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Message: <blockquote data-quote="InzeladunMaster" data-source="post: 2645580" data-attributes="member: 9774">Religious history does not support this view, though.  It is well documented that Gnostic sects taught Christian doctrine but that higher-ups were taught that Christ was not a true, literal person, but a symbol designed to teach.   They believed the symbols promoted subconscious learning, and once someone finally "got it", they were initiated higher into the Gnostic order.  Once this got out, the Catholics, who had adopted a more literal interpretation, exterminated them.  The Mithraic religion was similar, and, even though it had a central figure identical to Christ in almost all ways (same birthday, same birth circumstances, same story essentially), but taught its higher-ups that he was a symbol of a spiritual truth instead of a literal person;  Again, they were exterminated - which is why so many ancient religions had death orders against anyone talking or discussing the inner mysteries with the un-initiated.    Why would those orders have existed if they were not taught something different?It all falls back to what that Catholic priest once told me: "We teach myths in order to teach spiritual truths."  I think that is a very ancient attitude about religion.  They believed very strongly in the spiritual truths, but not the literal truth of the myths.You might be right there for today, but Catholic history does not show it - they very openly changed doctrines many times in history through very well known councils and documents.  The Mormon religion has also been through some well-documented changes, publicised among the Mormons.As an aside, ever notice how Catholic crucifixes always have Christ nailed to it and their doctrine emphasises the sacrifice (and in turn how our personal sacrifices better the world), and protestant crosses do not have Christ on it, and their doctrine emphasises the resurrection, or how faith in God will save us?  Having attended both Catholic and Lutheran churches, I found that to be an interesting and subtle difference.  The Catholic service emphasises what we can do to better each other through sacrifice, and the Lutheran service emphasises what gifts God shall bestow upon believers and how worthless we are without Jesus.</blockquote>

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