Why is it people 2000 years ago accepted "men from God" but now a day they say they are mentally ill?

Question

They are called schizophrenics. How do you KNOW they aren't from God and Moses was?

Answer 1

Actually, I think they just have grandiose delusional disorder/megalomania... to-may-toe, to-mah-toe.

I think the reason is rather simple - 1. We know more now than we did then, and 2. The general public has extremely easy access to what we know.

For example, if Jesus had been born *now* and claiming to be god, we would've given him a DNA test to see where his paternal DNA came from.

Answer 2

A good question, one that I have asked many times but was never given a good solid answer - probably never will.

I, personally, think that to talk with god, it took some sort of "mental illness". We consider it a mental illness today because we can correct chemical imbalances with drugs. But who's to say it's a illness? Sure, any mental problem causes the person to live a life unlike that of the majority (which is now sociably unacceptable) - but isn't it said with any gift also comes a curse?

Most of the village "seers" and "witch doctors" were often anti-social, even strange, people that were not entirely accepted by the rest of the society, but still revered due to the talents they had with the "otherworldly" creatures. They would be classified as having a "mental-illness" today. And sure, their brains acted and reacted differently than other folk's, but everyone is different - for example, do we want all of society to be super intelligent people? Really, do we? Cause then, who would be there to pick up the trash?

Answer 3

Until about 400 years ago, a person's subjective perceptual experience was considered the basis of reality. Since the scientific revolution, humanity has defined the physical realm as the basis of reality. The scientific revolution was absolutely necessary, so that humanity's ideas about reality were consistent with how reality actually operates. The dark ages were devoid of technological progress because the Church erroneously taught that the physical realm was imaginary. Now we know better, and the abundance provided to humanity by scientific progress is tangible proof that the physical realm, and not people's perceptions, is the legitimate basis of reality.

My own mother was a full-blown schizophrenic, who spent half her adult life in one state mental hospital or another. I visited her on various psych wards many times and saw for myself that the great majority of truly insane people are suffering from serious religious delusions. I have spoken with dozens of seriously deranged schizophrenics and found them all to be so deeply confused they could not even effectively organize their own thoughts.

If a person were a solipsist, and imagined human perceptions formed the basis of reality, it would be easy to imagine that insane people had been "blessed" with religious insight. Once a person accepts the modern view that the physical realm is the only objective reality, then schizophrenics become what they really are -- unfortunate people whose brains aren't working properly.

EDIT: Zina Rae, Sweetheart, I didn't say all Christians are schizophrenics. I said the schizophrenics I observed all had serious religious issues. There's a world of difference between those two statements. Your's is the kind of sloppy paranoid thinking that perpetuates so many Christian's unjustified feelings of persecution. If you read my posting again, you'll see that I didn't really say what you've assumed I said.

Answer 4

For the same reason that people who did not believe "Men from God" or at least "the gods" was considered either lunatic, possessed or in league with the devil 2000 years ago.

Any one who thinks that all Christians are schizophrenics are wrong. I have met just as many Christian schizophrenics as Atheist schizophrenics and a few schizophrenics that think the aliens put us here on earth.

I BELIEVE that we are from God and that there was a Moses but I don't know, I don't need to KNOW because I have FAITH.

Answer 5

The answer is really quite simple. We, as a society, have been conditioned to believe that things that are out of the ordinary are the result of mental illness. People of ALL religions are less likely to accept prophetic ideas that are out of step with the prevailing ideas because they have been poisoned by the conditioning of society that such things are the result of mental illness. It has severely damaged our ability to have the sort of religious faith that our ancestors had. There was a time when those that would now be called, mad were considered to have a closer connection to the gods. The Greek term mania (which is still used today to describe the mentally ill and is the origin of the word maniac) was once a term of praise, now used as an insult.

Add that to the number of charlatans and frauds that have claimed to have been listening to some deity or another and used that to do things of a most heinous nature who were discovered to have been charlatans has also made it harder for people to be willing to listen to those whose philosophies are outside either religious or societal norms.

The result is that NO ONE who makes such claims is believed in our modern world. One of the many wonders and mysteries that science has taken away from us.

Answer 6

i can`t believe what i read. you peoples of science really think that you got it all figure out hein!

you have it in your face and still you don`t see.
WHEN ARE YOU GONNA UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS ALL AROUND YOU--- IN NATURE--- AND INSIDE YOU-- IN ENERGY, PROVIDED BY MOTHER NATURE. A BALL OF ENERGY. EVERYTHING IS ENERGY. A GOOD OR BAD ENERGY. A WEAK, A STRONG ENERGY.
YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT ENERGY BUT YET YOU DO NOT PUT IT AT THE RIGHT PLACE CAUSE OF YOUR NEED TO MAKE MONEY. SCIENCE IS JUST GOOD TO TRANSFORM A GOOD ENERGY INTO A BAD ONE.
AND NOW WHAT ABOUT THE MENTALLY ILL.
MAYBE THIS PERSON IS EMOTIONALY UNBALANCE BECAUSE OF YOUR MISUNDERSTANDING WICH THAT BRINGS YOU TO MENTAL ILLNESSES AND THAT`S WHAT I THINK THAT MOST OF YOU SUFFER FROM, THE CAUSE, YOU PEOPLE DON`T KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE ANYMORE AND THAT BRINGS A LOT OF CONFLICTS AND MENTAL ILLNESS, NO MATTER WHAT. IT`S PROBABLY WHY THE EXISTENCE OF THIS SITE IS FOR. AND 2--- IT COULD ALSO BE BECAUSE THIS PERSON IS CALLED FOR ONE PURPOSE AND SHE DOESN`T FULLFILL IT. SOME OF YOU NEVER WONDER WHY YOU`RE HERE? FEELING UNHAPPY BUT YOU HAVE IT ALL?
THE ONLY GUILT THE BIBLE HAS IS ABOUT THE FACT THAT ALL IT IS AFTER ALL THAT THE BIBLE WANTS YOU TO KNOW AND DO IS TO GET ALONG, ALL OF US.
AND YOU FAIL BIG TIME. SO NO, I DON`T THINK THAT THE WORLD IS DOING BETTER THEN BEFORE.

Answer 7

It's called the advancement of medicine and technology. We know more now than we did then.

Just like we know now .... well.... some people still don't know this, but many know that volcanoes, or tornadoes, or hurricanes aren't caused an angry deity wanting to punish humans for misbehaviour. We know the reasons behind these phenomenon, and while we cannot predict them 100% accurately we are able to generally predict if/when it will happen. If it was some angry deity, why would we be able to predict the likeliness of these disasters?

Just as we know now that natural disasters are simply NATURAL.... we know that the dependancy on religion is a mental issue in the believer. Whether it be that they need something to fall back on when the world gets too rough, or they're simply delusional and buy into anything that anyone tells them... nobody knows yet.... but the fact of the matter remains.... believers in religion are delusional and nobody can take delusional people seriously. Especially when they quote a book that has been PROVEN to be an ancient book of myths, and they quote it as if it is the truth.

How do i know they "aren't from god and moses was" ? Because god doesn't exist and moses is a character in a fictional book.

Edit: Going along with what Bluto above me said. The smart ones knew/know how to manipulate the dumb ones...... So they take their david blane or blain or however his name is spelled.... they throw him out there and spread rumors about him using REAL magic.... and the dumb people all flock to see him "Oooooh, he's a REAL magician.... he has been given powers by god to do card tricks and make money doing these tricks on TV."

Answer 8

I think in both cases we're generalizing. There are denominations and congregations that accept that people today are still speaking directly from God, and we largely only know of the people 2000 years ago who were accepted... there aren't Biblical stories about people who claimed to be prophets but were not accepted as such! Except, arguably, Jesus. While Christians believe he was a man from God, most people in his time did NOT accept that claim, hence the reason for Christianity to split off from Judaism and one of the reasons for Jesus's execution.

Answer 9

I pity for you lad, what is it in your intellect, it appears you consider indignant with GOD that He drown those flawed doers who worship idols and false gods and goddess and challenge Noah, the prophet of GOD, that if GOD of Noah is actual, then convey the first-class calamity or punishment upon them as a proof. Noah spend his time preaching with his humans to feel in one proper GOD for 950 years and earlier than the deluge GOD intent females of the men and women of Noah to be sterile for forty years ,so from this reality there were not a single individual at the age not up to 40 had been drown . Please discover that these animals that were on board of Noah's ark and be saved with people who believes had extra dignity than these humans of Noah who were arrogance and disbelievers on the grounds that they've no right to embark on his dignify ark being construct on the commandment of GOD.

Answer 10

Two thousand years ago, people were more primitive, believed in magic and curses, and didn't know about mental health. This is the 21st century. ANYBODY who claims to hear voices, see visions, or be God are automatically suspected of being delusional ... hence the doubt.

Sound familiar?

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Answer 11

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/delusion_GIF.gif

Schizophrenia and psychosis may not have been very well understood 2000 years ago... I have half a notion that some of the prophets may have suffered one or more of these mental disorders. It's quite possible that a person who acted in unusual ways and who spoke oddly, as if to the air, might have made a fascinating spectacle in ancient times; the odd man may not have been out but rather been curiously watched and listened to - he may even have been thought to be holy..... Holy Cow. (pbuh)

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/still_believeGif.gif

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