Reply #106: From my POV it has more to do with institutions

[supernova]

than with the story it's based on.

Human institutions, once comfortably established, adopt self-preservation over their original mission. They resist change. It's the same way with churches. Witness how long it took the Catholic Church to apologize to Copernicus. :wtf: Oh, sorry, 500 years later, we agree you were right. The earth does revolve around the sun afterall! *slaps forehead*

And before you go saying I'm picking on the CC, I'm picking on the protestant side equally. Not ordaining women was also about resisting change. Squabbles about gays in the church in the present are also about resisting change. People in power hate it because it means giving up some power, some dominance.

It will ever be thus as long as religion is constrained within religious hierarchies. Today, you can't just go join a group of people and have a beautiful experience with them. And I'm speaking of organized xtianity here, you have to "join," be all official. You have to pledge allegiance to a sect and/or it's by-laws. And you have to have officers, and credentialed ministers, districts, and national organizations, ad infinitum. Blech. It's enough to suck the enthusiasm out of a varsity cheerleader!

Sometimes I envy the first xtians studying together in their houses. No, I don't miss the persecution or the lack of indoor plumbing. But I do think they had a certain immediacy and intimacy that we lack today.

Anyway, I think the percieved shortcomings in the stories, all the pastoral imagery as someone else noted, is really more telling about our reluctance to embrace new things we learn on this journey, and keep to what has been comfortable and familiar. I don't think this says anything about God or the Great Mystery not wanting us to know.