Initiation programme

Hinduism is the coolest. Anything that comes out of Tibet or Inuit culture is awesome. I also think astrology and things that have dragons and demons in them are fun. For a while I was into Lovecraftian stuff. The mythology of the World of Warcraft universe is mind-blowing.

But I don't "believe" any of it. It's all just a bunch of stories.

To state that myth is just a bunch of stories (and unbelievable stories at that!) is analogous to saying that a painting by da Vinci is just pigment on canvas or that a sculpture is merely chopped stone. Granted, those myths which do not express our beliefs may be unbelievable but myth by definition is not merely a story.

Some definitions of myth:
Myth is a traditional narration regarding the nature of the sacred.
Myth is a narrative account of the origin of the symbol.
Myth is the narrative embodiment of an idea.
Myth narrates a sacred history.
Myth tells of an event in primordial time.
Myth narrates how reality itself or a part of reality came into existence.

Myth is a narrative that is expressed in a culturally specific verbal envelope describing a form of life that is felt and lived.
The mythic person says, “That myth is true for me because it tells the story of how and why the world is the way it is.” Myths can be known, experienced, lived in the sense that one is seized by the sacred in the re-enactment of the primordial event (ritual).

Myth is neither fiction and nor the opposite of fact.

Myth is a “traditional narration which relates to events that happened at the beginning of time and which has the purpose of providing grounds for the ritual actions of men of today and, in a general manner, establishing all the forms of action and thought by which man understands himself in his world.” (Paul Ricoeur, The Symbolism of Evil, p. 5)

At first I was about to answer that I believed in all mythologies to be true in some way, and that my favorites were Celtic and Egyptian mythologies - of ancient pagan traditions; Cristian mythology - of world religions; Star Wars and Tolkien's legendarium - from the mythologies created in our time...

But then I realized that there are some myths which I don't believe in! For example this one about Jesus Christ and a fig tree:

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.

I just don't believe that Jesus killed an innocent tree which could not feed him because it was a wrong season! I understand that the purpose of that myth is to demonstrate the power of faith. But it contradicts my view of Jesus as just and compassionate. So I don't believe this myth - I reject it!

I want to ask fellow Jedi if there are myths you don't believe in? For example the ones you think were distorted and therefore do not resemble nature of sacred as intended? Or the ones that could be just crafted by priests for political reasons or something like that?

Alan wrote: To state that myth is just a bunch of stories (and unbelievable stories at that!) is analogous to saying that a painting by da Vinci is just pigment on canvas or that a sculpture is merely chopped stone.

But when you get down to it, they are. I mean, sure the world is better for them and they do a lot for us, but still stories, pigments, stone. You know?

Konstan wrote: I just don't believe that Jesus killed an innocent tree which could not feed him because it was a wrong season! I understand that the purpose of that myth is to demonstrate the power of faith. But it contradicts my view of Jesus as just and compassionate. So I don't believe this myth - I reject it!

It may help to remember the example you mention (Mark 11:12-14 and Mark 11:20-23) as metaphorical, since metaphor was a common way of conveying truths if not facts in the ancient world. A common metaphor for Israel, throughout its history, was a fig tree. It's a metaphor that the first readers or listeners of the Gospels would have been familiar with. Considering the context of the Gospels (Jesus upsetting the power balance of Israel - especially its religious authorities), it's not a stretch to see this (especially with the command that no one may eat fruit from the tree again) as a critique of the religious power structure in 1st century Judea.

The verses immediately following the encounter with the tree (Mark 11:15-17) but before the verse about moving mountains feature Jesus going into the Temple and turning over tables of "money changers" and merchants selling doves, making a powerful statement through his actions (that is, that temples ought to simply be houses of prayer rather than functioning as banks/marketplaces as they often did in the ancient world.) Jesus was, in a way, doing literally what he did metaphorically to the tree, enough that the Jewish religious authorities immediately set out to try to kill him.

So, there is more to it than Jesus simply killing an innocent tree, and that is the tricky part about myths. You can interpret it as a hungry, angry Jesus lashing out at a poor, hapless tree that would not bear fruit for him outside of its season, or you can see it as the metaphor it was *probably* intended to be. The Gospel of Mark is full of cases of metaphorical "side stories" like that which shed light on the "main" story being told, but seem to be irrelevant on the face of things.

The mythology I find myself following is Norse, though like others have stated, I don't necessarily believe there is a giant snake encircling our world, or giant wolves chasing the sun and Moon. I will, however, offer prayers to gods and goddesses in hopes of influencing an action (best example I have is my friends and I offering prayers to Loki, who is the Norse god of fire, when we were having trouble lighting the grill)

Adi wrote: It may help to remember the example you mention (Mark 11:12-14 and Mark 11:20-23) as metaphorical, since metaphor was a common way of conveying truths if not facts in the ancient world. A common metaphor for Israel, throughout its history, was a fig tree. It's a metaphor that the first readers or listeners of the Gospels would have been familiar with. Considering the context of the Gospels (Jesus upsetting the power balance of Israel - especially its religious authorities), it's not a stretch to see this (especially with the command that no one may eat fruit from the tree again) as a critique of the religious power structure in 1st century Judea.

The verses immediately following the encounter with the tree (Mark 11:15-17) but before the verse about moving mountains feature Jesus going into the Temple and turning over tables of "money changers" and merchants selling doves, making a powerful statement through his actions (that is, that temples ought to simply be houses of prayer rather than functioning as banks/marketplaces as they often did in the ancient world.) Jesus was, in a way, doing literally what he did metaphorically to the tree, enough that the Jewish religious authorities immediately set out to try to kill him.

So, there is more to it than Jesus simply killing an innocent tree, and that is the tricky part about myths. You can interpret it as a hungry, angry Jesus lashing out at a poor, hapless tree that would not bear fruit for him outside of its season, or you can see it as the metaphor it was *probably* intended to be. The Gospel of Mark is full of cases of metaphorical "side stories" like that which shed light on the "main" story being told, but seem to be irrelevant on the face of things.

Thanks Adi, that's a great interpretation!

So much insight on beliefs and disbeliefs, I really appreciate it everybody. I just finished the audio. My first part will be from I took from it, second part is brief meanings and stories behind five of the five mythologies, and third is going to be a final review and then a couple paragraphs of what I believe.