Why did all the old European religions suddenly become myths when Christianity arose across Europe?

Question

I guess I am a born skeptic or realist, but at as a very young child in Sunday School, I wondered why is Christianity the only true religion and all the others are either studied as myths (which are now being revived and practiced all across the world) or false, those that worship anyone else but the Judeo-Christian Trinity.

Answer 1

I'm glad this question is still up. I wanted to post yesterday, but I ran out of posts (stewped limits).

Anywho, what you are not seeing is what a myth is. It honestly has nothing to do with religion at all. The definition of a myth is a major misconception. A myth is just a story to explain how something happend. Myth does not equal False.

If you look at what you would consider a myth by todays defintion you are going to see a lot of stories about the gods of Mt. Olympus. Most of the things that happend back in the days when Greece was a polythisitic society were still very much unknown. People could see the lightning in the sky and it was just easier to accept that Zeus was having a temper fit than trying to explain the ways we know today (and I know the metorolgical term and it is just slipping away form me). We sort of accociate the word myth with being false becasue there are better ways to explain things how that were once explained with Greeke, Norse, and Roman gods.

No one ever said Islam or Buddism or any other religion is a myth. If they did they would be wrong. The individual events descibing how things happen would be a myth. For instance the story of how Brahma created the world is a myth, but the core belief behind it (Hinduism) is the religion.

It is very resonable to say the there are some Judeo-Christian myths. Moses parting the Red Sea is a very good example of a Judeo-Christian myth. It explains how the Jews escaped salvery. Some would say it is impossible for one make to make the Red Sea slipt in two, others would say it was an act of God, but that does not enter into the arqument here. Whether or not there was a man named Moses who lead the Jews from slavery and made water split for his people might or might not have happened, but reguardless of if it did it is still a myth because it explains how something happened (the Jews were freed).

Myths really have nothing to do with religion, like I said above a lot of the myths we created with the gods of Olympus. Most relgions have moved away from politheism and moved to monotheisim and that is where the we get the idea that "because you are not the 'right' religion you are a myth."

A clear example of this is a TV show you all should watch if you havn't already: Mythbusters. For those of you who don't know they take stories explaining how things happend and try to recreate them with todays methods. For instance there is this episode they did:

"Episode 24: Ming Dynasty Astronaut
Deep in the Mojave Desert Buster takes the hot seat in the MythBusters' quest to test the myth of the Ming Dynasty Astronaut. Will he defy the laws of gravity and survive an explosive launch into space? Or ... not? Then "mad scientists" Adam and Jamie search for a source of free energy, as Adam's stunt double faces nearly losing his head at the hands of the MythBuilders' killer fan. It takes two heads, three fans and five MythBusters to test this head-turning, stomach-churning story."

I saw this one these are all myths and absolutly none of them have to do with any relgious ideas. Many of the myths that they do they actually "bust" and prove that with the items of the time it couldn't happen, but there are a few times where the myths are proven right.

There was one espiode that I can't find the synopsis for where they proofed that is it possible to water ski with a row boat. the myth would explain that it is possible to generate enough power with the row boat to break the plain of the water for the skiies. Other than the possibility of Christ walking on water there is really not religious applicaiton for this one.

Just remember:
- Myth does not equal Religion
- Myth does not equal False

Answer 2

Good for you!! My motto is "always ask questions" I took a Comparative Mythologies class in college and we treated Christianity like we did all the other myths. We studied parts of the Bible next to the Popol Vu and The Odyssey. What's really funny is that if you learn about all of the creation stories from all of the different "religions" or "myths" you will find that they are all the exact same story told different ways! And do you think Christianity was the first? Absolutely not, which means Christian religion is hella biting the style of most other religions that came before it! Oh man, I could go on and on ^_^

oh and btw, don't listen to that asshole up there "you're never going to get married..." to him, because he's an idiot. There are plenty of people out there (obviously) who are on to the bs and will appreciate your insight.

Answer 3

myths are stories that hold onto anothers older way of life.

At one point in time, when the catholic (spelled with a lower case "C" on purpose) ideology was spreading, it was important that all people follow this unified form of religion. What that means is that anyone who still retained the pratice of their ancient heathen ways of belief were seen as heretics and outcasts. Shifting the old belief systems into something called myths and fables were a way of preserving the old ways so they were not forgotten entirely.

Some people had a difficult time switching from their beliefs to the new "religion". The leaders recognized this and actually facilitated the myth structure to help the transition. A lot of people the world over did not want to just completely forget their old habits and still retained their older "gods" in the form of a myth or story. This assured the Pontiff that the people were proud of their heritage but still able to adapt to their new lifestyles.

Mythology is a form of survival.

Answer 4

If you look at Christianity and how it became accepted. Those that championed it killed off or incorporated pagan beliefs into Christianity. Druids were killed off, all the old Roman and Greek gods either were denounced or incorporated into Christianity. Chistianity and Judasim or alike because a sect of the Jews created Chistianity, but diverged by allowing Gentiles to be members of it.

It's all shown in history and now you seeing people reviving all the old religions because their is few persecution of other religions. Kind of hard to do witch burning these days ( at least in the US).

Answer 5

It was a standard practice in Christianity (once Gnosticism got wiped out)--co-opt what you can and label the rest the work of the devil. I think it was St. Augustine who said that. If it was somebody else, I don't really care--look it up in The Jesus Mysteries if you absolutely have to know one way or the other.

The Christian church, 'long about the time of Constantine, started saying that it wasn't a bit Pagan and Pagan thought that sounded suspiciously Christian (cuz they stole it from the Pagans) was actually the devil tricking people into believing Pagan religions instead of Christianity, but the twist is: the Pagan thought came first. So the devil knew that Christianity was coming and misled people ahead of time. Huh?

Christianity is plenty Pagan, but it's hypocritical and says it came up with everything itself. So if Pagans have an idea, it comes from the devil, but if Christians somehow have the same idea, it comes from God. But actually, the Christians stole it from Paganism. Oh, the humanity! What a load of bs.

Answer 6

Because of the fact that those in power at the time tried to wipe out and destroy anything and everything that didn't fit in their "perfect" little world. As the "old religions" were being brutally and systematicly wiped out by the So-called one true religion, their practicioners went underground and only met in secret so as not to be discovered. If you truely look back in recorded history, how many wars have been fought over differences in religious beliefs? Too darn many. Why can't we all just accept each other's beliefs instead of trying to kill each other trying to prove who's right or wrong.

Answer 7

Even the old paganists had things to say about Chrisitanity and it not being the true religion, paganists thought thiers was the only religion. I think ALL religions feel that way and claim the same status as being the "true religion". Many non-christian beliefs were incorportated into christian beliefs in order to convert more people and to make the christian religion seem more like thier own.

Answer 8

During the early Christianity days, they were trying to gain more followers so they deemed paganism as worshipping the devil. While doing that they also took many different practices and put it along with thier own, that converted some people and the devil thing kept them there. As Christianity grew more and more, people began to fear Pagans and pretty much tried to wipe them out. That's how it all became "mythology" because it was deemed wrong by the church.

Answer 9

Although I can't really answer ur question in a precise way, I want to say that this is one of the best questions I have seen here on Yahoo.answers.
I also think that many of those who did reply have good points.

(From what I have read that there are different religions for different eras, i.e. 'understandable' religions for this or that era. I don't know. Who knows, really?)

Answer 10

let me be the first one to welcome you to the world of truth. In fact society has had hundreds perhaps even thousands of religions thru history. Most wars in recorded history were caused by one religious sect "purifying" another by killing everyone who did not convert to their way of thinking. For at least two thousand years Christians and Muslims have battled each other as the one true religion and the current conflicts are simply an extension of that issue.
Religion is a highly personal issue to be resolved by study and faith in certain beliefs. It cannot be forced on anyone and it is absurd to think that one religion is closer to god than another.