There is a myth so dear to most Christians that we have developed various versions of it to comfort ourselves with. It goes like this: Once upon a time the Church was perfect. Unfortunately in [A] [B] happened and things have never been the same since. For [A] substitute some date in the dim and distant past. If you don't know the date, a vague nod in the general direction of some past century or other will do. For [B] substitute the name of whatever it was that ruined things. A helpful list follows: * the fall of Jerusalem * the end of the New Testament era * the Apostle Paul * the suppression of the Gospel of Thomas * the Reformation * Vatican 2 * Sunday sports * Constantine * St. Augustine The last two are particularly popular as villains because they each mark significant turning points in the development of the Church, very few people are as knowledgeable about them as they give the impression of being, and it's not difficult to find incriminating proof texts