What makes a myth?

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 09-07-2009, 18:39

Originally Posted by Kadagar_AV

Oh, this is a easy question to answer:

Made up stuff some people still believe in = religion.

Made up stuff no one believes in anymore = myth.

With every year that pass we get more myths and less religion...

So the proliferation of Novel Christian sects, as well as Scientology counts as "less"?

**Beskar** · 09-07-2009, 18:52

Usually the same crowd of people. Religion as a whole is decreasing.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 09-07-2009, 19:17

Originally Posted by Beskar

Usually the same crowd of people. Religion as a whole is decreasing.

Not true at all, while attendence at mainline Churches has been decresing for 50 years, that decrease has now been largely arrested and is beginning to reverse. Further, attendance at particular Christian festivals, at Cathedrals and during week-day services is increasing. This does not include the Free Evangelical Churches which are growing at a staggering rate in many cities. About the only Christian denomination currently in overall decline in England are the Methodists.

This, of course, says nothing of the increase of Islam and Eastern Religions in Britain. Outside of Europe, religion has never even gone into decline.

**Fragony** · 09-07-2009, 19:24

Originally Posted by Beskar

Usually the same crowd of people. Religion as a whole is decreasing.

No It's shifting as some institutions lose power. What was the first thing the hippies did after fighting of the bible-freaks, they became new age freaks.

**Aemilius Paulus** · 09-07-2009, 21:17

Exactly - religion will never truly decline and vanish, but simply shift and morph into new incarnations. Most people find comfort in religion, while many others use it to supplement their own ignorance, or reinforce certain beliefs.

New Age beliefs and spirituality, along with the embrace of "Eastern" PC religious beliefs all compensates for the loss of traditional, conventional Christian clientèle. I always had a rather unlikely, but possible hunch that we are about (in a couple of hundred years or less) witness a rise of a new religion. Christianity has been present for too long. It will either change into something entirely new (as the sect of Jesus over time departed from Judaism and became Christianity through the works of men) or lose its place to a new phenomenon.

**macsen rufus** · 09-07-2009, 21:38

To cut a long story short, where do we place myths? How you can rationally call one explanation a myth and another real. Feel free to debate.

All religions are myths - except mine

**Azathoth** · 09-07-2009, 21:52

New Age beliefs and spirituality, along with the embrace of "Eastern" PC religious beliefs all compensates for the loss of traditional, conventional Christian clientèle. I always had a rather unlikely, but possible hunch that we are about (in a couple of hundred years or less) witness a rise of a new religion. Christianity has been present for too long. It will either change into something entirely new (as the sect of Jesus over time departed from Judaism and became Christianity through the works of men) or lose its place to a new phenomenon.

Cult of Dagon.

**Adrian II** · 09-07-2009, 22:05

Originally Posted by Azathoth

Cult of Dagon.

No, the cult of Gaia. The Earth Goddess. Whilst the environmental hysteria reaches ever new heights, the earth is going to be revered and feared as if it were a deity.

Already quite few biologists, environmental activists and policy makers are seriously influenced by Lovelock´s hypothesis that the earth is a single organism and even regard it as a breathing, feeling and acting entity that takes ´revenge´ for mankind´s abusive behaviour.

I wouldn´t be surprised, let me put it that way.