Founding of Religions
By Odin27
@Odin27 (63)
Australia
April 18, 2007 8:17pm CST
Has anyone thought that a new religious/spritual founder will one day come again? I wonder what the next ones to come will be like and what they will say.
What does this say about spirituality and religion when we regularly get new expressions of teachings and faith over the course of human history?
I think it shows the diversity within the same basic truths of life and the need for people to individualize them, but also that it's the message rather than the messenger that we should be focusing on.
2 people like this
2 responses
@Nebuloso (179)
• United States
19 Apr 07
I'm not sure if we will ever see another "major" religion founded. Unless you count the Protestant Reformation as the founding of a new religion, it's been about 1400 years since the last "major" religion was founded.
I'm not sure that our world today would be receptive to a new religion. Those already belonging to a certain faith are, for the most part, pretty faithful to that religion. As for those who have no religion at all, it's pretty much by their own choice as well. Speaking as an agnostic, it would take a pretty convincing, compelling sales pitch to sway me to some new religion.
@Odin27 (63)
• Australia
21 Apr 07
I see the state of the world as more cyclic and transitory, I believe history also repeats itself. There will come a day when we are the ancient people of the past, our beliefs and views if still around will become old and some fresh interpretation or new expression will arise. Take judaistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They are basicly different expressions of the same core belief yet with enough diversity and uniqueness that they are there own religions. They also seem to answer a need for something that represents a group, race or nation more closely. Judaism segregates between a chosen and gentile but represents jews more, while christianity changes this to an extent by emphasising a universal faith, though european dominated. Islam seems to represent the arab world more in its origin and outlook. I don't have a thorough understanding of judaism or islam but these are my impressions.
@mystery5 (350)
• India
7 May 07
Men tend to glorify and 'God'-ify humans, which is why we have so many religions. Whenever they found a truly spiritually enlightened man, they took his name and made a religion out of it. They weren't God, just enlightened due to serious meditation, something anyone else with enough interest could have done.
For this reason, such people will come again. There will always be enlightened people, and there will always be people who are dissatisfied with the way of life and the lack of answers in their own religion - and too cowardly to seek the truths on their own. When such people meet the enlightened ones, they will call them God and start yet another religion.
