Intelligenceresigned

I was just wondering if anyone has ever thought of writing a story that parallels the Bible. I have had this idea for quite some time now. It would be a great big unfalsifiable story about why the universe exists and why humans are here and how we are so special. The story would have to have historically accurate evidence in it. It could go through a similar format, copying each book of the bible. Many people would have to colaborate on the project though, because again the bible is written by many "authors". So I thought that this would be a good place to throw the idea out. Of course, the point of such a book would be to show how the bible can "appear" to be accurate, but it is in fact mythology. There could even be a side project for something like an apologists handbook for such a story.

Now, I have heard of stories that this actually has been done before (i.e. Scientology) but the big difference would be that everyone would know that this book was just fiction and it's purpose was solely to show how the bible really could be just fiction. Let me know if this idea is stupid, already been done, or if it actually might be worth trying.

Clouseau

To make this project authentic, you will need to liaise and agree a story with people up to 1000 years into the future.

Dlx2

See: Tolkien, Le Guin, Lovecraft.

Intelligenceresigned

Or, if the IIDB is still in existence, just make sure that the info is passed along! Divine prophecy at your fingertips!

Seriously though, if the bible was successful, then why wouldn't a book like this be? Can it be done?

Intelligenceresigned

Admittedly, I am not familiar with these, except Tolkien. Was their expressed intent to prove that the bible could be mythological?

Dlx2

Tolkien was, in many ways, trying to produce a christian mythology based in the mythology of the Anglo-Saxons, and drew strongly on existing myth, producing something that was both a work of fiction as well as something else.

Le Guin was specifically investigating myth structure.

Lovecraft was specifically trying to produce a myth cycle that would address the concerns of the modern world.

They weren't trying to prove that the bible could be fiction. Tolkien was a devout Catholic, but was trying to understand Catholicism in the context of a profound love for pagan mythology. Lovecraft and Le Guin both take the fictionality of the Bible for granted.

There are many reasons to produce mythology, but it hardly seems worthwhile to produce it simply to prove that a well-known myth cycle could easily be fiction. Myths exist to communicate specific things to people. Unless you have a point beyond "oh, the bible is a bunch of lies," your myths will fall on their face.

Intelligenceresigned

I see your point. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of just using it as an exercise in unfalsifiability. For instance, when a Christian says that "the Bible must be true because it has historical evidence in it, many people are reported as seeing the same things, and all the writers wrote in different times and places", someone could hand them this book and say, "Yes, but this book shows that there is at least one other possibility other than Divine inspiration". But again, I also see what you are saying. I just thought that it would be interesting.

Dlx2

Well, as far as collective myth accounts, Lovecraft might be your best bet. Lovecraft had a more or less cohesive vision, but subsequent to his death, a lot of people took his mythos and ran with it. There's a lot of historical fiction with Cthulhu mythos bits tossed in. There's a lot of sci-fi, fantasy, and otherwise normal fiction out there with Lovecraft tossed in. So perhaps that would be the best example.

The problem I'm seeing with your proposition, though, is that it's just a "see, we can do it too" approach with little understanding of actual mythological significance. A lot of authors have, however, approached the concept of modern myth constructions. Tolkien, Lovecraft, and Le Guin are obvious examples, but then, so is Gardner's Grendel, Goethe's Faust, Milton's Paradise Lost, and a number of others. Additionally, you might want to consider the various works of Neil Gaiman, especially Neverwhere, American Gods, Stardust, and, of course, the comic book series Sandman.

While you're at it, it might be worth taking a look at the comic book genre in general. The various accounts of Batman, the X-Men, or Superman might suffice as a mirror to the Bible.

Student of Sophia

It would be tough to do without a very deep understanding of comparative mythology, IMO. I recommend the works of Joseph Campbell, to start with.

Most of his The Power of Myth series is on Guba video. Might be a good place to start.

http://www.guba.com/general/search?q...&set=5&x=0&y=0

-Jay-

I'm almost ashamed to say that I failed to see the Christian influence in Tolkien until I saw the recent cycle of films.

I think Lovecraft was also trying to illustrate that we (humans) aren't as in control of the world as we sometimes like to think we are.

To the OP -
Consider the Star Wars films/books/toys/games/costumes and whatever other merchandise comes to mind. In a lot of ways, you've already got what you were suggesting. The obstacle, as has been pointed out, is time.

regards,

NinJay