Getting back to ancient history:

I remember writing a paper for a class, about the NT canon, and I basically took Irenaeus at his word.

Now, many years later, I think I was wrong to do so.

Irenaeus’ own belief system forced him to counter the likes of Marcion. And Irenaeus would not have done so if Marcion was not having some influence. Or, and this is what scares the fundamentalists, what if Marcion was relaying (to his second century readers) more accurately the beliefs of the first century than church leaders after Irenaeus wanted to accept.

Scholars today (outside of fundamentalist circles) now see the formation of the NT as a squishy thing, and none of the 27 books in the NT canon are what they started out to be or are what they are claimed.

Back to me being naive: young people are often too eager to please their mentors/teachers.

Applying this to today’s American landscape: how many people are too eager to please their in-group, their party, their families, etc.?