How did Ancient Greek religion become "mythology?"

[ranma1/2]

Aye, atheists are people without religion or beliefs. As such when they die they will not be remembered for their beliefs because they have none. Instead, like the emptiness they believe to be their end after death, the historians will have nothing to write about them. Compare to the cavemen with their animism, Greeks and Romans for their beliefs, albeit paganism, the Persians for Ahura Mazda, Christians for Trinitarianism, Muslim for Islam and so on.

Wow sounds like you dont know that much about atheists. We deffinetly have beliefs. Just not one in a god or gods. As for end after death, nope all atheism deals with is god. Buddhists can be atheists and they normally believe in reincarnation. Historians will have as much to write about atheists as any other individual but I imagine there will be no atheists holly wars in recorded history.

 

[Pygoscelis]

It is important to note the difference between the words "myth" and "mythology". The latter term does not necesarily imply a falsehood. Any spiritual belief involving gods, stories about those gods, and the afterlife can be properly termed "mythology".

 

[Laith Al-Doory]

Greek ideas where quite simply adopted into Christianity. The doctrine of not judging others is in fact Hermetic in origin. The Gospel was after all written in Greek. And Christians, for their part, still practice idolatry.

 

[Pygoscelis]

True enough. There is little you will find in the bible that can not be traced to earlier religious belief systems. Noah, Moses, Jesus, it had all been told before with different names.

 

[Muslim Knight]

Wow sounds like you dont know that much about atheists. We deffinetly have beliefs. Just not one in a god or gods. As for end after death, nope all atheism deals with is god. Buddhists can be atheists and they normally believe in reincarnation. Historians will have as much to write about atheists as any other individual but I imagine there will be no atheists holly wars in recorded history.

Yep. I don't know much about atheism because it's not organized set of beliefs as in religion. All the historians could write is, "Atheism: No God" that is all.

No holy wars? What war can be holy when the people perpetrating it, are essentially amoral and godless? Can you deem Iraq war as holy? Do we hear Christian Crusaders of America on the news line?

 

[Philosopher]

True enough. There is little you will find in the bible that can not be traced to earlier religious belief systems. Noah, Moses, Jesus, it had all been told before with different names.

Evidence? Okay....I agree with the Jesus part (Trinity), but Noah and Moses are unrelated to Sumerian pagan myths.

 

[Pygoscelis]

Evidence? Okay....I agree with the Jesus part (Trinity), but Noah and Moses are unrelated to Sumerian pagan myths.

Noah type stories are all over the place in ancient mythology. Look up Gilgamesh for starters. For moses look up meses and nebo (sp?) (egyptian and their precursors). For Jesus, you can start with your sumerian myths, then look to Osiris then take a look at norse mythology (I don't recall the norse god but there was one similar to the Jesus story).

A lot of christian mythology stems from ancient astrology. If you ever get a chance to check out an ancient christian church look for the zodiac. Its usually very prominent.

 

[Keltoi]

Noah type stories are all over the place in ancient mythology. Look up Gilgamesh for starters. For moses look up meses and nebo (sp?) (egyptian and their precursors). For Jesus, you can start with your sumerian myths, then look to Osiris then take a look at norse mythology (I don't recall the norse god but there was one similar to the Jesus story).

A lot of christian mythology stems from ancient astrology. If you ever get a chance to check out an ancient christian church look for the zodiac. Its usually very prominent.

A Norse god was similar to the "Jesus story" huh? What are you suggesting? That Jesus Christ and his disciples knew about the Norse gods from the great cold north and thought.."cool!, I want to be like those guys"?

 

[Muezzin]

Biblical (I use the word loosely to cover all Abrahamic faiths) stories have cropped up in ancient mythology in some form. The guy with a strange birth, who is shunned and subjected to trials, and later turns out to be a great boon. It's a basic storytelling framework, present in everything from 'The Ugly Duckling' to 'Star Wars'. In 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces', Joseph Cambell suggests this is the product of a Jungian mass unconscious, but it does not necessarily imply that messages and stories in holy texts are fantasy.

Gilgamesh is a cool story by the way.

 

[Woodrow]

I do notice that the words Myth and mythology are being misused.

Myth's are former beliefs that ceased to be beliefs because of lack of proof.


Mythology is the study of myths.

ie: Bi-ology the study of 2 specificaly in reference to flora and fauna (2 lives)

Ge-ology study of geo (The earth)

psych-ology- study of the psyche

myth-ology- study of myths

The interesting thing about myths is it seems that all are based upon some observable event and the myth developed to explain the event.

Some are readily understood. Lightening was observed. People did not know what it was, so suggestions were made. The more plausable explanations lasted and became elaborated. Lightening must be fire, the fire is moving, somebody must be throwing it, so you have now described Thor, Zeus, Jupiter etc.

This is what is most fascinating thing about the Abrahamic beliefs. the belief of the one Monotheistic God(swt) does not appear to come from a need to explain anything. Allah(swt) revealed himself to mankind. It was through what he revealed that we later saw that it explained events.

(I can't explain exactly what I mean. But, Allah(swt) was revealed before we sought explanations)

 

[YEh]

I do notice that the words Myth and mythology are being misused.

Myth's are former beliefs that ceased to be beliefs because of lack of proof.


Mythology is the study of myths.

ie: Bi-ology the study of 2 specificaly in reference to flora and fauna (2 lives)

Ge-ology study of geo (The earth)

psych-ology- study of the psyche

myth-ology- study of myths

The interesting thing about myths is it seems that all are based upon some observable event and the myth developed to explain the event.

Some are readily understood. Lightening was observed. People did not know what it was, so suggestions were made. The more plausable explanations lasted and became elaborated. Lightening must be fire, the fire is moving, somebody must be throwing it, so you have now described Thor, Zeus, Jupiter etc.

This is what is most fascinating thing about the Abrahamic beliefs. the belief of the one Monotheistic God(swt) does not appear to come from a need to explain anything. Allah(swt) revealed himself to mankind. It was through what he revealed that we later saw that it explained events.

(I can't explain exactly what I mean. But, Allah(swt) was revealed before we sought explanations)

Don't think that's quite true with regard to Abrahamic beliefs. It does explain a version of where we came from, why we are here. The authors obviously wanted to organise a structure to the religion.
It's even more of a blanket statement like thunder, storm, rain, babies, etc.
God did it.
But Christianity is a little different since it confirms the Jewish scripture and where the use of religion in mythology was to get people to do stuff for the God's/God like Islam, Judaism, Norse, Rhomanemi, Roman, Egyptian, etc...

Jesus and Paul stated that men don't honestly know how to worship God. They don't know what to pray, how to behave according to his statutes, etc.. There are only two commands Jesus asks of us 1. "Worship the Lord your God, with all your heart, mind and spirit". 2. "And love your neighbor as yourself."
The Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf of the person and Christians just try to improve, but don't claim to know anything accept that Jesus was the Son Of God as stated in the Jewish scriptures and that the Holy Spirit was also foretold in the Jewish scriptures as being the one who confirms the prophecy "I will pour out my spirit upon the nations". "And I will make a new covenant with people who are not a people (Gentiles)".

So Christianity seems very different compared to other religions it says. It's not what you can do for me, it's what I can do for you.

 

[Laith Al-Doory]

With the persicution of the Gnostics, Christianity also lacks any metaphysical content. It could be argued that Christianity is not a religion at all, but like Marxism or Fascism, it is an ideology.

In many respects the Christian version of Jesus (as opposed to the Islamic) fulfills the role of the Christian Antichrist. He comes in his own name (Jesus) rather than in the name of the Isralite God (Yahovah). All the idols are pulled down, except his own. Likewise, the Vatican is regarded by Protestant Christians as the '***** of Babylon'.

 

[Pygoscelis]

Yep. I don't know much about atheism because it's not organized set of beliefs as in religion. All the historians could write is, "Atheism: No God" that is all.

This is correct.

Atheists will not be remembered beyond that, for being atheists.

They will however be remembered for the ideologies that they DO hold, be they humanist, buddhist, or what have you.

 

[YEh]

With the persicution of the Gnostics, Christianity also lacks any metaphysical content. It could be argued that Christianity is not a religion at all, but like Marxism or Fascism, it is an ideology.

In many respects the Christian version of Jesus (as opposed to the Islamic) fulfills the role of the Christian Antichrist. He comes in his own name (Jesus) rather than in the name of the Isralite God (Yahovah). All the idols are pulled down, except his own. Likewise, the Vatican is regarded by Protestant Christians as the '***** of Babylon'.

No I don't think so at all. Jesus fulfilled the law and the OT rituals and prophecies. Anybody who denies the anointed one is an anti-christ.
Hence the word anti.
How could Christ be anti-christ. He knew the OT like the back of his hand. He talked with the learnt scholars of Judaism when he was 12.
He knew men's hearts, he confirmed the law and obeyed it to death.

He was not an anti-christ. How absurd and dishonest :?

YEh

 

[YEh]

With the persicution of the Gnostics, Christianity also lacks any metaphysical content. It could be argued that Christianity is not a religion at all, but like Marxism or Fascism, it is an ideology.

Metaphysical ? Christianty and Judaism has the most metapysical content.

Have you ever read one of the gospels especially the gospel of John.
Who is the door ? Who are the wheat and the chaff ? Who is the lamb ?

Christianity is almost fully spiritual. No do this do that. Black and white laws.
Which is typical of religions of the world.
Jesus didn't even call himself God. He just left it to you to work out.
But when asked he did not deny it. Like he denied being good. :?

YEh

 

[Laith Al-Doory]

Judaism has the Kabbalah. There is no equivilent in Christianity. In Christianity, an antichrist is one who sets himself up as a god. 'You shall be gods' said the serpent to Eve. Muslims and Jews regard the elevation of Jesus into godhood as idolatry, hence the Christian Christ becomes an Antichrist, as opposed to the Jesus of the Qur'an, which describes Jesus as the purest of the prophets and the closest to God.

 

[YEh]

Judaism has the Kabbalah. There is no equivilent in Christianity. In Christianity, an antichrist is one who sets himself up as a god. 'You shall be gods' said the serpent to Eve. Muslims and Jews regard the elevation of Jesus into godhood as idolatry, hence the Christian Christ becomes an Antichrist, as opposed to the Jesus of the Qur'an, which describes Jesus as the purest of the prophets and the closest to God.

Actually an anti-christ is someone who denies Christ as their Lord and saviour according to Christianity. A non-Christian is an anti-Christ.

And I think, correct me if I'm wrong, that Abraham is in the first heaven and Jesus is in the third heaven.
Don't know how that works since, does't Islam also say that the prophets didn't sin ?

So doesn't that mean that all prophets should have been judged the same i.e. all should be in the same heaven ? :?

YEh