Quote from: DigitalPigSnuggler on September 05, 2014, 11:58:59 AMnice. In the words of Humphrey Bogart to cloud Rains (in Casablanca), "this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."I to loved the exquisite satire in "life of Brian".
Agree with everything you said, and would just like to add that there is nothing about Original Sin in the bible. Paul/Saul was the first to touch on the idea, while trying to come up with some purpose for Jesus being around in the first place. It was St. Augustine of Hippo who baked it into the form it assumes today.
The christian religion is stuffed with this sort of hindsight revisionism. The most acute criticism of this practice I've seen is found in the movie "Life of Brian." While fleeing some peasants who want to worship him as the Messiah, Brian loses a sandal. The peasants stop and gaze upon the sandal and ponder the significance. Some assert that Brian meant for them to worship the sandal, while others claim that it is a sign that they should gather sandals, and still others screech that it should be ignored and stay with the traditional belief (formed minutes before) that they should worship the "holy gourd." They all splinter off into their own sects, just like christians have done, and continue to do.