Mythology vs Religion

[MagnusCrane]

Its interesting what Mental Disorder has to say. In ancient times, what is refered as angels, were once called Gods. So maybe that is what is to be understood in Mythology that if the Gods of Olympus are in fact angels than they can be called Gods, with the understanding that there is still one Supreme God, of whom which is the life sustainer.

[Fatass]

Mythology often seems to be religion that no-one believes in anymore. If there's any difference, it's that because no-one believes in it anymore it hasn't adapted to fit with modern ideas and science, so when the Vikings say the Earth is part of a massive tree and that waves are caused by a giant snake or something similar, we can safely say "no that's bollocks and you're wrong".

Although personally I don't think the real interesting thing is wondering if there might be truth in mythology - I think it's assuming it's all bollocks, and wondering where the beliefs might have come from and what they say about the way the think.

[MagnusCrane]

Hey all I am saying is that there is correlation between Greek Mythology and Religion of the Christian sect. I believe the Gods of Olympus may be real. The thing is they are not to be considered as the All Mighty Supreme God. They do not directly interfere with humans life and human condition, but merely affects human indirectly. I believe the some of the angels and the gods of Olympus are the same. The Titans are different. They are the nature of earth and celestial bodies. The reason in mythology t would appear that the Titans parented the Gods is because that was the way to explain how the celestial bodies and the angels are connected Some of the Titan are earth's nature and others are talking about different parts of the universe. Ultimately, they are the same.

[Raziel]

Of course there is a correlation. Christianity is famous from taking customs from the locals and integrating it into itself.  Why do you think god is pictured as a man in a robe and a beard like god.... zeus. The only people better than they are at this is coca-cola tm.

[MagnusCrane]

Well I think that there is a misunderstanding. I do not believe god to be a white bearded man in a robe and god-like. I was only saying that Zeus could be thought in the Christian world as the Archangel Michael. Or Hermes can be thought of as Archangel Gabriel. The God of Olympus are there to explain what is going on with human and the human condition, and how we precieve what going on in our life. As for The Almight God, I believe God is beyond all human perception, and is not subject to the same laws he created for human beings and life. Therefore to the point maybe God is not what people think he is. We maynot be able to visually perceive God. Spirit and Light is what part of what God is. And that is beyond all images.

[blow_fly]

That's actually a common precept in a lot of religions, even so-called polytheistic ones. Faiths like Hinduism explicitly acknowledge that given the impossibility of humans ever being able to visualise the true image of God, human understanding is forced to employ concrete images that serve as a reprsentation of divinity.

[MagnusCrane]

I agree. Most humans try to associate visual images with God. I am so glad I've past and beyond that point. I have not fixed any image that could associate with the Creator.

[confused_mystery]

wow amazing thought of greek mythology in comparison to the bible is entrigueing but all stories  of  different and all cultures are the same or very familiar if u think about it. because its all based on archetypes because thats what gets through the audience plus entertaining. and plus these stories were written to also explain reasons of why things happen within nature and man.
and plus i think that majority of the stories in the bible have been proven accurate. i don't remember the evidence but u can look it up

[MagnusCrane]

You say most of the Biblical stories are proven accurate. According to who, and when has these things been proven?

[confused_mystery]

hmm well don't remember exactly by who but i just remember that but in my opinion those (which i think are fictional)stories (except for those 'bout jesus) are meant to preach His word but in ways and stories that people in that time would understand XD.

[AEUBERTI]

Jung would explain the similarities between religions as evidence of the collective unconscious.  Our ancestors came from th same place so we share some unconscious memories.  There is evidence in the similarities that cultures who live in close proximity share similar religious stories.  Case in point, the stories of the life of J Christ parallel the older Hebrew stories of Joseph which parallel the even older stories of the ancient Egyptian god Hathor.  Likely chain of events; while the Hebrews lived in Northern Egypt the assimilated the stories of Hathor into their religion then when the Christian church was young they (christians) made the teachings of their very humanleader more attractive to the masses by borrowing from the older Hebrew lore.

The word[/i]myth[/i] means religious story.  Like most words the meaning gets diluted by use in a colloquial sense.  Now we hear myth and think untrue.  I now settle the difference in common usage as " A myth is someone else's unreasonable superstition.  My unreasonable superstition is religion"

p.s. Cool thread about belive vs know.  We know very little but choose what we want to believe. 

[confused_mystery]

ah true well idk i'm not really sure with religion because to me, if u get right down to it, its all the same, the messages, lessons, all of it to the bone are the same.

[rave phillaphia]

I was just reading a book about Jewish mythology for my research which explains this same question. Mythology tends to be seen as stories that people use to believe but don't today. Well that is where the belief and definition is wrong. Mythology is where people try to explain the unexplainable in accordance to religious beliefs. So in an academic perspective when discussing the story of Adam and Eve to pretty much any story even Moses we say it is mythology. To the religious person they would say it is fact. The fact is that mythology describes something that has no evidence in a story framework, which can be changed over time and tended to be orally transmitted over time. So it is not that there isn't mythology in other religions that are living today, it is that we misinterpret what mythology really is.

Myths and Legends are stories that have great meaning to the culture. Myths tend to deal with the supernatural and supreme beings while legends tend to deal with humans. We merge the study of myths and legends into mythology because it wouldn't make sense to have them in separate fields when most of the time they overlap.

[AEUBERTI]

You have a good definition of Myth there.  My response to anyone who gets upset with "Happy Holidays" vs "Merry Xmas" is that a celebration at that time of year crosses cultures and religions and is rooted much deeper than one religion.  If at this time of year you want to celebrate the birth of an avatar from your mythology go right ahead.

[MagnusCrane]

You have valid point ther that X-mas derives from a pagan holiday and the root of it is not in any way religiously related. Deck the hall of a pine tree and decorating it for the sake of worship is all pagan. The same goes for some of the other holidays like Easter, which comes from the Godess Ishtar which that God was the shape like a bunny rabbit and was known as the Godess of fertility. No coinsidence that rabbits likes to to hump and produce a lot. In the end, they are all pagan days of worship.