Most rational people reject supernatural claims by the founders of recently developed religions, sects, and cults such as Mormonism, the Christian Science Church, Scientology, Peoples Temple, Order of the Solar Temple, and Heavens Gate because details about how those belief systems originated are well-known. These religions, like all others, also claim supernatural origins, cosmic significance, as well as espousing mysteries and miracles. However, the deceitful character and motives of the creators of these dogmas are wellknown. For this reason, aside from the indoctrinated, few others will accept their supernatural truth claims and cosmic significance. Yet, the assertions and tenets of these recently created religions are no different and no less implausible than those associated with the older, established faiths. These also claim celestial significance and promote beliefs in divine appearances, talking fiery bushes, seas parting, people transmuted into globs of salt, serpents that hold conversations and engage in conspiracies, global deluges, angelic visitations, virgin births, the dead coming back to life, and other miraculous and supernatural happenings.

Why are these beliefs not treated with skepticism in the same way as Scientology, Mormonism, and the others mentioned? A significant reason is that these religions have been around for thousands of years and no contemporary eyewitnesses were present when they were formulated (Coyne 2015: 83).