I do feel sorry for the literalists and those who have been led astray by the church, they have been told a story devoid of understanding of the language it is told in and are missing the profound spiritual teachings that are embedded within it.
That language being myth. Myth was used by the ancient mystery schools to pass the spiritual message in code. Christianity was just another story built on a much older framework, all the symbols and allegories were pre existing in various forms. It is in fact a very old myth of the dying and resurrected God. These myths and traditions surrounded this new version of the story that it is woven from.
It formed in the rich landscape of Judaic and Hellenistic pagan mysteries. So it is hardly surprising. It is blatantly obvious. Read it, It is clearly mythological. It is also clear that it is a evolving story within gospels themselves and even contradicts some key points within itself. Clearly showing itself not to be a historical account. Which quite frankly is absurd.
In the old mystery schools there were both esoteric and exoteric teachings, the inner form and the outer form. The outer form are simply just the stories. That is what Christianity is today. As are most religions.
The story of this myth is to assist in leading one to a certain state of consciousness. I often use the Zen term
satori or oneness. It is also Gnosis (knowledge) This refers not just to those varied sects we now refer to as Gnostics but numerous Pagan traditions and Eastern traditions. It was at one time ubiquitous. The name of what it is doesn't matter.
It is also the Shamanic journey, The death of the ego into the oneness of being, then to return once again. The symbolic death and rebirth.
It is connecting with that part of ourselves that is beyond the body and beyond the mental. It is spirit, the part of us that observes the mental, that which lies beyond the ego. The Nous. Symbolically the Monad.
The ego BTW could be considered as being symbolized by the Demiurge. It keeps us imprisoned to this truth.
The story is about the spiritual journey. That is it in a nutshell. It is about resurrecting the Christ in you. Paul even states...
“The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27)
Study it this way, ponder the symbols and the patterns and the blinders are removed, you will see it again and again in many cultures spanning thousands of years.
Since it is impossible to have reasonable exchange with religious people, I will just post with the spiritually inclined in mind. Those two categories are quite different as we all know. Again one is the inner, the other is the outer.
Hopefully I'll have some time to expand on some of the symbols and how they relate to the journey. It is the same very, very old story. This way hopefully people who are not religious but still spiritual may be able to see what it once was in light of what it has become.