I’ve come to view the “Christian myth” as a kind of allegory, a morality play that depicts an ethically sound and admirable way to live, rather than any kind of historical truth. Nothing wrong at all with its moral tenets, everything wrong with the patriarchal priesthood that has erected a self-serving power structure around it. It’s dangled in front of the credulous as a sure-fire path to “salvation” (meaning, I assume, eternal life), if only you follow the rules.

I’m more partial to Israel Regardie’s statement that “mankind is only potentially immortal” (I’m not positive about the exact quote), and that you have to work at refining and elevating (in a word, “purifying”) the spirit in order to transcend. Devotion, prayer, going to church on Sunday, keeping your nose clean the rest of the week, etc. are mainly sops for the uneasy conscience. Every one of us chooses (or should choose) his or her own path, once we “unsheep” ourselves and move away from spoon-fed dogma.