How do we know a Prophet is a Prophet and sent by God?

[dybmh]

I still think it's hard to tell. The verse even says right there that many will be deceived.

Then extra caution is reasonable, no?

 

[Koldo]

Well, I asked for your interpretation and things that you know about the moon being split, but you gave what Muslims say from a wiki source. So you must be believing what Muslims say a hell of a lot. Also, some of the most dogmatic, traditional, narration believing muslims who gave hypothesis's.

You have said and I quote:

"Could you please give some interpretations on the moon being cleft asunder as you quoted?"

You have asked for 'some interpretations'. Notice the plural. Do you mean you actually want my interpretation? What interpretation make the prophet looks credible and making sense?

 

[firedragon]

You have said and I quote:

"Could you please give some interpretations on the moon being cleft asunder as you quoted?"

You have asked for 'some interpretations'. Notice the plural. Do you mean you actually want my interpretation? What interpretation make the prophet looks credible and making sense?

Yes. I meant your interpretation. Sorry if I was not clear about that. I meant what YOU accept as an acceptable interpretation.

 

[Trailblazer]

That's quite... convenient, isn't it?

It has nothing to do with convenience.

 

[QuestioningMind]

Unfortunately that method won't work because nobody can ever verify that God exists.
The only method that is available is to try to determine if the Messenger was who He claimed to be.

An unverifiable god is about as meaningful as an unverifiable magical pixie.

 

[TransmutingSoul]

The book of John almost exclusively avoids speaking about God. Instead it speaks about a being called "The Father". If you look at the quote I posted Jesus calls him "My Father" not "Our Father". These little details mean a lot to me.

That has much meaning within what I believe.

The Son becomes the Father. But the Son and the Father are not the unknowable G_d.

Regards Tony

 

[Aupmanyav]

This is for me a fascinating topic because I am a strong believer in the Prophets although I never met Them yet somehow within myself, I know they are true and sent by God.

The question is - how do we know a Prophet is from God? We have such scriptures as the Bible, the Quran which I accept and also stories about the Lives of Great Educators like Buddha, Christ, Moses, Muhammad, Krishna and Baha’u’llah.

But with no one yet able to describe God how do billions of people believe in Them?

They say the majority consists of fools.
You do not have a proof for God or of any prophet being sent by him, but you still believe in that. I would term it as superstition because of childhood indoctrination.
The idea of a messenger from a God whose existence has not been proved or anyone prophesying future events is patently absurd. At best one can have a guess.
I take Krishna to be a Hindu mythological figure

 

[Spirit of Light]

This is for me a fascinating topic because I am a strong believer in the Prophets although I never met Them yet somehow within myself, I know they are true and sent by God.

The question is - how do we know a Prophet is from God? We have such scriptures as the Bible, the Quran which I accept and also stories about the Lives of Great Educators like Buddha, Christ, Moses, Muhammad, Krishna and Baha’u’llah.

But with no one yet able to describe God how do billions of people believe in Them?

The true essence of God is impossible for humans to describe not sure we even should try to explain God to other human beings because their understanding or wisdom about God would be different than our own.

 

[viole]

So you are claiming that the majority of humanity are delusional? But also is the question that after the passing of the Prophet, their influence extended over many centuries. So Muhammad died in 632AD and now it’s 2022 yet His influence is felt over billions and also many governments. Can you or I achieve this? Can we replicate it?

Even under the premise of an existing God, the majority of humanity is delusional. If it weren't. it would necessarily believe in the same God.

Ciao

- viole

 

[firedragon]

They say the majority consists of fools.
You do not have a proof for God or of any prophet being sent by him, but you still believe in that. I would term it as superstition because of childhood indoctrination.
The idea of a messenger from a God whose existence has not been proved or anyone prophesying future events is patently absurd. At best one can have a guess.
I take Krishna to be a Hindu mythological figure

Same as your belief in Brahman.

Could you provide scientific evidence that Brahman as explicit in your scripture lived and lives?

 

[firedragon]

An unverifiable god is about as meaningful as an unverifiable magical pixie.

Actually its not.

Is a magical pixie created or uncreated? Just as a thought experiment. One step at a time.

 

[viole]

This is for me a fascinating topic because I am a strong believer in the Prophets although I never met Them yet somehow within myself, I know they are true and sent by God.

The question is - how do we know a Prophet is from God? We have such scriptures as the Bible, the Quran which I accept and also stories about the Lives of Great Educators like Buddha, Christ, Moses, Muhammad, Krishna and Baha’u’llah.

But with no one yet able to describe God how do billions of people believe in Them?

You cannot. That would involve necessarily circular reasoning. All claims of such are easily defeated by perfectly mundane explanation, and should therefore be rejected.

Unless that prophet can prove her prophet status, but performing supernatural stunts. But in that case, it is not clear why God would use a middle woman, and doesn't do it Personally. The standard rationalisation is "free will", so that people make up their mind freely. But that can also be defeated by an even simpler mundane explanation.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Aupmanyav]

Same as your belief in Brahman.
Could you provide scientific evidence that Brahman as explicit in your scripture lived and lives?

Brahman is not a being that lived or lives. It is 'what all existss' aka 'physical energy'.
My scripture says "Sarvam khalvidam Brahma" (All this that exists here is Brahman - Mandukya Upanishad).
Going by scripture is not a necessity in Hinduism.

Is a magical pixie created or uncreated? Just as a thought experiment. One step at a time.

God too is a creation of human imagination.

 

[firedragon]

Brahman is not a being that lived or lives. It is 'what all existss' aka 'physical energy'.

So brahman is dead?

My scripture says "Sarvam khalvidam Brahma" (All this that exists here is Brahman - Mandukya Upanishad).
Going by scripture is not a necessity in Hinduism.

I didn't say anything is necessary. But you just claimed that "Mandukya Upanishad" is "YOUR" scripture already.

Anyway, Sarvam Khalvidam does not mean its "only energy". That means All of everything, which includes everything. Energy, matter, etc etc. Everything.

I understand that this is your scripture and you probably know your own language very well, but your claim is absolutely bogus my friend. It's funny that you make claims from your own language that are so bizarre Aup.

 

[QuestioningMind]

Actually its not.

Is a magical pixie created or uncreated? Just as a thought experiment. One step at a time.

Uncreated.

 

[firedragon]

Uncreated.

Hmm. So a magical pixie is uncreated.

What does it look like? Does it have parts?

 

[Clara Tea]

Still no guarantee but I'd put a base line at the performance of some major miracle.
Moses parted the Red Sea.
Jesus rose the dead and healed the sick.
Muhammad split the moon into two parts.

A display of supernatural powers comes along with most prophets.

Unfortunately we only have the stories so I'd suppose it'd depend on the belief in the accuracy of these stories.
Any current or future prophets, I'd expect proof of their supernatural powers.

Different psychics have different abilities, and see things in different ways. Some see things as they are, and some see things symbolically (as they do in Revelation in the bible). This is because they don't sense with normal senses (sight, sound, touch, smell), rather, they uses those same parts of the brain to interpret psychic messages and info.

It isn't too far fetched about the moon splitting in two parts, since current scientific theory is that the moon was calved (impacted) out of the earth by some huge impact.

 

[Clara Tea]

Believers who kept it alive.



The ability of humans to know anything is valid reasoning.
So first you'ld require a set of objective independently testable criteria.
From there, you could test to see if someone was sent by god(s).

The problem is that no such set exists. And considering how god(s) is/are defined, we also have no way to come up with such criteria.

So really, what makes someone a "prophet" is very simply other people believing it to be so. That's it.

Lets say that a prophet said that a purple polkadotted zebra was going to be born. Then it was born. That proves the prediction. Lets say that a series of correct predictions, that makes it even less likely of being a coincidence. You said that no test exists. Isn't the fact that a prediction (or many obscure and unlikely predictions) come true is an indication of the truthfulness of predictions.

 

[Clara Tea]

i would think that would be fairly easy.


joel 2:28-29 and acts 2:17-18


what is god's spirit? love.
what is god's will? love

who is the lord of love? isn't anyone who does what is loving? compassionate?

God's love made Jesus.

 

[Clara Tea]

That works too.

Of course, today we will not put someone to death.

W. Bush put 1,000,000 Iraqis to death on flimsy evidence of terrorism.