No question there has been tremendous sincerity in our various religions. Every sect believes their religion is the only true and righteous way, and they want to make sure you and I are a part of it. Their beliefs are the only way to bring good fortune, live a holy life, and be saved in the afterlife.
Our perception of God has dramatically changed throughout history. No longer do we think Emperors and Pharaohs are God. Few if any people still believe a volcano, the sun, or an animal is God. No longer do we make human sacrifices to the Gods as some cultures did. But I'm certain the people who once believed these things knew they were being Holy and doing the right thing. They were simply living in the culture of their time - these things were in vogue. Would we consider them Holy now? Would we think they were (or are) heaven-bound? Well, eventually someone comes along and says, "Hold on folks. You have it all wrong."
Here's a not so little list I unashamedly borrowed from Wikipedia. It shows many of the religions throughout history and who founded them. (Please don't hold it against me if there are issues with the data. It's purpose is only to demonstrate an idea for this post.)
| Prophet or Founder | Religion or Belief | Era |
|---|---|---|
| Akhenaten | Atenism | ~1300 BCE |
| Zoroaster | Zoroastrianism | ~1200 BCE |
| Moses | Judaism | ~1200 BCE |
| Numa Pompilius | Codified and organized Roman religion | 717-673BCE |
| Laozi | Taoism | ~600 BCE |
| Siddhārtha Gautama | Buddhism | 563-483BCE |
| Confucius | Confucianism | 551-479BCE |
| Pythagoras | Pythagoreanism | 520 BCE |
| Mahavira | Jainism | ~500 BCE |
| Mozi | Mohism | 470-390BCE |
| Leucippus | Atomism | 440 BCE |
| Plato | Platonic Realism | 427-347BCE |
| Epicurus | Epicureanism | 307 BCE |
| Zeno of Citium | Stoicism | 333-264BCE |
| Patanjali | Raja Yoga | ~100 BCE |
| Jesus of Nazareth | Early Christianity | 6BCE-27 CE |
| Paul of Tarsus | Pauline Christianity | ~50 CE |
| Simon Peter | Petrine Christianity | ~50 CE |
| Judah haNasi | Talmudic Judaism | ~100 CE |
| Nagarjuna | Madhyamaka | 150 - 250 |
| Plotinus | Neoplatonism | 205 - 270 |
| Marcion of Sinope | Marcionism | 110 - 160 |
| Mani | Manichaeism | 210 - 276 |
| Arius | Arianism | 250 - 336 |
| Nestorius | Nestorianism | 386 - 451 |
| Eutyches | Monophysitism | 380 - 456 |
| Mazdak | Mazdakism | ~500 CE |
| Bodhidharma | Zen | ~500 CE |
| Muhammad | Islam | 570 - 632 |
| Songtsän Gampo | Tibetan Buddhism | ~600 CE |
| Padmasambhava | Nyingma | ~700 CE |
| Adi Shankara | Advaita Vedanta | ~800 CE |
| Kūkai | Shingon | ~800 CE |
| Ad-Darazi | Druze | ~1000 CE |
| Basava | Lingayatism | ~1100 CE |
| Madhvacharya | Dvaita | 1238 - 1317 |
| Ramananda | Sant Mat Vaishnavism | ~1400 CE |
| Kabir | Kabir Panth, see Sikhism | 1440 - 1518 |
| Srimanta Sankardeva | Mahapuruxiya Dharma | 1449 - 1568 |
| Guru Nanak Dev | Sikhism | 1469 - 1539 |
| Baba Sri Chand | Udasi | 1494 - 1629 |
| Vallabha Acharya | Shuddhadvaita | 1479 - 1531 |
| Martin Luther | Lutheranism | 1483 - 1546 |
| Chaitanya Mahaprabhu | Achintya Bheda Abheda | 1486 - 1534 |
| Henry VIII of England | Anglicanism | 1491 - 1547 |
| Conrad Grebel | Swiss Brethren, Anabaptism | 1498 - 1526 |
| John Calvin | Calvinism | 1509 - 1564 |
| Akbar the Great | Din-i-Ilahi | 1542 - 1605 |
| George Fox | Religious Society of Friends | 1624 - 1691 |
| Raja Ram Mohan Roy | Brahmo Samaj | 1772 - 1833 |
| Ghanshyam Pande | Swaminarayan | 1781 - 1830 |
| Nakayama Miki | Tenrikyo | 1798 - 1887 |
| Allan Kardec | Spiritism | 1804 - 1869 |
| Joseph Smith, Jr. | Latter Day Saints | 1805 - 1844 |
| Jamgon Kongtrul | Rime movement | 1813 - 1899 |
| Báb | Bábí Faith | 1819 - 1850 |
| Bahá'u'lláh | Bahá'í Faith | 1817 - 1892 |
| Ellen G. White | Seventh-day Adventist Church | 1827 - 1915 |
| Madame Blavatsky | Theosophy | 1831 - 1891 |
| Mirza Ghulam Ahmad | Ahmadiyya | 1835 - 1908 |
| Swami Vivekananda | Ramakrishna Mission | 1863 - 1902 |
| Aleister Crowley | Thelema | 1875 - 1947 |
| Gerald Gardner | Wicca | 1884 - 1964 |
| Mary Baker Eddy | Christian Science | 1821 - 1910 |
| Swami Dayananda Saraswati | Arya Samaj | 1824 - 1883 |
| Guido von List | Armanism (Germanic Mysticism) | 1848 - 1919 |
| Sri Aurobindo | Integral Yoga | 1872 - 1950 |
| Charles Fox Parham | Pentecostalism | 1873 - 1929 |
| Ngô Văn Chiêu | Cao Dai | 1878 - 1926 |
| Ernest Holmes | Religious Science | 1887 - 1960 |
| Wallace Fard Muhammad | Nation of Islam | 1891 |
| Paramahansa Yogananda | Self-Realization Fellowship | 1893 - 1952 |
| A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada | International Society for Krishna Consciousness | 1896 - 1977 |
| Zélio Fernandino de Moraes | Umbanda | ~1900 CE |
| L. Ron Hubbard | Church of Scientology | 1911 - 1986 |
| Maharishi Mahesh Yogi | Transcendental Meditation | 1917 - 2008 |
| Sun Myung Moon | Unification Church | 1920 |
| Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar | Ananda Marga | 1921 - 1990 |
| Mestre Gabriel | União do Vegetal | 1922 - 1971 |
| Nirmala Srivastava | Sahaja Yoga | 1923 |
| Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson | Ásatrú | 1924 - 1993 |
| Sathya Sai Baba | Sathya Sai Organization | 1926 |
| Anton Szandor LaVey | Church of Satan | 1930 - 1997 |
| Osho | Osho movement | 1931 - 1990 |
| Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | Art of Living Foundation | 1956 |
| Vissarion | Church of the Last Testament | 1961 |
| Tamara Siuda | Kemetic Orthodoxy | 1969 |
Here's the point: Not a single faith on this list was founded by God. Not a single one. Every religion and sect was formed by - you guessed it - man! Sure, these men may say they are chosen; they may say they are a prophet; they may say God spoke to them; they may even say they are God. Wow, man sure says a lot! Imagine the number of people who have believed these delusions and fantasies throughout history, even to the death.
One Deist Φ
7 comments:
I agree. People should have faith in themselves. When it comes to God, it's a level playing field. Anyone purporting to be an "expert" is lying, delusional, or both.
Awesome Stats! It was interesting to study.
-Chris
Sorry but L. Ron Hubbard never said anything to be revealed or that he was choosen by God or any such. Specifically he made it a point to say that he decided on his own to try an figure out how man ticked. Scientology is founded on his own ideas, and those cultivated by reading others - many of whom he acknowledges as important are Deists. Secondly, we don't worship God or Hubbard or any deity, nor is one required to believe everything he says or as the quote goes "What is true for you is true, and that is all." Other than Taoism, Deism, and to an extent Buddhism all other religions require a certain amount of "faith" - we don't.
It a good try, and an excellent point overall. However as an anthropology major I have to say that some of the items on your list aren't even religions.
Not all philosophies that comment on spirituality are religions.
I recommend looking at Emile Durkheim's definition of religion and culling the list down from there.
After doing that I would also read a basic primer or each religion or a scientifically sound study of each religion to determine if it is a "revealed religion" or "founder/created religion" Some religions on your list count as Deist faiths as they "founded" and "founded" religions usually don't require faith, but practise.
Hi Valerie,
I'm truly sorry to hear that you are a Scientologist. I do not mean this in a condescending way, but am profoundly concerned for your wellbeing.
As a Deist I am overtly against man-made religion, and Scientology is THE preeminent man-made belief system. It is dangerous and costly to all involved - even to those who are not Scientologists.
In the most caring and loving way possible I say to you, question those beliefs which Scientology has taught you with a completely open mind. Research Scientology away from "official" computers, and try to acknowledge the facts you find with an open heart.
I know you are taught to rebuff statements such as these, but it is all I can do. I say these things because I care, and at my own peril.
As to your second comment concerning my data: I stated in my original post, "Please don't hold it against me if there are issues with the data. It's purpose is only to demonstrate an idea for this post." And then the point, "Not a single faith on this list was founded by God. Not a single one. Every religion and sect was formed by - you guessed it - man!"
One Deist Φ
Your point is, well, the point, isn't it? Is the conclusion your tag line or can I use it? ("Believe in God. Have faith in yourself.")
Hi Karolina,
Anyone may use anything I've stated from my writings. I would only ask that credit is given where possible and appropriate.
One Deist Φ
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