What is the difference between a myth and a religion?

Question

I've heard a myth as being described as a dead God. Agree? Disagree? Please explain.

Answer 1

I think you hit it. A myth is a religion that people don't believe in anymore.

Answer 2

A myth is something totally fictional or large than life. It can be part real or not real at all. The Trojan Horse, for example, is a myth. It is not believe that the story actually happened literally.

There was a Troy, there was an abducted queen or princess and she was rescued, but it is NOT believed to be by a giant wooden horse with soldiers hiding inside.

Some think the "trojan horse" is a metaphor for some other tactict used to make the rescue.

A religion is a belief system based around facets of truth. People knew and saw Jesus, for example. So Jesus exists because there is documentary writings from a wide variety of sources.

John The Baptist existed, we know for a fact he was killed by Herod, if I'm not mistaken. There are records of this.

Pontius Pilate existed.

There are some things surround Jesus that are in controversey. One thing, for example, is the birth in the wood and straw manger. None were thought to exist. The place where he was born had stone trowths. Christian exeperts are even saying this is strange. Although it is possible Joseph, a carpenter brought wood and maybe even constructed a small manger. But not were beleived to exist naturally. So how accurate specific things are can be debated.

Answer 3

I remember a myth being defined as "a story to explain why things are the way they are."

This being the definition of "myth" that I am working with here, religion is not a myth, the stories that religion is based upon are myths.

This being said, when a religious group is wiped out, and the stories that the religion was based upon are gone, said religion, and thus, all deities involved in said religion, are dead.

So, taking this into consideration, how many gods did The Church kill during all it's book burnings? Or by snuffing out "heathens" that didn't have a written language?

Edited to add...............

So basically, a myth isn't quite a dead God, but the -stories- of a dead God.

Answer 4

A myth is an ancient story. A religion or spiritual belief is the belief in a higher being. Guess some would call such a belief a myth but all monolithic religions throughout history are basically the same, some just newer then others.

Answer 5

Myths are stories that are told about Gods and heroes. They usually educate, entertain, and explain something about why the universe is the way it is. They are not, in themselves, a religion.

A religion is a social construct that has many different parts: belief in a Deity, liturgy, rituals, cosmology, specific practices associated with the faith -- and myths.

So, myths are a part of religion. Most religions have myths; the myths of Christianity are in the Bible, but they aren't generally called myths by anyone other than sociologists and anthropologists because, well, people still believe in them, and it's galling for many people to admit that they have stories they tell about their God the same way the Greeks, for example, told stories about theirs.

Answer 6

Myth are things we absolutely know were not true because they were obvious fabrications.

Religion however is the search for the one true God or gods. Well technically a god cannot die anymore than I can blast off to outer space from my computer chair using nothing more than a salmon and spring water. But I believe that is why monotheism has become the dominant worldview because I do think there is only 1 all powerful creator God and that it is simply sifting through the evidence to discover the most about him as I can. Thus far I have found Christianity to be the one true revelation from God and Christ our savior.

Answer 7

A myth is something that appears to contain some proof, but has not been proven. Big Foot is a classic example. No one has captured the creature, but there is evidence the creature exists. Samething is true with UFO's.

A religion is what a person believes. It may or may not be Christian based. Sometimes people develop their own personal religions. Usually like minded people bond with people of their believes.

What every religion needs is more tolerance and acceptance with others.

Answer 8

I really like Joseph Campbell definition of Religion. "Religion is Mythology misunderstood as history". Myths are very misunderstood today. If you wish go to the library and get some of his books. He was a professor of mythology for a really long time, & really knows his stuff. Good Question.

Answer 9

A myth is made up, religion is a belief. But I don't consider God as a belief my friend- I consider God a choice. Either you choose to follow God. Or you don't follow Him. {which road will you choose is the question?}

Answer 10

A religion is a practiced belief system. A myth is a fantastic story.

I don't think that a "dead god" is a requirement for a myth while having a lack of factual evidence is.

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