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Originally Posted by Requiem
Using this logic, what Old Testament events are mythical? Are events such as the exodus, flood, tower, etc. merely figurative and intended as teaching tools?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeattleUte
I think reason tells us, for example, the Adam and Eve story is mythical. The story of the Exodus provides a good example of what bits of history can be fruitfully gleaned from the text.
Humans' impetus to create myth and the value of myth to humans may be the most facinating subject to study ever (in my opinion). You have identified some purposes of mythology. I would not limit it to that; some may be difficult to articulate or even identify. The need for myth seems to be in our very DNA (Waters has said the same thing about religion; we're probably talking about the same thing at the end of the day).
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It's all myth - not by its truth or untruth - but by the way these stories functioned in society. The aetiologies in the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament are just another manifestation of certain, basic human impulses that are part of a Mespotamian tradition as well as (generally) universal principles.
James Frazer's
The Golden Bough, although in many respects outdated, presents a fascinating comparative approach to myth in ancient societies. Modern religion, LDS included, in many ways, is just another manifestation of certain basic stories (like the sacred tree or the dying god) that repeat themselves over and over again.
Some LDS would say that it's pre-apostacy remnants of an early, pristine religion; others would say that it reduces Christianity to just another pagan religion. Take your pick. Over the past 4,000 years, humans haven't proven all that innovative in the mythic realm.