Why people call Pagan beliefs "myths" but not the Bible?

[Rainbow Mage]

I mean is there something about the stories within the Bible, such as the flood, that makes them not myths? Especially from a Pagan perspective that myths are stories that the ancients wrote about our gods that contain non-literal spiritual truths. How doesn't the Bible fall under this? I doubt Jews take many of the stories literally.

By the Pagan definition how isn't the stories in the Bible also myths?

 

[outhouse]

I call the bible and koran myths, much of the content was used from previous pagan religions.

they cant prove otherwise now can they???

 

[ejay286]

They are called myths, its just that we live in a majority Christian country so people who subscribe to them aren't going to refer to them as myths.

 

[Caladan]

I mean is there something about the stories within the Bible, such as the flood, that makes them not myths? Especially from a Pagan perspective that myths are stories that the ancients wrote about our gods that contain non-literal spiritual truths. How doesn't the Bible fall under this? I doubt Jews take many of the stories literally.

By the Pagan definition how isn't the stories in the Bible also myths?

Because there are hardly any genuine pagans left in the world today. what we have left are what archaeologists and other men and women of profession preserve of these wonderful civilizations, including their myths, story telling and what has been left of their religion.
However, just like when the Hebrew Bible speaks and documents real historical events and periods, such as in the Book of Jeremiah and other notable Hebrew books, cultures such as the Egyptians have left us monuments and texts which tell the story of the Egyptians and their relations with the people of the Near East. from their battles with the Hittites, to their introduction to the Israelites in battle against a Near Eastern coalition, to other significant events in the periods of the Near East, or as it is called today, the Mid east.

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

I agree that the Bible has many mythological elements. Where it differs from Paganism, is I think, the functions of these stories. The Bible is, I believe, a kind of theological interpretation of the real history of a people and is not intended nor was ever really interpreted to tell a set of timeless stories. Its a record of the development in consciousness of a particular nation about their relationship with their deity. In this sense, it is quite linearly oriented in a way that pagan mythology is not. God has done great deeds, God has punished us, God will ultimately save us. So, I think there is a historical core, even if one wants to offer a completely natural explanation. There was a People of Israel, quite possibly some form of an Exodus event, there was a Temple, it was destroyed, there was a Babylonian Exile, there were real prophets who felt their charism came from God, there was the conquering of the Greeks, ect.

 

[Hawkins]

I mean is there something about the stories within the Bible, such as the flood, that makes them not myths? Especially from a Pagan perspective that myths are stories that the ancients wrote about our gods that contain non-literal spiritual truths. How doesn't the Bible fall under this? I doubt Jews take many of the stories literally.

By the Pagan definition how isn't the stories in the Bible also myths?

Because only the Bible declares that what are said are witnessed. And Christians believe that the scripture figures and writers are trust-worthy witnesses.

Others didn't even say that the story is witnessed nor will they put any emphasis on witnessing. The Bible however says that doing false witnessing is a dead sin.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I agree that the Bible has many mythological elements. Where it differs from Paganism, is I think, the functions of these stories. The Bible is, I believe, a kind of theological interpretation of the real history of a people and is not intended nor was ever really interpreted to tell a set of timeless stories. Its a record of the development in consciousness of a particular nation about their relationship with their deity. In this sense, it is quite linearly oriented in a way that pagan mythology is not. God has done great deeds, God has punished us, God will ultimately save us. So, I think there is a historical core, even if one wants to offer a completely natural explanation. There was a People of Israel, quite possibly some form of an Exodus event, there was a Temple, it was destroyed, there was a Babylonian Exile, there were real prophets who felt their charism came from God, there was the conquering of the Greeks, ect.

Now Jordan, some of the Pagan myths also contain history, so the Bible isn't unique in that regard. The Illiad contains an account of the Trojan War endued with mythological elements just as some of the Bible's history.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Because only the Bible declares that what are said are witnessed. And Christians believe that the scripture figures and writers are trust-worthy witnesses.

Others didn't even say that the story is witnessed nor will they put any emphasis on witnessing. The Bible however says that doing false witnessing is a dead sin.

Yeah but prove that these things were actually witnessesed and that the more mythological elements of the Bible like the flood or Tower of Babel actually happened. You have no more evidence these were literal events then Pagan myths.

 

[Hawkins]

Yeah but prove that these things were actually witnessesed and that the more mythological elements of the Bible like the flood or Tower of Babel actually happened. You have no more evidence these were literal events then Pagan myths.

If everything is well proven, what faith do you need. If you have all the proof but no faith, how can you be saved? Other myth don't have such a constrain/reason to refuse a proof.

Moreover, in reality unproven things more common than proven things for humans to live with.

People (you) have strong faith on calling their parents father and mother. Only when they lose faith they go for a DNA test (proof, have you acquired it yet?!).

 

[Rainbow Mage]

If everything is well proven, what faith do you need. If you have all the proof but no faith, how can you be saved? Other myth don't have such a constrain/reason to refuse a proof.

Moreover, in reality unproven things more common than proven things for humans to live with.

You (people) have strong faith on calling their parents father and mother. Only when they lose faith they go for a DNA test (proof, have you acquired it yet?!).

Hawkins having faith doesn't make myths anymore facts then having faith that the sky is purple will make it so.

 

[Hawkins]

Hawkins having faith doesn't make myths anymore facts then having faith that the sky is purple will make it so.

You might have to re-consider if more than 1/3 human, now and in history, said so, including some great minds such as Isaac Newton.

Moreover, how do you know that I believe out of faith alone? Isn't it your guess (by faith).

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

I am not saying that pagan myth never interacts with history, mainly, that in the pagan mind no such thing exists as "salvation history". There is no gradual narrative working to the fulfillment of the deity's promise in time.

This is why the Bible is unique as framed between Genesis and Apocalypse. There is, however mix and matched, a sense of direction.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that the Hebrew stories have constitutively a different relationship to history, they have a different imaginary- which some might argue is the father of the Western historical consciousness.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

You might have to re-consider if more than 1/3 human, now and in history, said so, including some great minds such as Isaac Newton.

Hawkins Issac Newton wasn't a Bible literalist by any stretch of the imagination, so if you're asking me to consider his opinion, his opinion on the Bible is the same as mine. That it's a book of myths and stories with symbolic meaning. Newton developed his own charts on Bible symbolisms.

 

[Hawkins]

Hawkins Issac Newton wasn't a Bible literalist by any stretch of the imagination, so if you're asking me to consider his opinion, his opinion on the Bible is the same as mine. That it's a book of myths and stories with symbolic meaning. Newton developed his own charts on Bible symbolisms.

Newton has a life span of more 50 years, in what period he had such a conclusion and remained unchanged?

You are applying your faith just now. You can't dwell into Newton's mind during the whole of his life to draw that conclusion, can you?!


Moreover, how do you know that I believe out of faith alone? Isn't it your guess (by faith).

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I am not saying that pagan myth never interacts with history, mainly, that in the pagan mind no such thing exists as "salvation history". There is no gradual narrative working to the fulfillment of the deity's promise in time.

This is why the Bible is unique as framed between Genesis and Apocalypse. There is, however mix and matched, a sense of direction.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that the Hebrew stories have constitutively a different relationship to history, they have a different imaginary- which some might argue is the father of the Western historical consciousness.

I suppose that's true Jordan that Pagan myths don't contain salvation history, seeing as salvation isn't a tenet in Paganism. However, neither is it in Judaism or the Old Testament. The Old Testament simply doesn't contain the salvation elements of the New Testament, and any Jewish views are much later developments.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Newton has a life span of more 50 years, in what period he had such a conclusion and remained unchanged?

You are applying your faith just now. You can't dwell into Newton's mind during the whole of his life to draw that conclusion, can you?!

Sure I'm applying faith, but unlike the Bible, there's actually much more evidence and proof for the things in Issac Newton's life. You prove to me a global flood. You prove to me a literal 7 day creation. You can't do it.

 

[Hawkins]

Sure I'm applying faith, but unlike the Bible, there's actually much more evidence and proof for the things in Issac Newton's life. You prove to me a global flood. You prove to me a literal 7 day creation. You can't do it.

Ok, now the 7 day first.

Please define 'time' for me first. Mind you, in scientific calculation, time makes not much difference than space. And in relativity time is not a stable physics unit, speed is.

Admit that men's comprehension power and reasoning power are limited.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Christianity has the most followers, Islam is second, Hindu is third, and yeah.

There are a lot of pagans that would not say tis mythology, but there are different stories and faiths and religions in pagan theology, unlike most religions, therefore it is common to say that paganism is a myth, including some pagans.

Now, if you are talking directly at the word "pagan" then I have never heard such a thing, it is possible, other religions claim each other for devil worship, atheism, choosing hell, etc.


Hope I helped. This is what my opinion is on this.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Ok, now the 7 day first.

Please define 'time' for me first. Mind you, in scientific calculation, time makes not much difference than space. And in relativity time is not a stable physics unit, speed is.

Admit that men's comprehension power and reasoning power are limited.

Sure I admit they're limited, but still, prove to me there was a global flood. Go ahead. See the difference here is, Pagans don't claim our myths and stories are literal events, you do. The burden of proof is on you.

 

[Jordan St. Francis]

There is a Jewish concept of salvation, and Christianity works and and springs from this: it is the reign of God made manifest in history. As Jesus prays "thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

As far as I can tell, the pagan myths you are concerned with do not have this dimension.

For both Christians and Jews, divinity was never a category of the cosmic, a force beholden to the cycles of the universe or personifications of them. Unlike, for example, the gods in Buddhism, which the Buddha believed were as beholden to law of karma and suffering as any creature.