[whitecrow]

Originally Posted by Edward Alexander

Whitecrow: If you want to elaborate, feel free to do so, when it comes to your first quote.

This is so much an area of belief and faith that I don't even know if it's really apropos for this forum. I very much resonate with the idea of Manifestations even though what constitutes one, and who qualified and who didn't are topics that could waste decades if we let that happen. If we are agreed that there has been, and can continue to be interaction between people and Larger Principals, that's probably good enough for us to proceed in friendship.

Originally Posted by Edward Alexander

...I could put in place a religion of my own if I really wanted, and for many different purposes.

The way it is achieved is simple enough - get enough gullible persons and present them with some uncommon events, or even stories of such events, and you're good on your way already.

The thing is, I've imagined this scenario too, any number of times, and I don't see it working out that way. This is why I made my original comment, that if you'd said churches or denoms... People that attempt to start religions rarely succeed in starting anything more than a cult. Jonestown, Heaven's Gate and David Koresh come to mind. None of these were religions in the true sense.

The reason I couldn't start a religion is that I have no new revelation concerning the relationship between God and man. I think all the information that's needed is already out there. I could to be sure, repackage some of that information into some shiny new model and proclaim myself a prophet, but several things would result. First, most everyone would immediately see that I was a fraud. Second, even more people wouldn't care whether I was or not. And third, the followers I'd gather around me would be weak and gullible fools, the very sort of person I prefer not to be associated with. But that's me.

Founders of great religions have not so much chosen as had it thrust upon them. If it was possible to simply go out and start a religion, the world would be filled with religions that glorify wealth. There are churches and ministers that glorify wealth, but I do not know of a major religious tradition that teaches this.