Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I'll answer 3. No. I do not consider other gods to by "mythical" in the sense of fictitious. I suspect that at least some of those gods do exist in the sense that they are spiritual beings that were inappropriately worshipped (I'd probably not go so far as to call them "demons" which is common, but my view is similar to that one). God is the creator of all things, seen and unseen. There's plenty of unseen things out there and sometimes men worshipped them.

So you are saying Zeus and Odin existed, but were spirits and not god? And they still exist?

(yes, people still believe in them, albeit not as many as used to)

It would seem that makes the word "mythical" something of an impossibility then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have asked these questions every time someone claims a non-believer is "insulting" and no one replies. Another PP suggested its own thread so here it is:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

Thoughtful replies only, please. If you don't like the questions you don't have to respond at all. However all views are welcome as long as they are thoughtful and not trolls or insults.

I'll answer 3. No. I do not consider other gods to by "mythical" in the sense of fictitious. I suspect that at least some of those gods do exist in the sense that they are spiritual beings that were inappropriately worshipped (I'd probably not go so far as to call them "demons" which is common, but my view is similar to that one). God is the creator of all things, seen and unseen. There's plenty of unseen things out there and sometimes men worshipped them.

That's fine. But is Allah God? Is Yahweh God? nIs Jesus God? They're all different, or don't you think so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It depends on the listener's definition of mythical, doesn't it? Mythical can mean "non-existent", or it can mean "extremely famous and has reached icon status".

I would assume that any decent, open-minded person would first seek confirmation of what is it you mean. It's only the narrow-minded insecure folk who get easily offended. I have some devout Catholics in my family who would not have their feathers ruffled. They're seen and heard it all already.

If you're going to tell a devout believer that their God does not exist, well, that's just rude.

But this is not the question. The question was is it insulting to refer to a god as "mythical" when people still believe in it?

And how to people who believe in one god refer to other gods? Clearly they don't believe in it, so is it insulting for them to use the term "mythical"?

Are you stupid? Do you not understand that this term can have positive or negative connotations? No one can answer your question as it stands, since it will depend on each listener who will interpret the word according to their lights.

Dumb OP.

Not nice to call the OP stupid. Let's be more magnanimous. Yet you have a point. There's probably 8 billion people in the world, and almost as many definitions of "god." It really is a pointless exercise unless you can define it.

I called OP stupid because the point has been explained many times and they still persevere, leading me to think that they are either lacking in intelligence, or simply a troll looking to create debate, or perhaps they are a mental disorder and have chosen to focus on this topic for a while.

It should be obvious to anyone with two neurons to rub together that if you choose a word with such a wide range of definitions, you are going to get a wide range of responses in your audience. Either stop using it, or use it wisely with people you know who won't jump down your throat.

Well this is where you are wrong. It has NOT been explained many times. OP pointed that out in the post you must have not read.

I will not stoop to your ad hominems, as always, your use of them speaks more about you than the intended subject.

Do you refer to any other thing as "mythical"? Should "Bullfinch's Mythology" be banned?

[Anonymous]

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

I think this depends on the context of the conversation. Are we talking about the mythical qualities of the God I believe in? Doing a historical comparison of religions, some of which we consider myths today and some which are still believed? Dismissing belief in God as belief in a mythical (read: definitely not-real) being that only saps would believe? I probably wouldn't be offended by the first two, but would be offended by the third.

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

Again, I think the context and tone matters. Comparing God (who isn't proven or disproven) to Santa (who is an admittedly fictional character) is offensive and there are entire threads covering why people find that offensive. Comparing God to a god from a different religion is probably not offensive if you're having a comparative religion conversation. Comparing God to historical gods we now consider myths (like Zeus) is probably not offensive if you're having a discussion about the history of religion, but probably is offensive if you're doing it to compare believers today to people who thought the sun orbited the earth (i.e. insinuating that people who believe in God are primitive or lacking in modern knowledge of the universe).

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

I don't spend a lot of time passing judgement on other gods. I don't think of them as "mythical" necessarily, because I would usually think of that for Greek/Roman/Norse/Egyptian/etc myths. When I think about the gods of other religions, I think of them as just that: someone else's god(s).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

1. Is it "insulting" to refer to god as "mythical"? Why?

I think this depends on the context of the conversation. Are we talking about the mythical qualities of the God I believe in? Doing a historical comparison of religions, some of which we consider myths today and some which are still believed? Dismissing belief in God as belief in a mythical (read: definitely not-real) being that only saps would believe? I probably wouldn't be offended by the first two, but would be offended by the third.

2. Is it insulting to compare a god to another god or mythical being knowing people who believe in one don't believe in the other? Why?

Again, I think the context and tone matters. Comparing God (who isn't proven or disproven) to Santa (who is an admittedly fictional character) is offensive and there are entire threads covering why people find that offensive. Comparing God to a god from a different religion is probably not offensive if you're having a comparative religion conversation. Comparing God to historical gods we now consider myths (like Zeus) is probably not offensive if you're having a discussion about the history of religion, but probably is offensive if you're doing it to compare believers today to people who thought the sun orbited the earth (i.e. insinuating that people who believe in God are primitive or lacking in modern knowledge of the universe).

3. Those of you who believe in one god: do you think the other gods are "mythical"? Why?

I don't spend a lot of time passing judgement on other gods. I don't think of them as "mythical" necessarily, because I would usually think of that for Greek/Roman/Norse/Egyptian/etc myths. When I think about the gods of other religions, I think of them as just that: someone else's god(s).

You know that plenty of people still believe in the "Greek/Roman/Norse/Egyptian/etc myths", right?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructionist_Roman_religion#

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenism_(modern_religion)#

https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/iceland-to-officially-worship-norse-gods-again/

So you probably should NOT describe them as myths, by your criteria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most who believe that are fundamentalists. They believe the Bible or Koran is truth. It's not a matter of belief mind you, but truth. Of course they never say what makes them think that.

What is the difference between "belief" and "truth"? Who believes things that aren't true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Atheist here. I think it's insulting to refer to a god (any god) that someone believes in as a myth when talking to that person.

What about in a forum like this when you are talking to virtually everyone?

Congratulations, you discovered why chat forums all always clusterf*#$

[Anonymous]

I am a practicing Christian. But I also consider belief or lack thereof entirely personal between an individual and their god(s) or lack thereof. I am not offended by anyone referring to the Christian god as mythical. Or made-up, for that matter. My faith is my own business and your opinion of it is pretty irrelevant. If we’re having a discussion of comparative religion or theology, it’s important to include postulates, however, and often one of the postulates for theology is the existence of the god(s) of the religion under discussion and questioning that in a discussion about something else is kind of pointless and derailing and would be mildly annoying.

[Anonymous]

It’s like saying little in front if something… “ you and your little friend can just leave” for example. It just adds an unnecessary word see as an insult/put down.

[Anonymous]

I'm not particularly religious myself, but I would assume you *intend* insult if you choose to use "mythical".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s like saying little in front if something… “ you and your little friend can just leave” for example. It just adds an unnecessary word see as an insult/put down.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most who believe that are fundamentalists. They believe the Bible or Koran is truth. It's not a matter of belief mind you, but truth. Of course they never say what makes them think that.

What is the difference between "belief" and "truth"? Who believes things that aren't true?

? you can't be serious. Most religious people in fact.

[Anonymous]

This is literally the belief of people who don't believe in God(s).

It doesn't offend me to hear someone say "Jesus is the son of God" or "Muhammad was the last prophet of Allah." Those are someone's beliefs (not mine, anymore). If you find it offensive/bothersome to hear someone say that gods are mythical, I feel like your faith must be really weak.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most who believe that are fundamentalists. They believe the Bible or Koran is truth. It's not a matter of belief mind you, but truth. Of course they never say what makes them think that.

What is the difference between "belief" and "truth"? Who believes things that aren't true?

? you can't be serious. Most religious people in fact.

Has a religious person told you that what they believe isn't true?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most who believe that are fundamentalists. They believe the Bible or Koran is truth. It's not a matter of belief mind you, but truth. Of course they never say what makes them think that.

What is the difference between "belief" and "truth"? Who believes things that aren't true?

? you can't be serious. Most religious people in fact.

Has a religious person told you that what they believe isn't true?

No. But what they believe is "truth," is not truth. It's belief. (Which I can respect, but don't tell me it's the truth).