That they lived hundreds of years ago.
Today, if someone told you they were a god, or closely related to a god, you would likely advise them to seek psychiatric help. In fact, I'm sure nut houses across the world are full of individuals who make a similar claim.
If you lived in Biblical times, why would it be any different? Of course if you lived in Biblical times, you wouldn't see it as "Biblical Times"; you'd see it as "now."
True, Jesus was able to garner a lot of followers back in the day, a fact many people use to argue that he is the true Messiah.
But I choose to believe the reason no present-day person could be referred to as god by the masses is because we're all a little bit more sophisticated.
But even in recent times a few charismatic individuals have convinced others they were either godly, or so great that they should be blindly followed.
Remember Jonestown?
And besides, because of Christianity, 80% of you out there already have that position filled.
"You're god?" Christians ask a modern day person claiming to be holy. "Sorry, I've already got one of those; go offer your crazy to someone still taking applications."
So I suppose that would only make us atheists more sophisticated now-a-days.
I mean, if the parents of Christians wouldn't have instructed them what to believe, they'd still be looking to fill that void in their life, and would want something to hope for.
And what helps them believe in Christianity is that its origins are so long ago, and during a time so ancient that we can't even fathom day to day life. Therefore someone going around claiming to be godly doesn't seem so far-fetched.
They won't say it publicly, but I'm willing to bet that most non-Mormon Christians look at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and facetiously think, "Yeah, right; some guy named Joseph Smith, Jr., who lived in the 19th century, was visited by Angels. What a crazy loon that guy must have been and how gullible are the Mormons for believing such a fable!?"
Yet the story they believe is SO much more fathomable because it happened further back?
Makes no sense when you think about it.
