Why are books about Roman Gods in the Mythology section at my local bookshops?

Question

Aren't they actually Religions?

Waffle I am not an Atheist.

Waffle I am not an Atheist.

Answer 1

I know the point you're making. But let me just offer this up: in my local bookstore all the books in the mythology section about the Roman gods, say, are really books ABOUT the myths and beliefs of ancient Romans. They don't treat the belief-system as something alive, but as an artifact of the past. If however, you journey over to the esoteric religious section of the bookstore, you WILL find books that treat everything from fairies to Egyptian deities to Greco-Roman deities to Magick as something viable and true. Just a thought.

Peace to you.

EDIT: as long as you're bookstore isn't in the Bible belt, and it actually HAS an esoteric section...

Answer 2

Generally the book on the gods of the more ancient religions are found in the mythology sections of stores. If you were looking for info about roman paganism and the such, they would be found in the New Age or Religious sections. Typically the basic myths of an ancient religion tends to be put into a different section than the books about the actual practice of the religion.

Answer 3

It's clearly a right wing Christian Coalition plot to overthrow the order of the entire world. First books on Roman Gods end up in the mythical section, then they put pop-up books about the nativity in the physics section. Before we know it the constitution has been replaced by the book of Deuteronomy. Finally, all non-Republican Party members will be moved into concentration camps for darring to think that we should place our econemy onto a different point in the Laffer Curve the Ronald Regan decreed.

Answer 4

Because the vast majority of people in decision-making positions at those local bookshops do not consider the worship of the Greek/Roman/Egyptian/Celtic Gods to be religion. Many of them do not even realize that worshippers of those Pantheons still exist.

And for those who say the stories of the Roman Gods are JUST Myths, are you saying that ALL religions are Myths or are you judging another person's religion on the basis of what is "popular"?

Answer 5

They were once religions in ancient times. The Romans adopted the Greek gods as their own, so they are the same gods with different names. But they are no longer
worshipped as gods as far as I know, because Christianity came along and all of Europe and most of what is now called Great Britain were converted to Christianity. They are in the mythology section because they are exactly that now ---myths and legends---as are the Norse gods, Gilgamesh, etc.

Answer 6

For the same reason that Yahoo separates the Religion & Spirituality section from the Mythology section, the majority of people do not see the two as the same thing.

Answer 7

Unfortunately we live in a Christian society for the most part and so other religions are not given the respect they deserve. It bothers me that when I look up faeries in the dictionary they definition is that they are imaginary! They are a big part of my religious beliefs and find this DEEPLY offencive. Things are slowly getting better, they have Wicca, New Age, Buddhist etc sections where years ago they never would have had these sections, or they would all be lumped together under the title "Occult".

Answer 8

Roman gods come from pagan mythology. Since few people worship them anymore, they have gone from a religion to a myth in the eyes of the majority.

Answer 9

=), nice try buddy, but the roman Gods do not have enough of a following anymore to be legally classified as religions. Atheist never give up.

Edit -- hmm, thats interesting, I got your email as well, If that is the case then I guess its because the owner of the bookstore feels they are myths. Regardless of this being true or not hes allowed to put them in any section in the book store he pleases. You may petition him along with other members of your faith to have them moved to the religion section, but that is still entirely up to his decision. Legally there is absolutely nothing you can do, enless you have enough money to hire a good enough lawyer who can convince a judge/jury that this is slandering your religion. Good luck with that.

P.S. No, I'm not going to cram my beliefs down your throat.

Answer 10

Because Roman gods are part of mythology, silly. Roman mythology is but an offshoot of Greek mythology. The influence of Greek art and literature became so great that the Romans changed their deities to resemble the Greek gods. They have Jupiter instead of Zeus, Juno instead of Hera, Neptune for Poseidon, Vesta (Hestia), Mars (Ares), Minerva (Athena), Venus (Aphrodite), Mercury (Hermes), Diana (Arthemis), Vulcan or Mulciber (Hephaestus), Ceres (Demeter). Only Apollo and Pluto remained but Pluto was usually called Hades. Dionysius was the Greek wine-god but the Romans never changed the name of their wine-god, Bacchus.