Myth and Our Belief System

Okey Dokey - warning.  There may be material in this blog that messes with your religion - ie: your belief system.  It has certainly messed with mine. 

So here's the deal.  I am now writing a paper contrasting creation stories.  Genesis vs (my choices) Greek mythology and Native American Indian myths.  The first thing to define is myth - religious story that informs and guides a faith tradition.  Marcus Borg, Bible scholar puts it another way...a story that has true meaning, whether or not it's factual.

The factual part...that's what got me.  I grew up, like most of you, thinking my religion was about facts.  I believed, without a doubt, that Jesus was born of a virgin, healed multitudes, that Samuel survived the lion's den (wasn't it Samuel?) and Abraham almost sacrificed his son...but his wonderful God stopped him at the last minute.  (Except I always had issue that God would ask in the first place!  but some things ya just don't question...until you go to seminary) 

So I start doing my research for this paper, and find that many of the Bible stories are first told in Greek mythology...and it occurs to me that Zeus looks just like that description of God as the man in the white beard, sitting on a throne, making judgements.  That God is also vengeful, unpredictable, and NOT comforting.  Sounds like Zeus.

Speaking of Zeus - his mother Rhea hid him in a cave, in a basket...does anyone else think of Moses?  Humans were made in "gods image" on two feet, so they could gaze up at the heavens, rather than at the ground, like animals.    Oh yea - Zeus punished humans with floods.  Pandora was given to men as an "equal creature of delight and torment", then given a box and told not to open it.   uh - Genesis did come to mind...and what sort of God gives you a gift and then says not to open it?

What if the Bible is myth?  All of it?  Remember the definitions...they're true, just not factual.  That means I get to decide what is meaningful to me - but more importantly, it means I get to decide who and what God is.  Does this feel sacriligious to you?  It felt overwhelming to me.  Just tell me what to do!  Tell me the truth!  Tell me who God is - don't make me decide!

Isn't that what mankind has been doing for centuries?  and then when God doesn't work out, we dump Him or move on to another belief system.  I mean, Greek mythology is just as widespread as Christianity, except we would never say we believed it to be true.  Except that it is the BASIS for Christianity.  Yes, I do know I'm going to hell - except hell is just a belief system:)  and somehow, since there are a few of you still emailing me that you like my blog...I must be striking a chord.

The thing that amazes me?  How strong a belief system can be, and how a civilization can be run on fear.  Some guy stronger than you, kills your neighbor for believing the wrong thing...and somehow, your sacred belief system is not so important b/c you want to stay alive.  How many countries have been dominated this way?

Well, you can see that I want to share the wealth where all this thought processing comes in:)  Thanks for listening!  Again!