"Read myths. They teach you that you can turn inward, and you begin to get the message of the symbols. Read other people's myths, not those of your own religion, because you tend to interpret your own religion in terms of facts -- but if you read the other ones, you begin to get the message."
"...Mythology is often thought of as "other peoples" religions...Religion can be defined as mis-interpreted mythology"
LINK: JOSEPH CAMPBELL
3 comments:
"mis-interpreted mythology"
Heheheh..
As a HS senior, I got sent to the Dean's office for getting "rude" in an argument w/ my Mythology teacher when she wouldn't admit xtianity is just the currently politically acceptable mythology.
She couldn't grasp the concept that HER mythos wasn't any less metaphorical or argued from ignorance than anyone else's.
And I hadn't even read Campbell yet.
If you've not read Moyer's Interview Series w/ him, I highly recommend it. Wonderful ideas and conversations therein.
Michael,
I saw the Moyer's/Campbell series in World Mythology class on videotape in college. It was just after I came to admit openly that I didn't believe there was a god and walked away from religion.
Once I started comparing the various myths and also comparing each to christianity I saw too many similiarities to dismiss.
If one opens their eyes and their minds to mythology, anthropology, science, etc. it is baffling how anyone can still believe that the current mythologies are real.
These current "gods" will fade away into mythology eventually like the mighty Zeus and Poisedon, etc. But it will take hundreds, if not thousands of years more. More and more people in Europe are losing religion. America is still a "baby" country and will take a lot longer to shake the superstition.
The Egyptians and Greek and Roman gods were around for a LONG time before they evolved from religion to myth.
Michael,
What you said about that teacher you had...THIS is a good example of WHY bible as literature classes and intelligent design CANNOT taught in elementary or secondary education. Students are not allowed to challenge their teachers. In college one can openly challenge a teacher or professor without repercussions...sometimes a biased and unfair professor will come along and dick with your grade in college...but there is an APPEALS PROCESS that cannot be found in the elementary or high school level. Believe me...we were up at school OFTEN for things with our kids and finally took them out and allowed them to homeschool/independent study.
(They are all college grads...one is at YALE doing her Masters...just for those who would question quality of homeschooling...seems only stories about moronic xian homeschooling families make the news.)
There was a "preacher teacher" here in our town when we first moved here. He taught "warped history" and turned it into an evangelical-attemtp-to-convert-children class. Parents finally protested and he was removed. It's takes a constant monitoring and attention to keep these fundies in check!
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