The Dangers Of Mythologizing

Mythologizing is a concept known to mankind from the beginning of existence to now. Myths are known stories from different cultures that address difficult questions that human beings ask: who and what am I, where did I come from, why am I here, how should I live, what is the right thing to do, what is the universe, how did it all begin? Myths are stories that are peopled by great men and women; by forces of good and evil; by animals, large and small; by trees, the sea and the wind; and by giants, gods and other supernatural beings. As stated by Highway (428), Myths are the halfway point between truth and lie, between fiction and non fiction. Highway (427) notices that topics of most myths are of humankind, animal kind or god/gods. Tomson Highway
explores three mythologies including Christian mythology, Greek mythology and Cree mythology. This essay will examine how specifically Christian mythology has as much value as danger for societies who are exposed to them from previous generations.
Christian mythology is known as one of the world’s greatest religion today. For the purpose and context of this essay the word myth and religion can be used interchangeable. Every religion's stories are retellings of universal mythic themes which give us answers to the creation of the world, the first man and woman, heaven and earth, reincarnation, stories of heroes and heroines or dragons and serpents. Specifically, in Christian mythology, the creation of the world took place in 6 days, by a male god. This male god, gave birth to light, then water and finally to mankind on the sixth day. This myth is believed by many throughout the world today, and can pose both value and danger to the believer and non believers.
The values that come from Christian mythology are a sense of community, answers to questions that cannot be answered by science or philosophy and lastly a sense of being protected by a power that is beyond anything on earth. But these same benefits can also provide dangers. Following I will use examples on how each of these points can be a beneficial and dangerous.
It is imperative that humans need a sense of community and feelings of belongings to live happily (Subhi and Geelan, 2011). People who go to the same church and see each other every weekend have a sense of shared values. Christian mythologizing has provided this structure of church and coming together for the people who believe this myth. These people come together to share a meaning in life. People of the same church groups usually become friends, create bonds and feel like they belong here.
Although this sense of community can create bonds and sense of belonging within the group, it can create enemies outside the group.
There are phrases in these Christian myths that say you will go to hell if you do not believe in these myths. People who have not grown up, listening and knowing these myths can be seen as outsiders or even evil by the believers of the myth. Dangers are seen almost every day on the news, when you hear religious wars within Christianity and Islam. Many fighting for holy land generated from these myths that say, that particular land is holy for the Christian myth but also holy for the Islamic myth, but which myth is correct, neither? These differences in ideology cause many wars just because a difference in mythological views that people do not agree
upon.
Humans also feel more at ease when unanswered questions can be answered, even if they are not proven facts. Myths are before philosophy and science. The same questions that our religions used to ask, now our philosophies and our sciences try to answer. We may be an enlightened, technological society but we have the same needs as ever: protection, warmth, food, sex, love, children, happiness and doing good. And mythologizing can give us answers in all of these categories that science sometimes cannot answer. Most myths, most of the time try to teach its followers to choose right over wrong, good over evil, just over unjust, truth over lies, and live in peace and harmony in the world, such as Christianity (Leehman, 2006). We can find moral values that need to be learnt to live within our family and with the outside world. A moral responsibility of every parent and teacher to bring God fearing and loving children into the world who will carry these values and teachings with them all the days of their lives. These values include forgiveness, charity, honesty, helping, saving, and condemn stealing, killing, etc. Hence the basic importance of many myths such as compassion, love for others, concern for others' suffering, and reduction of selfishness are stories told from these myths from generation to generation. A set of values to be followed through the stories of our elders. It is something that only we human beings can develop. And if we have a good heart, a warm heart, warm feelings, we will be happy and satisfied ourselves, and our friends will experience a friendly and peaceful atmosphere as well. But on the contrary to say without a specific mythologizing such as Christianity myths, there would not be any good hearted people is simply untrue. That is where the problem arises that many of the believers only believe there ancestors were correct and it causes enemies within the different believers. A prejudice for the homosexual population comes out of this mythologizing. It is stated that this way of life is a “wrong” way to live. Hatred can come out when people believe that these myths are the eternal and world truths. We have seen Christians beating up homosexuals in many newspapers and news casts.
Mythologizing gives the people someone divine that they can look up to when there is no one to turn to, when they lose hope (Carrie, 2006). It has been particularly apparent in studies done in the medical world. Where patients whom pray or believe in a higher power, do well in their attitude and illness than patients whom have lost all hope. This can be experienced nation to nation, country to country, continent to continent.
The great mythic themes were known before literature.
All great works of literature and religion are based upon mythic themes or stories. Noah's Ark, Jonah and the great fish, Moby Dick, and even the movie Titanic are all stories about man's struggles with the seas. Myths and mythic symbols are the elementary particles of imagination and creativity. Mythologizing gives people the opportunity to be creative and use their imagination whether it is for pure entertainment or trying to explain something. Even today we are still fascinated by the truths of these mythic stories and by ancient peoples' need for magic in their untamed world? And don't we still cry out for magic in our rational world? Don't we seem to crave mystery more and more to counter our apparent understanding and mastery of the world? Are we meant to be totally rational, are we meant to be machines? The dangers and values of mythologizing can be discussed but will mythologizing ever
disappear.
A culture's mythology is a powerful tool for psychology, casting light on the culture's shared unconscious whether good or bad. There is no better way to understand a culture deeply than to know and appreciate its mythos, its stories, its dreams. We can learn much about the people, history and culture from many mythologizing agents from different parts of the world and we will see the values and dangers in each one.