No one holds a monopoly on Truth. What is Sacred and True can, by its very nature (and ours), never be defined for all people for all time. Scientists will never be heard to claim that there is nothing else to learn about our Universe, just as the philosopher's questions only raise more questions. The Buddhists and Hindus are better at this than most, but it does still happen within Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As with any good modern fiction, the myths make no claim at being the only truth. In fact, they often seem to contradict each other. Their purpose was and is to point out or point to a truth about human nature, how we can or should live together.
Stories are often more effective than definitions, as language is limiting and restrictive. The people who created these stories, however, thought nothing of changing them when they failed to be valid for a time and place or when new truths emerged. That is where some of the other traditions are better at this. To claim that 'this book' or 'those words' contain the only Absolute Truth betrays a level of arrogance nearly beyond belief.
Most of the Christians who understand this today are writing science-fiction and fantasy, or sneaking an alternative interpretation into some obscure book that they know will only be read by a handful of philosophers and theologians. Our world is so vastly different that it would be utterly unrecognizable to anyone who lived just a century and a half ago, much less nomadic tribes millenia ago. Science, philosophy, history, mathematics, music - truth is always emerging from the most wonderful places and in the most surprising ways. No one has a monopoly and there are no absolutes and easy answers.
Those who created the great myths and epics for their time knew that, and there are those now who understand that. J.R.R. Tolkien got it. C.S. Lewis got it. J.K. Rowling gets it. There are some who are still creating, but the fundamentalists and reactionaries have managed to grind creative thought and philosophical curiosity to a halt, and tried to stop or slow scientific advances. My best advice to them is to stop banning and burning books, and read more of them. The old stories give us insight into our past, their world and psyche, but new stories are waiting. Creation is a verb, and we are co-creators of the world we wish to see.
Stories are often more effective than definitions, as language is limiting and restrictive. The people who created these stories, however, thought nothing of changing them when they failed to be valid for a time and place or when new truths emerged. That is where some of the other traditions are better at this. To claim that 'this book' or 'those words' contain the only Absolute Truth betrays a level of arrogance nearly beyond belief.
Most of the Christians who understand this today are writing science-fiction and fantasy, or sneaking an alternative interpretation into some obscure book that they know will only be read by a handful of philosophers and theologians. Our world is so vastly different that it would be utterly unrecognizable to anyone who lived just a century and a half ago, much less nomadic tribes millenia ago. Science, philosophy, history, mathematics, music - truth is always emerging from the most wonderful places and in the most surprising ways. No one has a monopoly and there are no absolutes and easy answers.
Those who created the great myths and epics for their time knew that, and there are those now who understand that. J.R.R. Tolkien got it. C.S. Lewis got it. J.K. Rowling gets it. There are some who are still creating, but the fundamentalists and reactionaries have managed to grind creative thought and philosophical curiosity to a halt, and tried to stop or slow scientific advances. My best advice to them is to stop banning and burning books, and read more of them. The old stories give us insight into our past, their world and psyche, but new stories are waiting. Creation is a verb, and we are co-creators of the world we wish to see.
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