Are all religions based on conspiracy theories and lies?

[Hardkill]

I just read Leo's blog "The Devil Wrote The Bible" and it reminded me how I've lately been thinking that all religions have been based on conspiracy theories.

What if Abraham's claims about God were based on his own persuasive abilities rather than divine revelation?

What if Jesus was simply a deluded charismatic individual who persuaded others he was the Son of God?

What if Muhammad was a charismatic leader who convinced his followers he was a prophet divinely inspired by Allah?

[Leo Gura]

No. They come from mystical experience. But that limited experience is filtered through a corrupt, ignorant, and deeply biased mind.

Edited 20 hours ago by Leo Gura

[Hardkill]

47 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

No. They come from mystical experience. But that limited experience is filtered through a corrupt, ignorant, and deeply biased mind.

You mean Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad, were all corrupt, ignorant, and deeply biased, right?

I am very skeptical of mystical experiences being real.

Edited 19 hours ago by Hardkill

[zurew]

7 hours ago, Hardkill said:

I am very skeptical of mystical experiences being real.

Even if we grant you that all mystical experiences are delusions, the arguments for God will still stand and even if you can poke holes in those arguments, you will need to provide atheist arguments that end with the conclusion that 'God doesn't exist'. Otherwise , at best you will only establish that its more reasonable to be an agnostic rather than a theist.

There are some good atheist arguments that work againts some special version of God (if God has a specific set of traits) but I don't know any argument that will refute the whole category of theism.

[Davino]

12 hours ago, Hardkill said:

I am very skeptical of mystical experiences being real.

Case 2

[Davino]

Bhagavad Gita reflections by Alan Watts (case 3)

 

[James123]

15 hours ago, Hardkill said:

You mean Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad, were all corrupt, ignorant, and deeply biased, right?

I am very skeptical of mystical experiences being real.

Not the Prophets, but people who follow them are corrupt. 

[Hardkill]

42 minutes ago, James123 said:

Not the Prophets, but people who follow them are corrupt. 

Of course all of their followers were corrupt fools, but none of the prophets showed any real proof of ever being connected to God in any way.

[Fadl]

1 hour ago, Hardkill said:

Of course all of their followers were corrupt fools, but none of the prophets showed any real proof of ever being connected to God in any way.

You’re being a bit harsh .. very few people in history have had this level of influence, and most of them were prophets.