Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Arnaud Fournet" <fournet.arnaud AT wanadoo.fr>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barry" <nebarry AT verizon.net>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2010 7:46 AM
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Nooo! Don't go!



I have used evolution as an example of current mythology.  It's used to
explain origins, to explain human and animal behavior, etc., etc.  Doesn't
matter whether it's true or not -- it functions mythically in our culture.
***

This strikes me as being a complete fallacy.
Evolution is about scientific knowledge. There are explicit criteria to know 
if something is scientific or not.
And Evolution doubtless has nothing to do with "mythology" unless one has a 
very idiosyncratic and hyper-extensive approach of that word, which would 
nearly amounts to equating any kind of knowledge with mythology.

In all cases I tend to think that the word "mythology" is somewhat flawed 
from the start.
This word is tainted by the Greek mythology and the major problem is that 
the Ancient Greeks no longer "believed in" their own "mythology" in the 
first place. They dealt with it as entertainment and moralistic fairy tales.
Normally we would expect people to believe in their own "myths" and take 
them in earnest, not to laugh at them. It should be a cultural given with an 
emotional and personal involvement.

I don't know if there is another word that would not convey the implicit 
idea that it's just fake and absurd stuff that hangs in the distance.
A
***



Back to Hebrew.  This list is about Hebrew, isn't it?
N.E. Barry Hofstetter

***
yes,
but I had first to address the statement you made above.

Arnaud Fournet