Professor's Statement
Zeus made Athena and God made Adam and Eve. Is there anyone who does not accept the first incidence of creation as a mythology? Yet, many millions of people believe the second incidence of creation is fact.
Student Responses
- Following the spread of the story of Adam and Eve, people were able to identify more closely to a human being with faults and it gave them worth. They became comfortable and thus started the domino effect of an idea into, what some consider, fact.
- How can we say that a creation story from ancient times has any more legitimacy than another?
- Christianity was particularly successful because it offered something Greek polytheism did not: salvation and eternal happiness as a reward for good deeds. It was easy to sell it as more civilized belief system.
- It is surprising to consider the way in which Christianity has diluted the minds of so many individuals throughout history into believing that God created life with the Adam and Eve story.
- As has been stated before in this discussion, the most dominant society generally makes the rules for the rest of society. Right now in the western world Judeo-Christian beliefs dominate, although hopefully one day they too will become myth.
Comments
Buzz: Some pretty wild responses from those students. I told Alina that she will never go wrong if she simply goes to the Bible. Why is the creation story with Adam and Eve accepted over Zeus and Athena? I say "consider the source" - the Bible has withstood many critics, and is perhaps the most tested document we have.
Sergio: Amazing how people think that it is us Christians who are polluting the mind of people, but yet it is the atheists and those who don't believe in God who believe in Darwinism an idea that has caused more damage to people than Christianity ever has. Christianity is not about getting rewarded for good deeds. If Paul was rewarded for good deeds, then why was he in prison for a large portion of his ministry? Yet, Paul never gave up. Living for Christ is about changing lives, and Paul was probably one of the greatest examples of that.
Sergio: Forgot to say that Christianity is about having a relationship with God. Our good deeds amount to nothing. Plus, sin is a lot more fun, why would anyone want leave that life? It is because it is God who changes us and does a work in us. Also, that life of sin leads to death, it doesn't take much to figure that one out.
Buzz: It is interesting to me that many people think that Christianity is about "doing good deeds" for salvation.