New Vs the Old: Which is Better?

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the story of Jesus should be very honored indeed. With the many spin offs and adaptations that have sprung from it, you might think that someone might come up with a story that is better than the original. I think the story that is better than the original has yet to be made, if it ever will be made at all.

I happen to think that any original tale is better than almost any adaptation or knock-off could ever be. There is something about reading the original story that an copy can never achieve. If a person were to pick up a new book that they know to be a retelling of their favorite book and start reading it, sooner or later they realize that the original did all of the things the copy did. the copy has nothing new to offer, save for maybe a different title and characters. The new story really doesn't do anything new or exiting. The basic premise and the story itself may be very good, but that doesn't stop me from thinking that I have seen this before, therefore detracting from my experience.



The story of Jesus and his life and crucifixion has been remade and remade so many times. For example, influences of the story of Jesus can be found in The Star Wars Saga. A young man finds out that he has the ability to use the Force, and ultimately he is is responsible for saving the galaxy from ultimate evil. Another remake of Jesus story is The Matrix. A man finds out that he is the savior of humanity. He eventually dies, but he rises from death, gaining powers. He ultimately dies once more,saving the human race.

While the original tale is much better than any copy that spawns from it, that doesn't mean that the copies themselves are inherently bad stories. A good example is the Chronicles of Narnia's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In fact, C.S. Lewis took the story of Jesus and made it a fantasy that is still held in high regard to this day. As one of my favorite books, I enjoy reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, however, it will never be the original story of Jesus.

If any copy of a good story can achieve anything new, it is telling the original from a new point of view. This almost makes the story a new one, adding new revelations to a good plot and possibly giving new information that readers of the original tale did not posses.

While copies of good stories may themselves be good, they are not the original. They lack the thrill that reading the original the first time had.