The problem of religious discussion

When we talk about religions and their origins, we sometimes get stuck with meaningless points and details that has only minor meaning compared to the big picture. And I mean with all religions. Our vision gets sometimes blurred of all the information and opinions and we easily wander off the topic we really were talking about.

Especially in discussions of religions' origins we usually get astray. Imagine the discussion about believing in Jesus. If the Jesus was a real person or not. If we have to prove he was real (or just a tale) we end up on the path of endless arguments, pro and against. But is it really important? Does it actually matter at all? If he was a real person, fine. He was a good example of a certain way of life with mercy, forgiveness and humility. If he was just a tale, it means that many people in this world has thought it'd be valuable and important, to learn the teachings they talk about. I think both are as real as it can be. The story - real or not - is a living example of the concept he was teaching. Regardless if he ever walked the face of the earth, he lives in our minds and he is very real part of our history, as an archetype of the teachings of Christianity.

Behind the stories are the concepts and teachings that we try to describe. When we tell a tale, we give it life. And very often the story itself nor the facts of it are not the pointnbut the things that are described with the help of the story. And once the concept is presented through a tale, it is not important what the scientific facts were, but the spirit that has been given life through a story. And that spirit is very real and living thing.

When I ask a person about his beliefs, I should try to remember this. If I'm just blinded by the facts, I am unable to see the most important point. And to see the spirit of the story, is more important than to argue about all the relating, but eventually irrelevant "facts". This can be helpful to remember, when it's hard to find back to the path you chose - whatever the path or religion is that You are on.