nibs said:christianity, judiasm and orthodox islam all readily admit that they are dead religions.
"orthodox islam"
it is claimed that muhammad communicated directly with the angel gabriel and thus had direct divine inspiration. much of the arabic qu'ran was "revealed" to address situations occurring within the early muslim community during the time of the "prophet" muhammad's life. much of it dealing directly with the "prophet's" wives and concubines.
now that muhammad is dead and the qu'ran complete; the muslims have lost their divine connection. orthodox muslims are now left interpretting texts and sayings about muhammad. the very principle that muhammad is the last "prophet" indicates that the divine connection will die after him.
the entire nature of orthodox islam, and the muslim community, apparently changed at the point of muhammad's death; as it transformed from a living religion with a living divine connection; to a dead religion with "sacred" texts.
"christianity"
it is claimed that yeshua walked among men, performed miracles and taught. "a living son of god". "the living word of god". the disciples of christ were able to see their god directly and experience the presence of their god first hand.
yeshua is dead and gone now. the living divine connection has been gone for 2000 years. christians are left with texts; many now debate the race of this yeshua; others debate the meaning of what he taught (gnostic, judaic, pauline...etc).
what can't be debated is that the entire nature of the followers of yeshua changed from the point when he was on earth directly interacting with his followers; to the situation now, where he is dead, gone and people are unsure of his identity and teachings.
"judiasm"
in judiasm they bustle about interpretting their rabinnical texts, talmud's, torah's...etc. interpretting the "divinely inspired" words of god.
however...in the torah: moses & aaron, isaiah, jeremiah, elijah...etc. they aren't debating over the interpretation of texts. when problems arise in their communities, "the word of the lord" comes to one of the prophets, miracles happen...etc. these judaic scriptures speak to a time when their prophets communicated directly with their god...however now they are left interpretting the words of dead men.
each of these religions readily acknowledges a transition from being a living religion with a living connection to their deities; to a dead religion with "sacred texts" that must be preserved.
the abrahamic faiths are dead religions; if we accept the claims of those faiths prima facie.
the realitly is that there is no evidence that any of the abrahamic faiths were ever living religions or living traditions.
there is no evidence that any of the abrahamic prophets or deities existed per se; or that there ever was a divine connection. however, there is no disagreement that there is no divine connection now.
"sacred texts" are essential only for dead religions. any population or community that has not lost their divine connection; any community that has preserved the knowledge of how to communicate with the divine and obtain divine guidance...does not need "sacred texts".
abrahamic "monotheists" should acknowledge that their true god is actually a book; ink & paper; as the book is what they know, believe in and place their faith in.
people of the book indeed...
There is one major aspect of this post which neglects to recognize the essence of any "religion". It is not the written word of the "sacred text" which gives each particular faith its substance.
You are an outsider looking in and not seeing, or feeling this essence, which makes each faith an EXTENSION of African Traditional Religious systems.
Neter, or Nature, is only an aspect of LIFE, not the totality and it is through RITUAL that "communiion" is made with this essential life force (nature,neter).
One would have to actually participate in the ritualistic aspect of BLACK adaptations of these so-called (falsely labeled) "abrahamic faiths" which themselves were developed within extensions of Black civilizations in antiquity, not the other way around. For example, much of what is credited as "Roman catholocism" itself was a system in which the Romans copied the African oracular tradition and the ritualistic aspect was later "canonized" and adopted as a state religion yet still retaining aspects of Horus-worship (via "Apollo").
As far as "dead religions" and "sacred texts" are concerned, the same can be said of "Ausarian Religion", which is actually the "root" of the other faiths.