Understand the Meaning of Myth

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Religious understanding of myth
The kind of truth that religion offers
How true a story is
References

Introduction

Myth is a term that is mostly used to define historical events and stories whose reality is unclear. There are however many definitions that have been adopted by different people. The term is usually defined according to a certain perspective which has brought a lot of contradictions. As many people may think that they are simply fairy tales, others look at the term as a definition of any historical event whether there is a reality in it or not. Myths are believed to be events that happened long ago and there is basically no one in the present world that witnessed their occurrence. Most of them are drawn from written materials that are believed to be written by the people that existed at the moment. Humans are basically religious and cultural; they are usually inclined to certain beliefs and practices that they may not be sure of their occurrence. Most of them tend to follow what they believed their forefathers followed and are hence obliged to such an inheritance. The new generation will end up adopting practices that they may not understand their significance but simply because their forefathers followed them.

Religious understanding of myth

There are various definitions that have been used for the term myth, their relation to religion has given rise to various conflicts. Even though there is no clarity of some of the religious practices that are being followed by the people, the religious faithful has denied the relation of their beliefs to be mythical. Most of them have religious books that contain the history of their religions. They hold the books in high esteem as they are the ones that confirm to them that their practices are not made up but actually occurred many years before they were born (John et al, 592). There are however certain religious leaders that have accepted the use of the term myth to define their religious practices. Their argument is basically because of the understanding that they have concerning the term. According to them, a myth is any historical event whether there is truth in it or not. The average man understands a myth to be a term used to describe something that is vague and which can not be proved any be the truth. This is the understanding that makes religious leaders not want their religions termed as myths. There are many things about religion that can not be understood by a person that is not committed to it. There are some deep insights about a religion that requires a high degree of commitment for them to be revealed.

The kind of truth that religion offers

Religion can be distinguished from myth considering the truth it gives concerning events that take place. For instance, Christianity is a religion that came into existence over two thousand years ago. The Holy book which is the Bible was written and followed during the BC years. Comparing the stories and events that are written in the Bible with other stories, we find that there is a reality that is attached to them. Despite the fact that the book was written many years ago, it has stood the taste of time. The people that have purposed to rely on it for guidance and direction get new revelations that are a true picture of the current events. Most predictions that were written in the Bible came to pass, which is a clear indication of how true and real Christianity is (John et al, 589). When you critically analyze the messages that were given to the prophets in the Holy Bible, mainly found in the Old Testament, there is a confirmation of the same in the New Testament. It should be noted that the old and new testaments were written at different times of which many writers of the Old Testament never lived to see the occurrence of events in the New Testament. They were inspired to utter prophecies that came to pass in the exact way that they had been predicted.

How true a story is

A story can only be considered to be true if there is practical evidence to it. For instance, some of the stories that are told of the existence of ogres are simply myths that were developed to protect the children from engaging in certain activities. They were found to be interesting and hence stimulating their thinking. They may have believed them as children but as they grow up, they come to understand that there was no reality in them. It is however true in the Bible stories considering the events that have followed thereafter. There is a common story told of Noah and the ark in the book of genesis in the Bible. The flood was experienced to get rid of the evil generation, after the deaths of people and animals by the flood, God made a covenant that no such kind of flood will be experienced again. It had rained for forty days and forty nights and hence all the tall trees and buildings were submerged into the water. As a sign of the covenant, there was a rainbow. Even though science has come with many implications of the rainbow, the fact remains that it occurs when it is about to rain or after it has rained. This serves as a reminder that however much it may rain, it will not go to the level of forty days and nights. Since then, there has been nowhere it has been recorded that there was a heavy rain experienced for forty days and nights which made the tall buildings and trees to be submerged.

References

John L. Esposito. Darrell J. Fasching. Todd Lewis. World religion today, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

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Understand the Meaning of Myth

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