JGL53

Generally not - but the wool is sometimes pulled over my eyes, I'm sure.

However, in your case, not so much, I'm thinking.

It matters not so much to me whether you are just being purposely obtuse or just disingenuous in your attempt at making some big deal about the christian bible CONTAINING myth rather than BEING myth. Pedantic much?

The point is, as I see it, is that the bible is BASED IN myth and it is an abuse of myth when it is all taken as literal historical fact, which is what religion does - religion in the bad sense of the word.

But I'm sure you disagree as you seem quite disagreeable.

Chris Weimer

The OP said that we should publish the Bible with the title being instead "Judeo-Christian Mythology", because "that'll put Christians in their place".

Religion does not do anything. It cannot think, it cannot act. So it doesn't take myth as "literal historical fact". And what does that have to do with the ridiculousness and inaccuracy of the OP and subsequent discussion?

Yes, I disagree with garbage.

JGL53

Thanks for going out of your way to prove my points about your disingenuousness and pedantic proclivities. Will it make it all better if I substitute the words "religious people" for the word "religion"? There - all better now? Have I soothed your savage inner beast that demands linguistic perfection?

Pretty much everything.

Let me answer this using your favorite tact: One can like garbage, sir, or one can dislike garbage, and one can fall in garbage, or one can spew “garbage” (metaphorically speaking), etc. but one cannot "disagree" with garbage. Garbage has no opinions to disagree or agree with, as garbage is an inanimate object.

(See how irritating pedantries can be?)

Chris Weimer

Now, because then you're clumping all religious people with a certain fundamentalist type. What do Daoists have in common with fundy Baptists? Not much.

Missing were the words "people who spout" between with and garbage. Common rhetorical device of English - leaving out unnecessary words.

Your move.

JGL53

I spell it “Taoists”, but whatever. If there are fundamentalist Taoists, then they have a religion that has a certain nasty trait in common with other fundy religions.


“Common rhetorical device of English - leaving out unnecessary words.”

You understand this, but groking the rhetorical device of using “religion” as shorthand for “religious people” is beyond your cognitive abilities?

OK. But back to the OP - tell us more about your personal theories concerning myth and religion – simply fascinating stuff, that. E.g., the Noah’s Ark story – not a myth? Then WTF was it – exactly – and why should anyone care what description is used? The point is that there is no good reason to take it as historical fact. Ditto Jesus’ virgin birth, walking on water, multiplying fishes and loaves, lastly raising from the dead after three days and rising up to heaven, promising to return “soon”, etc.

figuer

Noah and the flood = Myth
The Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man = Myth

That all are fabulous doesn't make them "fables". Aesop's fable are very different from the stories in the bible. Although there is no reason why the concept myth and fable can not overlap in certain stories.

The prophets were interpreting historical occurrences through the prism of the supernatural, thus their writings fall under the sphere of the mythological.

Chris Weimer

LOL. So when a Holocaust survivor claimed that God helped him through, the whole story became a myth! Jeez, man, you have some weird definitions for myth.

figuer

My OP is not ridiculous nor inaccurate. The Bible as a whole represents a world view wholly dependent on the supernatural in all its levels (cosmological, historical, psychological etc.) It is therefore Judeo-Christian Mythology. To deny this is to deny the definition of myth and mythology, of secularist thinking, of comparative religion etc. Considering that you claim being atheistic (If I remember correctly), I fail to understand the motive for your position, unless it be the result of intellectual exhaustion.

Chris Weimer

It wasn't clear from your post that you were using synechdoce. Moreover, not all religious people did what you accused them of, so you still fail.

Did I say it wasn't a myth?

That doesn't make it a myth.

What's your point?

Chris Weimer

I'm just sick and tired of people taking cheap shots at religion.