Bede

Another myth, I'm afraid. But we all need our myths, even atheists.

Yours

Bede

Bede's Library 0 faith and reason

copernicus

Actually, Bede, theist myths are supported by more compelling evidence than atheist myths. Galileo affirmed the Pope's myth when presented with the compelling evidence of the torture chamber. Galileo discovered that he didn't need his myth as badly as the Pope needed his.

[ November 06, 2001: Message edited by: copernicus ]

hezekiah jones

I can't imagine that any atheist would testify to the veracity of Galileo's remarks without some substantive corroborative evidence. It would seem his alleged remarks are quite peripheral to the issue however, and that is that the prevailing religious establishment was apparently quite threatened by the implications of his observations. In fact, many are still threatened. But we all need our myths, even christians' myths about how and what atheists think.

Storm and Stress

Storm and Stress: Bravo! Very possibly the best three sentence explanation I have read in quite a while.

Amos

Hey thanks Brigid. Did you read my last post on the "the strangest verses of the Gospels"? I do that on purpose to cork (stopple) the protestants here and I just love it.

Myths are real but not in the tangible sense you might be thinking of. Myths are word stories that describe non-physical events that are real and use conventional words to describe them and this only because there are no non-conventional words to chose from -- apart from glossolalia and nobody can understand that! Get the picture?

Men are Gods (capital G), and humans are gods (small g) until myth transforms the g spot into the G spot (sic). The reason for this is that after this transformation the blood rushes into the other direction, hence from god to God.

I do not know the Medusa Myth but the snake image is very suitable to describe the low nature of humanity. Yet, also in heaven the snake is crowned but only as second to God and it is from this juxtaposition that the controversy arises.

Amos

brighid

Amos,

Thank you for your explanation. I understand the reason for the creation of myths and I particularly enjoy reading those myths and thinking of the possible hidden implications. However, I think too many people believe them to be actual events or beings. I enjoy legend and myth very much but I am not going to go around condemning people to hell for an eternity because they believe in the wrong myth - as too many religions do! Fiction is a useful tool of expression - but it's just that -FICTION!

Brighid

Oolon Colluphid

Perhaps some, but most are plain old fashioned rubbish. The higher truth in Zeus castrating Kronos was, what? A depiction of the group Oedipus complex of Greek society?!
And Noah's ark?

Nah, myths are what you get if you don't test your ideas against reality. And so their truth is hit-or-myth.

TTFN, Oolon

emotional

Myths are a map to a higher truth? "If only you knew the POWER of the DARK SIDE..."

Amos

That is a good position to take Brigid because then you can enjoy them to the extend that you can relate to them and in that sense are myths very much like art. Better, perhaps, because they are more descriptive . . . which can also make them more deceptive and this is where many go wrong. Icons are myths and are better because they do not have this dangerous side.

Amos

brighid

I would agree that myths are a form of art and can be more descriptive than a painting on the wall – depending on ones perspective. They are deep expressions of human thought, as are all art forms. It’s really unfortunate that most people can’t accept this when it comes to their own traditions. There are so many works of fiction that I love and for me they are a momentary escape from the reality of this world. They stir the imagination and I love the fantastical adventures. I even imagine myself as the heroine of some of these extravagant tales. Myths are useful, but when they are allowed to move from the imaginary into the actuality, into a realm where people put “faith” in the existence of these artificial caricatures and become “gods” of real proportion – it is dangerous indeed. It is even more dangerous to delude oneself into believing that ones “god” of preference is the only possible choice and thereby condemning the world based on a hallucination or a fictional story. These myths may facilitate some thought processes or even help people understand their nature better, but that is all they should be. The cult worship of various imaginary deities is, to me, absurd!