metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Well, it's "made up" in the sense that the symbols take on new meanings. A tree has been used symbolically within numerous religions, so does that make trees intrinsically evil, thus not to be used in any new way in a religious context? The same is true with water, and Jesus did much the same with bread & wine.Just saying that many things about the church were taken from previous or concurrent religion, then say they made it up to begin with. A little humility is in order.
IOW, I don't go along with a "guilt by association" scenario.