Similarities Found in Other Myths...?

[Judas_Thaddeus]

About a year ago, I came out of Paganism, and came out with a lot of knowledge concerning many mythologies, many of which ring
a bell to the Bible. I was wondering if other Catholics have any thoughts on this phenomenon, should be an interesting discussion.

I will list out a few myths here:

• In the Mayan Popol Vuh, it speaks of a calabash tree which was said to be
  forbidden to go near or touch its fruits. One maiden named Ixquic came to
  the tree wondering “Must I die, will I be lost if I pick just one?”
• A few from Mesopotamia:
• Gilgamesh - Utnapishtim builds a “kind of an ark” to save his family and
  a few animals from a flood destroying an abominable people; Gilgamesh
  venturing for a Tree of Life to become immortal; a Serpent ate the flower
  from the Tree of Life thus cheating Gilgamesh out of immortality.
• Enuma Elish - Marduk drives a wind into the face of Tiamat ([Genesis 1:2 ?]
  “Face of the Waters or Deep” or ṯəhwōm ṯəhōmōṯ in Exodus 15:8]); Tiamat
  [personification of primordial sea] is split to make the sky and earth.
• Enki & Ninhursag - Naive god Enki ventures in ‘Edinu’, a garden made by
  Ninhursag, eats 8 plants, gets pains all over, 8 deities sent to heal Enki,
  one being Ninti (Lady of the Rib/Life) to heal Enki’s rib.
• The Cherokee tell of the First Woman called Atahensic (Sky Woman) who was told not to
  go near the Tree of Life, but of course she does, then falls in a hole, falling from the sky,
  onto a tortoise (Earth).
• (There Are Many Other Examples)

Those myths are only what I learned from being a Pagan, but now I’m Roman Catholic (happy to be back by the way), but there
comes a burden in carrying some of this knowledge. Doesn’t necessarily make me question my faith, yet it remains a matter of
idle curiosity for me.

What explanations can be provided? I heard something about a distinction between General Revelation
(given to all peoples in all places and times) and Special Revelation (given to God’s chosen people, i.e.
what we get in the Bible), but can I be filled in more on this?

 

[Cavaradossi]

In the opinion of some Christians, these myths are a bit like “echoes” of the past, so to speak. They reflect a common human memory of the fall from paradise and of other biblical events. The difference we would hold, is that their myths show a yearning for the true God, but belief in those myths cannot bring them to Him, while belief in the events of biblical revelation which culminate in the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost do draw us to the true God, because those acts of revelation were all performed by the true triune God.

 

[edwest2]

To the OP,

Yes, similarities can be found and I’ve studied a number of myths, but here’s the Catholic Answer:

catholic.com/tracts/is-catholicism-pagan

Peace,
Ed

 

[Jon_S_1]

About a year ago, I came out of Paganism, and came out with a lot of knowledge concerning many mythologies, many of which ring
a bell to the Bible. I was wondering if other Catholics have any thoughts on this phenomenon, should be an interesting discussion.

I will list out a few myths here:

• In the Mayan Popol Vuh, it speaks of a calabash tree which was said to be
  forbidden to go near or touch its fruits. One maiden named Ixquic came to
  the tree wondering “Must I die, will I be lost if I pick just one?”
• A few from Mesopotamia:
• Gilgamesh - Utnapishtim builds a “kind of an ark” to save his family and
  a few animals from a flood destroying an abominable people; Gilgamesh
  venturing for a Tree of Life to become immortal; a Serpent ate the flower
  from the Tree of Life thus cheating Gilgamesh out of immortality.
• Enuma Elish - Marduk drives a wind into the face of Tiamat ([Genesis 1:2 ?]
  “Face of the Waters or Deep” or ṯəhwōm ṯəhōmōṯ in Exodus 15:8]); Tiamat
  [personification of primordial sea] is split to make the sky and earth.
• Enki & Ninhursag - Naive god Enki ventures in ‘Edinu’, a garden made by
  Ninhursag, eats 8 plants, gets pains all over, 8 deities sent to heal Enki,
  one being Ninti (Lady of the Rib/Life) to heal Enki’s rib.
• The Cherokee tell of the First Woman called Atahensic (Sky Woman) who was told not to
  go near the Tree of Life, but of course she does, then falls in a hole, falling from the sky,
  onto a tortoise (Earth).
• (There Are Many Other Examples)

Those myths are only what I learned from being a Pagan, but now I’m Roman Catholic (happy to be back by the way), but there
comes a burden in carrying some of this knowledge. Doesn’t necessarily make me question my faith, yet it remains a matter of
idle curiosity for me.

What explanations can be provided? I heard something about a distinction between General Revelation
(given to all peoples in all places and times) and Special Revelation (given to God’s chosen people, i.e.
what we get in the Bible), but can I be filled in more on this?

I have heard many of these. To me it emphasizes the truth of the events. I once heard that most every culture in the world had a flood story. I believe this story and many of the others are rooted in a common experience in Mesopotamia before people dispersed across the world. As people got further from the events legend creeped in since God only directly spoke to the Jewish people as history moved on. That is what accounts for the variations but the roots are the same. I think it is cool evidence of a common human history.

 

[KrazyKat]

The History Channel and The Discovery Channel airs shows like this all the time. History is interesting. No mythology has ever made me question my faith.

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

The History Channel and The Discovery Channel airs shows like this all the time. History is interesting. No mythology has ever made me question my faith.

Actually to me, the shows on both channels kinda didn’t do that well in comparing myths
to stories in the Bible. Example being that show on Eden, bringing up the Enuma Elish
and comparing Tiamat to that Serpent, REALLY BAD COMPARISON.

 

[Didascalia]

Many of the “myths” as you call them are shared and similar because mans journey out of creation was shared at some distant point in the past. Nearly every culture on earth has a “myth” regarding a tree, serpent and fall from divine grace! Tha ancient chinese characters for sin are a woman picking fruit from a tree! The common references to events we see shared in diverse human cultures, simply prove the historical narrative that we read in books like Genesis. Secular atheists often use the similar nature of “fables” to suggest that the OT is copied from other peoples fables, stating that the story of Gilgamesh predates the Hebrew Deluge version! The only real thing that this proves is that the ancestors of the Sumerians “remembered” the flood event, as did all cultures and developed writing before the Hebrews or anybody else did, nothing more! It in noway means that the narrative is an invention. Many historical narratives are preserved in the vernacular, as is the case here in Ireland. It reinforces my faith when I hear a South American Pygmy who has never heard of the OT or heard a Christian missionary, call the fist woman “poictpec” translated as “She who Grasped Wisdom”!!!

 

[TheHolyGhost]

In the opinion of some Christians, these myths are a bit like “echoes” of the past, so to speak. They reflect a common human memory of the fall from paradise and of other biblical events. The difference we would hold, is that their myths show a yearning for the true God, but belief in those myths cannot bring them to Him, while belief in the events of biblical revelation which culminate in the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost do draw us to the true God, because those acts of revelation were all performed by the true triune God.

By this logic, what is to stop another mythological believer in claiming that Christianity is just another one of those many echoes of the past and that in fact their religion is the one decided by God to reveal the fulness of truth?

 

[Didascalia]

About a year ago, I came out of Paganism, and came out with a lot of knowledge concerning many mythologies, many of which ring
a bell to the Bible. I was wondering if other Catholics have any thoughts on this phenomenon, should be an interesting discussion.

I will list out a few myths here:

• In the Mayan Popol Vuh, it speaks of a calabash tree which was said to be
  forbidden to go near or touch its fruits. One maiden named Ixquic came to
  the tree wondering “Must I die, will I be lost if I pick just one?”
• A few from Mesopotamia:
• Gilgamesh - Utnapishtim builds a “kind of an ark” to save his family and
  a few animals from a flood destroying an abominable people; Gilgamesh
  venturing for a Tree of Life to become immortal; a Serpent ate the flower
  from the Tree of Life thus cheating Gilgamesh out of immortality.
• Enuma Elish - Marduk drives a wind into the face of Tiamat ([Genesis 1:2 ?]
  “Face of the Waters or Deep” or ṯəhwōm ṯəhōmōṯ in Exodus 15:8]); Tiamat
  [personification of primordial sea] is split to make the sky and earth.
• Enki & Ninhursag - Naive god Enki ventures in ‘Edinu’, a garden made by
  Ninhursag, eats 8 plants, gets pains all over, 8 deities sent to heal Enki,
  one being Ninti (Lady of the Rib/Life) to heal Enki’s rib.
• The Cherokee tell of the First Woman called Atahensic (Sky Woman) who was told not to
  go near the Tree of Life, but of course she does, then falls in a hole, falling from the sky,
  onto a tortoise (Earth).
• (There Are Many Other Examples)

Those myths are only what I learned from being a Pagan, but now I’m Roman Catholic (happy to be back by the way), but there
comes a burden in carrying some of this knowledge. Doesn’t necessarily make me question my faith, yet it remains a matter of
idle curiosity for me.

What explanations can be provided? I heard something about a distinction between General Revelation
(given to all peoples in all places and times) and Special Revelation (given to God’s chosen people, i.e.
what we get in the Bible), but can I be filled in more on this?

Are you acquainted with the work of Immanuel Velikovsky?

 

[Didascalia]

By this logic, what is to stop another mythological believer in claiming that Christianity is just another one of those many echoes of the past and that in fact their religion is the one decided by God to reveal the fulness of truth?

What also has fo be considered is that the early period of human history was devoid of a “god given” religious protocol. There was no religion other than what man may have invented to suit his own ends. Man had the truth in his heart and was expected act on that truth. Noah was not a Hebrew or a Jew, he was a man who obeyed god. When Christ was crucified the first people he “ministered” to were those who perished in the flood, so even pagans mean something to him.

 

[KrazyKat]

Actually to me, the shows on both channels kinda didn’t do that well in comparing myths
to stories in the Bible. Example being that show on Eden, bringing up the Enuma Elish
and comparing Tiamat to that Serpent, REALLY BAD COMPARISON.

I enjoyed the ones last weekend, the two women, first Lilith, then Eve CUZ Adam did not want an equal, so goodbye Lilith.

 

[TheHolyGhost]

What also has fo be considered is that the early period of human history was devoid of a “god given” religious protocol. There was no religion other than what man may have invented to suit his own ends. Man had the truth in his heart and was expected act on that truth. Noah was not a Hebrew or a Jew, he was a man who obeyed god. When Christ was crucified the first people he “ministered” to were those who perished in the flood, so even pagans mean something to him.

Im not sure youve answered my question.

How do we know that Christianity isnt one of those general truths.before there was a God given protocol and another religion didnt pick up and go in the proper direction?

 

[Jon_S_1]

By this logic, what is to stop another mythological believer in claiming that Christianity is just another one of those many echoes of the past and that in fact their religion is the one decided by God to reveal the fulness of truth?

There is nothing stopping them from thinking such a thing. However, I think that it is well supported that God worked and gave ongoing revelation to the Jewish people and then sent the messiah to deliver the fullness if truth to the world. The Christian story of a God who loves and sends himself to die for us is s radical thing. It resonates in the hearts if men and many pagans saw that and accepted it through history.

That said, even if one regards the biblical creation story or flood story as myth, it does not change the Christian message.

 

[Jon_S_1]

Im not sure youve answered my question.

How do we know that Christianity isnt one of those general truths.before there was a God given protocol and another religion didnt pick up and go in the proper direction?

Because Christianity teaches with very good evidence that a man named Jesus claimed to be God, performed tons of miracles before many witnesses, died and then rose from the grave.

No other religion has such a story with such excellent evidence.

 

[melindaf]

I have no doubt that the Lord will use your knowledge of false beliefs to lead others to Him
I have thought how many versions of the birth of Our Savior has morphed into different shapes depending on who was telling the story.

 

[Didascalia]

The History Channel and The Discovery Channel airs shows like this all the time. History is interesting. No mythology has ever made me question my faith.

When it comes to historical interpretation the Discovery and History channel leave a lot to be desired, I watched a documentary in disbelief that suggested Jesus had John the Baptist murdered because he had more followers, all of it was convoluted conjecture presented as fact by professors who were non-Christian, but belonging to another religion. Although the Talmud was not mentioned once, all of the offending material was sourced from it.

 

[Didascalia]

Im not sure youve answered my question.

How do we know that Christianity isnt one of those general truths.before there was a God given protocol and another religion didnt pick up and go in the proper direction?

Where are the Sumerians and there gods? wiped from the face of the earth and exist only as history! Where are the Jews? [those of them that are genuine] back in Israel were god said they would be restored to!
I think the most obvious answer is that Christianity isn’t a “general” truth, it is an absolute truth, and it came after the time of “chaos”. I don’t know of any religion that bares the evidence of prophesy that is contained in scripture, how can a man know events and personages in the future, unless it has been given by a divine being that exists outside of time? A being that we know to be God! There is only one. Show me another God and show me his fruit!

 

[Didascalia]

By this logic, what is to stop another mythological believer in claiming that Christianity is just another one of those many echoes of the past and that in fact their religion is the one decided by God to reveal the fulness of truth?

Every man has the “truth” in a very fundamental way. A person living in the “sticks” ignorant of organised religion such as Christianity still has fundamental “truths” indelibly inscribed in his inner being. When a human being acts contrary to “gods law” his “conscience” will accuse him! I hear many Christian say that you cannot get into heaven unless you are Christian. This would mean that those who have never heard of Christ or have heard of him, but don’t know the facts, would not get into heaven! how can this be? The Gentiles spoken of in Romans 2 are pagans. They believe in all manner of deities and none. My question is, “will there be pagans in heaven?” tribesmen from the depths of the Amazon?

Romans 2:14-16
For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

My feeling is, "though not a very Catholic or mainstream Christian one" is that men are basically judged by the “good” found in them! I believe that Christians may face though I don’t know it] stricter judgement because we bear the name of Christ!

 

[Evan]

Im not sure youve answered my question.

How do we know that Christianity isnt one of those general truths.before there was a God given protocol and another religion didnt pick up and go in the proper direction?

You are looking at this backwards. What religion prophesied a savior who would redeem the world, who would be pierced, who would be called Emmanuel? Only 1, and these came to pass.

 

[TheHolyGhost]

You are looking at this backwards. What religion prophesied a savior who would redeem the world, who would be pierced, who would be called Emmanuel? Only 1, and these came to pass.

Surely prophecies and the like in other religions are perceived to have been fulfilled by its followers too though?