Horatio Parker

Popper says understanding is more important than definitions; without understanding a definition is a sterile thing.

ApostateAbe

It is significant for many reasons (the study of myths is interesting to many), but in this case it is significant if one wants to judge the plausibility of the proposition that everything Paul said about Jesus existed in a "world of myth" and not on Earth (according to Paul's explicit intended belief). If everyone else (or just the mystery cults) explicitly believed that their stories took place in a "world of myth" and not on Earth, then it is not as much of a stretch to propose that Jesus being "born of a woman, born under the law," was believed to take place in a "world of myth" and not on Earth. If we want to make any elementary sense of ancient myths at all, then it is important to distinguish plurality from singularity and diversity from uniformity. If you don't want to make sense of myths, like if you prefer to settle on the point that they are all just a lot of baloney, then of course you don't have to make any such distinctions.

Toto

In what way would referring to "a world of myths" versus "a world of myth" change the meaning of Paul's words? Are you trying to say that if there are many different myths, that Paul's words have to refer to earth?

I am genuinely confused about your point.

Iskander

In saying that Jesus was "born of a woman, born under the law,” the speaker is also saying at the same time that Jesus is a citizen of the world of myth.

Asserting that a man was born of a woman makes the speaker a trader in dreams and a citizen of the world of myth.

ApostateAbe

My disagreement is expressed in the plural form of the word, "world," not of the word, "myth," and it causes me to remember that I would rather not be troubled when you in particular jump into the middle of a debate without really following it. Sorry.

Horatio Parker

What does plurality establish that singularity doesn't?

It's very well to blow hot air about how important it is to understand myth, but you've given no reason to make any distinction.

As for the significance of myth, aren't you the one who said the only significant objective reality is that of the ancients? Can you demonstrate their views on the plurality vs singularity of mythical worlds?

ApostateAbe

If there is uniformity of what ancient people believed, then plausibility demands that Christians believed the same thing. If there is diversity and not uniformity of what ancient people believed, then you have no such argument based on plausibility, and arguments must focus exclusively on the ancient Christian writings. I have no case to make concerning what ancient pagans believed, especially not of ancient pagan mystery cults, knowledge which Earl Doherty claims to somehow establish. My claims concerning ancient Christianity are based almost exclusively on examinations of ancient Christian writings.

Toto

There were certain commonalities. First century citizens of the Roman Empire seemed to share some assumptions about the influence of the spirit world, divine intervention, etc., whether you think of it as a world of myths, worlds of myth, or some other variation.

If there are different myths, you are allowed to ignore the entire culture in which Christianity originated?

You still have the problem of interpreting those writings. It seems reasonable/plausible or however you want to label it, to read those writings in the context of the society in which they were written. When Paul refers to the "rulers of this age" you would interpret that as a Roman would, not as a 21st century American.

Clivedurdle

But we have a reference from the time that xianity was seen as an "oriental cult".

And kindly stop using the propaganda term "pagan". It is poisoning the well, setting up a very arguable opposition.

aa5874

Your statement is erroneous. You have re-written the Jesus story and claimed it was compiled by Guessing.

Please, review your own "Gospel of Abe"---"These are the best guesses about the historical lives of Jesus and the early Christians. Amen.

See http://www.freeratio.org/showthread.php?t=280864

It is filled with admitted Guesswork and events that are not found in any ancient Christian writings.

Why do you attempt to ridicule others when you have invented your own story of your Jesus which is based on Fiction, Imagination and Guessing??

Your own Jesus is a product of a World of Myth.