Omnipresent cup of coffee in hand, I'm catching up with the thread this morning and who should I find but Seek and Destroy Freddy, standing atop a hillock, verbal sword swinging in all directions. We've moved from jungle warfare (Thankfully) to religion and although I'm better acquainted with the mince pie and pickle recipes, heck, I'll jump in anyway.
Isn't the comparison of Christianity to the Roman pantheon, etc. a bit like apples to oranges? THe latter are mythologies, often contradictory but happily coexisting with different explanations for the same event, and not demanding total obeisance to any particular one as truth. Mythology works with the common themes of human life and clothes them in amusing, edifying, sometimes mournful stories. It has allowed man to experience himself and his life in the larger sense of finding meaning and understanding through these universal mysteries. When man invents stories to specifically relate to God, it becomes religion, and begins to accumulate rules and codes until it's a full blown theology. Joseph Campbell considers mythology to be poetry, and the creation of a religion, the turning of poetry into prose. That's the problem with those satanic Santa people and their cohorts! They're destroying all the poetry still left in CHristianity. And I suspect the loss of the poetry is going to result in the loss of believers and advocates. Personally, I have a strong need for poetry! And I suspect CGB does too.
Without getting into the argument of the one, true God and the divinity of Jesus, why would the addition of the other wonderful myths and stories be such blasphemy to a Christian, as long as he viewed them as just that and not the equivalent of truth? And why are the non-Christians so threatened by the beautiful stories of Christianity? Can't they incorporate them into their general storehouse of mythology? Is it the confrontational attitude, the mutual exclusivity demanded of each other, that precludes harmony? Or maybe you guys just love argument (what I strongly suspect).
Anyway, what a treasure trove of stories and facts! You all are so amazing!
Please leave my jugular alone, Freddy,
penni |
