Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?
Just speculation, but I think society has either wised up or become so skeptical that anyone trying to proclaim they are a prophet (think David Koresh) would be quickly debunked by society. PLUS, a lot of 'miracle's supposedly performed back then can be easily explained by science today.

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?


Perhaps in a thousand years ,Tom Cruise may be considered a prophet of Scientology.
Now there is a scary thought!:eek:

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?

Because those teachers have had time to have followers who created organizations that humans being creatures of habit have given a lot of power to. Conservatives who would kill a comtemporary Jesus can worship the dead radical because he's in the old book and the church has found ways to maniuplate his ideas that suit their temperment. Once challenging people can be misinterpreted and made not challenging. Even better they can be used by organizations interested in their own power.

Or is it, as Jesus said, a time when the wood is no longer green?

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?

because their faults have drifted into time. Like sand dissolves ruins of ancient houses by ocean, like rain dissipates the statues of kingdoms, like you and I are forgotten by everyone over time.

Christopher Hitchens: "We shall have no more prophets or sages from the ancient quarter, which is why the devotions of today are only the echoing repetitions of yesterday, sometimes ratcheted up to screaming point so as to ward off the terrible emptiness."

They were able to make prophecies because then, humans, including them, were laughably ignorant of what we take for granted these days.

Jesus was a big deal only a few centuries after his death. By that standard, we should have had a major prophet a couple hundred years ago - but we don't.

The middle ages were full of the laughably ignorant, and yet we have no major prophets from that time?

The middle ages were full of the laughably ignorant, and yet we have no major prophets from that time?

Laughably ignorant from our standards, yes. That doesn't mean those ancient prophets weren't still laughably ignorant from middle age standards as well.

Jesus was a big deal only a few centuries after his death. By that standard, we should have had a major prophet a couple hundred years ago - but we don't.

"We" don't. Unless you're a Mormon I suppose.

But Jesus lived during the Pax Romana. The middle ages were certainly far more ignorant than the Romans.

But Jesus lived during the Pax Romana. The middle ages were certainly far more ignorant than the Romans.

I'm not a huge history buff, but I think my point stands anyway; he was able to make his prophecies in his day, yes, but those people were still ignorant by our standards. Jesus, in today's context, would be more like a self-professed psychic.

I believe the best prophets were in the past due to biological reasons. For instance they grew up in a time when there wasn't a widely available system of healthcare, nobody knew what to do except let the female pop a baby out.

This would naturally give rise to some abnormalities, ones that might offer more unique abilities than todays average-borns.

Also society back then didn't have a great deal of learning to do, the people would've had alot of time on their hands to think. During this process they would likely become quite brilliant because the nonsense of an average week would be nada.

Perhaps in a thousand years ,Tom Cruise may be considered a prophet of Scientology. Now there is a scary thought!:eek:
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M*W: I'm afraid that it won't take a thousand years. He's already been elevated to some high position in his cult.

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?
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M*W: Because they were good mythical characters.

Well, that's an interesting insight. Tom Cruise, an attention starved movie star, becomes a scientologist because he can literally be worshiped by its members. Fits.

Well, that's an interesting insight. Tom Cruise, an attention starved movie star, becomes a scientologist because he can literally be worshiped by its members. Fits.

Ha ha ooooh boy...I'm sorry, I'm just reminded of God when you say that. (Substitute "God" for "Tom Cruise", "deity" for "movie star", and "creator" for "scientologist" and you've got my mood.)

Simple...Christianity, Islam et al crush resistance. They allow sects that appear similar, but opinions that are too different are not tolerated.

Indeed science is only tolerated because of the conveniences it generates :) Unluckily for religions, science has become a power unto itself.

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?

I can tell you in the bible there is a period of time called the Gentile Times.
Gentile is a word meaning "nations". Gentiles were basicly everyone other than a Jew.

the Gentile times supposedly began once Jew leadership was destroyed. Through the prophesy of Daniel and a little math there is a set time for those Gentiles or nations or the world.

This is basicly a time of noninterference by God. Israel failed and was thus abandon. Man was so convinced of his own superiority that this span of time was set aside to prove it.

So, why did Mohammed arrive during this Gentile Time?

This is basicly a time of noninterference by God. Israel failed and was thus abandon.

So you're telling me that man, that tends to fail and mess up quite often, are "abandoned" by god? Would you also claim this being as a loving being, like a parent?

Abandoned heh... Hmmm.

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?

Actually there is to be an Elijah like one in these last days. I doubt he would be in any religion cause they are all based on dogmas that are not in the Bible imposed by their false prophets.

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?

Because no one would possibly fall for all that superstitious bullshit now. Believing and old bullshit story, well of course we would.

Because the ancients were a lot more intelligent than we are today.

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?

Once God has established his Will, then there is no need to change.


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Why are the major religions of today based on ancient teachers, i.e. Jesus, Moses, Mohammed, Buddha? Has the well run dry?

The thing is, there have always been prophets, including current day. The problem is that people have this idea of a prophet, making it difficult to accept new prophets that don´t fit their standards.

Samael Aun Weor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samael_Aun_Weor) was recent, and he started a huge movement, very cool views by the way.
Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain (a.k.a. Osho) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osho) also had his set of thousands of followers, with incredible speeches that still dazzles minds.
U.G. Krishnamurti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uppaluri_Gopala_Krishnamurti) was a modern day Christ, as well as Jiddu Krishnamurti (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiddu_Krishnamurti).
Sai Baba (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sathya_Sai_Baba) performs MANY miracles today and has thousands of followers.
There are many others, these are just some recent ones...

These are just gurus. They're not the big names. Practically everybody has heard of Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha. I've never heard of any of the guys you mentioned. Christainity also has its gurus, except they are called saints. For example, St. Padre Pio is a very popular 20th Century saint. But, he's not one of the big guys.

These are just gurus. They're not the big names. Practically everybody has heard of Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha. I've never heard of any of the guys you mentioned. Christainity also has its gurus, except they are called saints. For example, St. Padre Pio is a very popular 20th Century saint. But, he's not one of the big guys.

Samael started a religion, and Osho a HUGE worldwide movement.

The real reason is that ancient prophets are more respected simply for being ancient. There are plenty of smart, enlightened, visionary "prophets", scientists, and writers who are better then the ancient figures people tend to admire. Belive me, a thousand years from now, people will worship Arthur C. Clarke as a prophet.

It's the same reason artists don't get really famous until they are dead.

I think in a thousand years no one will care diddly about Arthur C. Clarke. His ideas will have long become obsolete. Nor is he known for founding any new theories of nature. Just an inventor and sci-fi writer, really. Better chance they will remember L. Ron Hubbard.

Prophets by definition should exist in the past...if one of them had the foresight to write down a few insightful comments, their import multiplies by the year...

L Ron would be remembered as an eccentric old swindler, we humans are getting a little smarter with time you know...most of us know Scientology for the profit generator it is.

Arthur C. Clarke would be remembered along the lines of H.G. Wells I figure.

What about Bahá'u'lláh, from the 19th century. The Bahá'í apparently have about 6 million followers around the world. (from wikipedia)

What about Bahá'u'lláh, from the 19th century. The Bahá'í apparently have about 6 million followers around the world. (from wikipedia)

yeap, that is a good example

How many followers does Bahaullah have? How many followers does Scientology have?

How many followers does Bahaullah have? How many followers does Scientology have?

How many followers does Christianity have? How many followers Buddhism have?

Scientology claims to have more members than Bahaullah. That would mean L. Ron Hubbard is a major prophet? Ha!

Scientology claims to have more members than Bahaullah. That would mean L. Ron Hubbard is a major prophet? Ha!

No.
L. Ron Hubbard is the Lord and Tom Cruise is his first prime..I mean "prophet".

p.s (Welcome back Ice ) ;)

I could see another reason. To be a prophet, you not only have to make predictions, but they have to come true. Given enough time, almost anything can happen, so ancient prophecies have more of a chance to come about.

I could see another reason. To be a prophet, you not only have to make predictions, but they have to come true. Given enough time, almost anything can happen, so ancient prophecies have more of a chance to come about.

Ok. I predict that you'll meet someone new over the next decade.

If it comes true, am I a prophet?

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M*W: Because they were good mythical characters.

Can you actually look anybody in the face and say Prophet Muhammad is a myth? That he never existed?

Can you actually look anybody in the face and say Prophet Muhammad is a myth? That he never existed?
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M*W: I don't study Islam, so all I know about Muhammad is what I've heard about him. I did not specifically say Muhammad never existed. I don't care whether Muhammad existed or not. However, whether he did or didn't exist, I'll bet there has been a lot of myth surrounding his existence, seeing as how he was a prophet of Islam. The stature of prophet carries along with it the aura of myth. Look at celebrities in Hollywood, for example, they carry an aura of myth with them, too. It's a dirty job being a prophet, but history seems to require that it be done.

For the record, I study christianity and its prophet Jesus (who, BTW, didn't exist) as well as the Eighteenth Pharaonic Dynasty which includes the Egyptian (NOT Hebrew) pseudonyms of David, Solomon, Moses and King Tut. They may have existed but not under the names we know them as.