Greek Mythology and Religion

Originally Posted by Mojougwe

Doesn't Greek Mythology almost relate to everything you pretty much do in life? Decision making-wise. Greek Mythology uses stories to portray logic in a comical sense, so I believe it to be. Such as, flying too close to the sun with wax assembled wings will melt the wax and cause your inevitable plunge to doom. Or, being sly and coy to others by tricking them into doing certain forms of work for you. Such as the story with Hercules and Atlas. Logic, doing what makes sense. "Hey, he's got super human strength too, so why can't he hold the Earth?"

But, to relate the bible to Greek Mythology now..... you'd have to say that everything we do in our lives is so closely related to the bible, that life would be the bible. This is where I don't think Greek Myths and the Bible are related. Oh sure, every book, belief, and story can tell you, "Live a good life. Work hard and your hard work pays off. Blah blah blah." What logic is there in the Bible?

I think most people forget that many Greek Myths were written by scientists. If not scientists, philosophers. People who spent their entire life thinking, thinking, and more thinking. Thinking about anything, their current life, their family, their friends, a possible greater being, the future, the past, right vs wrong, anything. Most of the time, about something that's uncertain, out of reach. Not by people who've spent their entire life praying, hoping, and dreaming.

This is just what I think, I could be wrong, but don't take my word for it.

Actually, yes, you are wrong. A great deal of what you said was wrong. First off, Greek mythology is meant to relate to daily life, yes, but more accurately, it is meant to relate to your relationship with your gods. One of the biggest cautions in Greek myth is an advisement against the sin of hubris, which is comparing yourself to/ believing you are better than a god. For instance, Arachne thinks she's a better weaver than a goddess. The goddess discovers this, humiliates her, and turns her into a spider. Some myths are amusing to us now, but may not have been then. The Labours of Heracles, specifically the Agean Stables make me chuckle. They may be intended to do so, but then again, they may not. They may just be a reminder to use your brain and not your braun. It's hard to tell with the Greeks. o_O

There's lots of logic in the Bible, you just have to look for it. The Bible uses a similar tool as Greek mythology, a tool that's pretty old. It makes a point by telling a story. Hundreds and hundreds of stories. The point isn't always clear, and there might not always be one single right answer, but it follows a similar pattern. The difference between the Bible and Greek myth is that the Bible doesn't paint the gods as so inextricably human. God is God, 'nuff said. The Greek Gods are clearly Gods too, but with a Soap Opera quality that makes them easier to relate to. "Hey, Zeus fucks up too! Maybe I'm not doing so bad."

Greek myths weren't written by scientists. For the most part, Greek myths are an amalgamation of folktales and deity stories from all over the place. It's possible to trace the evolution of many of the Greek gods, most notably characters like Pan, Aries, and Aphrodite, from minor spirits sacred to only one small town, to their eventual status as members of the Pantheon. It generally follows a sort of traceable evolution: Small local deity in charge of birth and the health of crops, deity grows and becomes more rounded as her fame spreads and her character is extrapolated on, cult springs up around deity and she gains popularity, she moves over trade and migration routes to new areas, features are added, and eventually we have Aphrodite. The details of how the gods relate to each other also grow in a similar fashion. This is nothing new; it has been happening since people created gods.

And that's my point, really. It's useless to argue over whether or not the Bible was influenced by the writings or beliefs of other cultures, because the answer is an unquestionable yes. As long as there was trade between two cultures, as long as people met and talked and shared stories, as long as there was any kind of cultural exchange whatsoever, it is reasonable to assume they influenced each other, especially in things like religion, folktales, and spirituality. Greek myth was heavily influenced by the Phoenecians, who they more or less replaced. The Phoenecians were influenced by those who came before them. The Greeks, given the great appeal and sophistication of their civilisation undoubtedly influenced those they came into contact with (most notably Rome). It would not be unreasonable to believe that some Greek, nee Phoenecian characteristics made their way into Judaism and Christianity. As a matter of fact, it would be much sillier to assume they didn't.

How ya doing, buddy?