The Prodigal Son
This is a ridiculous parable if there ever was one. A wealthy man with a very large estate has two sons who work for him keeping the place up. We don't really know the exact nature of the work, but it is strenuous. The younger son has had enough. He wants his inheritance right now! He does not want to keep working on this estate and have to wait for his dad to die in order for him to cash in. He wants to go enjoy life! So, he tells his father he wants his money and the father gives him his big fat inheritance.
The older son stays and continues to work and be the obedient son. The younger son goes off and has a ball, pays for he and his friends to have a fantastic time with food and drink and hookers! Has the time of his life! But, oh no, he ended up spending all his inheritance! Man oh man, did that go quick! But he finds himself flat broke and has to go back home and face his father. He is embarrassed and ashamed. The father welcomes him back with open arms. He even kills a fatted calf for a big celebration of his return. The older son is like, "What the hell, man?! I've been working here the whole time, and you wouldn't even let me kill a goat that I could roast and share with my friends. And you're killing a fatted calf for my brother?"
And the father basically says, "Oh, come on! All is forgiven. Your brother is back and it's time to party!"
Did the father give the older son a big batch of money so HE could go off and have a grand old time of his own? No, he got a big batch of nothing. What is the lesson? They try to make it about forgiveness, but I'm not buying it. The lesson seems to be more about, if you stay true blue and do what's right, you are a sucker.
"The Prodigal Son" is the archetype USP for the new religion "Christianity"
Confession is the only way to cleanse your sufficiently filthy soul, so you MUST have something to confess!
You can be as bad, wasteful, selfish and dirty as you like; So long as at the last minute you come crawling back to sky daddy tail between your legs and ask for forgiveness, you are welcome in to Christ's heaven.
Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin interpreted this parable as it being a desire of the Christian God for BIG SINS!
YHWH does not want to be bothered with penitents confessing and asking forgiveness for piddling little sins, he wants crawling begging sinners pleading for forgiveness for blasphemy, rape, roistering, rioting, murder, torture and wanton cruelty.
All manner of debauchery delights the god of the NT.
For is there not more joy in heaven for one repentant sinner than for any number of pious people?
The father, if I remember correctly, does say that the stay at home son has enjoyed all the benefits of life at home, for many years. But in truth you are very correct, it is a very silly story.
The point of course is that it is simply a recruitment ad for the church, and like all adverts its main con is, that it says you will get everything you want, a happy life, nice home, good friends etc. if you only buy the product. No company ever sold their soap or cars, by presenting them as being used by unhappy, lonely people in a dirty poor home. Quite the contrary, everyone in the world of adverts is impossibly happy , loved and prosperous, and the word "impossibly" is the important one. Because if it was possible to be that happy, then there would be no need to keep buying the product in hopes of improvement.
And since religion has no material and testable end product, it is pure advertising with nothing to deliver, and no production costs, and since it is infinitely variable, if the customer is not happy, then they are obviously using it wrong and must try harder. While the main part of the product is due for delivery, only after you are dead, so no complaints or returns. Religion is advertising made pure.