When does religion become mythology?

[James]

I was thinking today (as opposed to the days where I just gaze blankly at my closet doors and sing "la lala lala la-la la" over and over).

There was a time that beliefs were based on Gods like Odin or Zeus, and histories like our universe molded out of a giant's body. But why is it, and when is it, that these beliefs become passed off as mythology? And when do you think that our religions today will become mythology as well?

On a side note: The story of Hercules, and the story of Jesus have many similarities in structure. Just a thought, pertaining to the whole mythology thing. To think that a religious figure could be based on a being who is part of nothing more than old fairy tales.

[mburbank]

Religion is always Myth or more acurately, as long as it's practiced it's religion and once it's not it's myth.

As opposed to Christianity which is neither since it is LITERALY TRUE DOWN TO THE LAST WORD AND PHRASE!

[James]

That's not what I meant. What I mean is, what exactly ends up causing an entire society to "get bored" of the religion they followed so... religiously, in favor of some new stories, and put the old beliefs in the category of "Oh, those were just foolish fairy tales, known as Mythology."

[Bennett]

I think you just need to look at history for a lot of it...
Wars were fought over religion, or lands were taken over and people were assimilated into another religion. Look at how many blacks and native americans are chrisitian now.
Also people grew to be more liberated and didn't want religion to be so constraining.
The advancement of technology and science has had effects on religion too.

[mburbank]

I think in most cases you have conquerers bringing their religions with them and forcing them on the conquered. You also find calss oriented religions sweeping up opressed people and of course, completely voluntary conversions.

Attrition is what makes old religions die.

OR BEING CONFRONTED BY THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH OF NALDOANITY!

[Bennett]

yes, I almost forgot, The Lord told us not to worship false idols, and that is when all other religions became mythology.

And now I am moving to Caanan.

[kellychaos]

I saw a rabbi on the Discovery channel who claimed that many aspects of the Christian and Jewish texts contain parables that stem from a conglomerate of pagan religions/traditions in the surrounding regions - just sanitized and restructured to fit the new religions. Also, during the conversion of Rome, many Christian holidays just happen to be celebrated on pre-existing mythological holidays which made it easier for conversion purposes. Easter, for instance, was a fertility festival which centered around the fertility god Esther and which used rabbits and eggs in the ceremony as signs of fertility. I would find a link but I'm too lazy right now. :)

[CaptainBubba]

You forgot the all important Winter solstice. :)

[kellychaos]

I think I remember reading that "All Hollow's Eve" (Halloween) was originally a druid holiday ... just happens to precede "All Saints Day". I have to start looking some of this up before I start messing my facts up ... LOL ... they probably already are. :)

[Protoclown]

I liked that part in the Bible where Jesus diverted the flow of that river to clean out those stables. HE WAS THE TOUGHEST JEW AROUND. :)

[El Blanco]

Easter coincides with Passover, when the Jews sacraficed lambs. Jesus made himself the sacrafice.

Christmas, however, is celebrated on December 25 because of all the partying that happens around then. Yes, that means the solstice.

[mburbank]

Know what though? Kevin? Apparently? Hates the Jews.

[Anonymous]

The jews crucified lambs?

No wonder everyone wants them dead. :tear

[mburbank]

Well, you don't HAVE to get your lambs blood for the door by crucifying the li'l darlings, but it sure is the NUTS!

[James]

You'd just think there'd be someone out there who'd exclaim "Oh, Mercury! I dropped my groceries." :(

[Jeanette X]

Whats interesting is that the neo-Pagans are reviving the ancient beliefs in the gods.

I have heard of Hindu gods and goddesses referred to as "mythology", but maybe it is just western bias.

[Skulhedface]

What I mean is, what exactly ends up causing an entire society to "get bored" of the religion they followed so... religiously, in favor of some new stories, and put the old beliefs in the category of "Oh, those were just foolish fairy tales, known as Mythology."


My thoughts are, because they were forced to (it's hard not to be Christian when you get your ass handed to you in pieces if you're not)

[The_Rorschach]

http://www.stanford.edu/group/vpue/ihum/benjamin/Images%20JPG/vengeance.jpg

[Anonymous]

Messiah came out years ago :(

[The_Rorschach]

Did it? I'm looking for images for a paper, I came across that one and got a laugh.

What is it for? A band?

[AChimp]

Sometimes the conquerors adopted the religion of the area that they took over. A good example of this are the Vikings, but that's probably because they were up to the necks in crosses and shit that they stole from coastal monasteries. ;)

Most of the Old Testament was ripped off from what IS considered mythology; namely the Epic of Gilgamesh.

So what does that make the Bible? :blah

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Most of the Old Testament was ripped off from what IS considered mythology; namely the Epic of Gilgamesh.

So what does that make the Bible? :blah

You make the OT sound like a single novel written by John Clancy.

The OT is a selection of rabbinic texts that were chosen out of many. Others never made the "cut," such as the Apocrypha.

[Anonymous]

Messiah was a game where you played a cherub that could possess people, and then you'd control that person and maneuver them around the level while people tried to kill you for no reason. Some people could get through certain situations others couldn't, so you'd have to possess them then.

It was kinda gay.

[kellychaos]

Anyone ever read the (greek) mythological creation stories. Lots of similarities there too ... evil comes from the earth ... good guys in the heavens ... well, higher up on Mt Olympus anyway ... Coincidence?

[Skulhedface]

I'm very well aware of it :lol

Before I dropped out of college and went to EMT school (which I'm still waiting for a job for) I was going to major in Greek Mythology :P

[FS]

Anyone ever read the (greek) mythological creation stories. Lots of similarities there too ... evil comes from the earth ... good guys in the heavens ... well, higher up on Mt Olympus anyway ... Coincidence?

Well, that's in virtually all forms of faith and mythology. The sky couldn't be reached by man, the sun was worshipped, the moon and stars... That easily turns into a form of heaven. The earth is dirty, dark at night, in some parts of the world scathing hot red stuff comes out of it... nothing pleasant could come out of THAT. :(

[Skulhedface]

Unless you're an archaeologist, 2,000 years or so later

[kellychaos]

Well, that's in virtually all forms of faith and mythology. The sky couldn't be reached by man, the sun was worshipped, the moon and stars... That easily turns into a form of heaven. The earth is dirty, dark at night, in some parts of the world scathing hot red stuff comes out of it... nothing pleasant could come out of THAT. :(

Interesting also that the need to study the heavens (i.e. astronomy) to better understand their gods resulted in the advancement of some fairly profound and amazingly accurate (considering the time period) mathematical theory and axioms. This seems to span across several cultures. Reference the earth consisting of dark, dirty things: Is it a coincidence that evil is personified as a "snake" in the "Garden of Eden"?