Devout Christianity! Living the Myth!

[Azrael]

Devout and strict Christianity is practiced by millions yet why do people base their lives off of myth? Many of the stories and myths are older than the religion itself. None of the features or characters are new and Jesus himself is not even unique just one of many Jesus that lived at the time and weather he lived or did not live is not important. Its all archetypal. Religious mythical figures created by real people to snowball the masses. Christianity is not special or unique never as been never will be. It just enlarges older mythological themes and then adds wonders and miracles to create a seemingly perfect religion.

[jaywalker]

It's a mystery to me !

[Penelope]

Star said:

It just enlarges older mythological themes and then adds wonders and miracles to create a seemingly perfect religion.

What is perfect to one person is flawed to another. Patriarchal religion won't wash with me because my earthly father was a bit of a wash-out as far as fathering goes. Nice guy otherwise.

The young hero doesn't work for me either, but that is the ideal god-figure to some.

Some like the female - Mother Mary figure, she certainly goes back pre-Christianity. The Goddess religions seem to be the oldest.

I kind of like the image of the Green Man - Pan - nature spirit type bod.

Some of us just can't be prosaic like you, Star:-

We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems.

With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.

We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.

Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy

[Azrael]

Some of us just can't be prosaic like you, Star:-

Whats this suppose to mean?

[Penelope]

Hello Star:

There are various definitions of prosaic but this is what I meant:-

prosaic - not fanciful or imaginative;

In future, I'm going to call you 'grumps'.

[stahrwe]

Star said:

It just enlarges older mythological themes and then adds wonders and miracles to create a seemingly perfect religion.

What is perfect to one person is flawed to another. Patriarchal religion won't wash with me because my earthly father was a bit of a wash-out as far as fathering goes. Nice guy otherwise.

So was mine. What has that got to do God? My kids probably think I am. What, because I am a jerk there is no God? C'mon Penelope, I know you are smarter than that.

The young hero doesn't work for me either, but that is the ideal god-figure to some.

Some like the female - Mother Mary figure, she certainly goes back pre-Christianity. The Goddess religions seem to be the oldest.

I kind of like the image of the Green Man - Pan - nature spirit type bod.

The Jolly Green Giant? I think you have him in the UK don't you?

Some of us just can't be prosaic like you, Star:-

We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams.
World-losers and world-forsakers,
Upon whom the pale moon gleams;
Yet we are the movers and shakers,
Of the world forever, it seems.

With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.

We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.

Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy

I was oh so excited to see verses in your post until I saw the by line. I care little for someone else's verses, can't I see some of yours? It is so boring to read post after dry unimaginative post, especailly mine. Doesn't it drive you to want to soar into verse, to be creative, to take a flat dry line and make it fly.

Prosaic, me, really?

But Nineveh lay shaking
A million fearful souls
To learn of their foresaking
By the fishey preacher told
And Babel lay in ruins
Despite their mighty power
With language now a confusion
And a toppled heavenly tower.

[Azrael]

Hello Star:

There are various definitions of prosaic but this is what I meant:-

prosaic - not fanciful or imaginative;

In future, I'm going to call you 'grumps'.

Does not take imagination. God or Gods are imaginative figures created by the human mind. Its a feel good attitude. Makes people feel good thinking they have an all powerful being at their disposal thats going to intervene in their lives when ever they ask him to.

stahrwe she was referring to me not you. Thats scary................

[Penelope]

Stahrwe wrote:

Prosaic, me, really?

No, not you. I was talking to Star Burst.

Stahrwe wrote:

So was mine. What has that got to do God? My kids probably think I am. What, because I am a jerk there is no God? C'mon Penelope, I know you are smarter than that.

No, you are deliberately misunderstanding me. God is not a man!!! Not a woman either, but it seems wrong to refer to 'it'. We have no pronoun to fit. We don't know what he/she/it is, so we try to visualise something to our own psychological 'comfort fit'. I don't think God would mind. You do. Amen.

The Jolly Green giant appears on cans of Sweetcorn.

The Green Man goes back into pre-christian, pre Roman Britain. It is the old religion.

I was just attempting to point out to Star, who is a rather aggressive poster, that just because one is fanciful and imaginative, doesn't mean you're a bad person.

In fact, I was just trying to smooth his ruffled feathers. To no avail, obviously.

[Azrael]

What! My feathers are not ruffled! I just put hair spray on them today!

[Penelope]

Star Burst wrote:

Makes people feel good thinking they have an all powerful being at their disposal thats going to intervene in their lives when ever they ask him to.

That is a very immature attitude to religion. Please bear in mind that there have been many, intelligent, educated and admirable religious people. I happen to think that Robert Tulip is one. But throughout history, there have been many. We don't think of 'God' as a genie in a magic lamp. We don't ask him to grant our wishes.

But we do have a sense of peace and contentment when we are in a certain attitude, and we do have a sense of torment, dispair, or depression when we cannot feel the vibes (man). Jargon, I sound like an old hippy......bugger it. But it is OK to feel good and to seek that which makes one feel good, not out of a bottle, or not smoking illegal substances....just having a 'right' attitude as the Buddha calls it.