem With Yahweh
Growing up in Christianity, I always struggled with how the Old Testament God (Yahweh) could be considered “good.” He is jealous, vengeful, demands sacrifices, condones genocide, and seems more like a cosmic dictator than a loving father.
Then I came across Gnostic Christianity and the concept of Yaldabaoth, also called the Demiurge. Gnosticism teaches that Yahweh is not the true God. He is a false creator who enslaved humanity in the material world. He believes he is the one true God, but he is actually an ignorant, arrogant ruler who created an illusion of power. • In the Gospel of Judas, Jesus laughs at the disciples for worshiping Yahweh, implying they have been deceived. • In the Apocryphon of John, Yaldabaoth (Yahweh) declares himself the only God, but a divine voice tells him he is mistaken.
For the first time, this actually explained the contradictions in the Bible. The Old Testament God being cruel and the New Testament God being “loving” makes no sense in Christianity, but it makes sense in Gnosticism because they are not the same being.
- The World as a Prison
Another thing that never sat right with me in Christianity was the idea that God created a “perfect” world but then blamed humans when everything went wrong.
Gnosticism completely reframes this. • The world was never perfect. It was created flawed because it was made by the Demiurge. • The material world is a prison that keeps our divine souls trapped. • Jesus came not to die for sins but to wake people up to the fact that they are trapped and help them return to the true divine source.
This explanation makes more sense than Christianity’s view that a perfect God somehow created an imperfect world and then punished humans for it.
- Capitalism and the Demiurge
As I dug deeper, I realized Gnosticism also explains why capitalism thrives. The material world is a deception built on false value systems, artificial scarcity, and control structures. • The Demiurge (Yaldabaoth) and the Archons rule over the material world, keeping people distracted by wealth, power, and meaningless desires. • Capitalism fits perfectly into this system by trapping people in endless cycles of work, consumption, and financial dependency. • The pursuit of money and status is like worshiping the false gods of the material world rather than seeking higher truth. • Corporations, governments, and religious institutions all act as Archons, enforcing the Demiurge’s rule and keeping people spiritually asleep.
This hit me hard. Christianity often justifies capitalism, treating wealth as a sign of divine favor. Prosperity Gospel, anyone? But Gnosticism reveals that material success is actually a distraction from true enlightenment.
- Leaving Christianity, But Finding Truth in Gnosticism?
I do not believe in Christianity anymore, but if I had to accept any version of Jesus, it would be the Gnostic Jesus. • The one who came to free us from the false god, not serve him. • The one who told us the Kingdom of God is inside us, not in a church or religious institution. • The one who laughed at blind faith and encouraged hidden knowledge.
I know that most Gnostic texts were destroyed or hidden by the early Church, which only makes me more curious. It feels like Christianity was shaped to serve the Demiurge, while Gnosticism was erased because it actually empowered people to think for themselves.
- Thoughts?
I am still processing a lot of this, but I am curious. Has anyone else here gone down the Gnostic rabbit hole? Does it make more sense to you than Christianity? Also, what do you think about the connection between capitalism and the Demiurge?
Would love to hear other perspectives!