Is greek mythology similar to catholic?

Answer 1

Catholicism is based on Judaism, not Greek mythology, though there are many carry overs from Greco-Roman ideology in Christianity. There is no concept of "hell" in Judaism, so out idea of "heaven" and "hell" come from the Greco-Roman presentation of the Underworld: a place where the good are rewarded (Elysium) and the wicked are punished (Tartarus). In fact, in "The Divine Comedy", Dante's representation of hell is very similar to Tartarus and Hades in general with the wicked being punished according to their crime (rather than the generic vision of just burning which is popular today).

Roman Catholic AnswerGreek mythology is a pagan religious system and has nothing whatsoever to do with Catholicism. Catholicism is a revealed religion, everything in it has been revealed to us by God, in one way or another. There are always similarities between Christianity and pagan myths in that they are talking about the same world, and even pagans can have a glimmer of the truth. However, the deities of Greek mythology probably have their roots in real beings - the fallen angels. In other words, all pagan systems of belief can usually be traced back to demonic influence in one way or another, although they all contain some truth in them. Another AnswerOf course, the Catholic church doesn't teach that pagan religions were founded by demons. The truth is that most ancient people were nature worshipers, and the names of their gods etymologically usually relate to their realm of influence. Most myths are allegorical explanations of natural events that, at the time, defied explanation. For example, the story of Apollo and Daphne would at face value tell the story of why the Laurel Tree was favored by Apollo, but in fact describes the natural event of dew, and why the dew disappears when the sun rises (Apollo being indicative of the sun and Daphne of Moisture). Most myths that don't involve humans don't stem from real events, but rather such explanations.

The similarities between mythology and modern religion can be striking, and depending on your point of view, there are lots of explanations. The Greeks creation myth and the creation as described in The Bible follows the same basic path, the Greeks just personified the abstract concepts of the Void and Darkness and Light. The Greeks had a myth about the creation of man, and of woman, and both stories served the same purpose in their cultures (to indicate that women were the source of woe in the world and were to be controlled). They also had a flood myth, with a single surviving man and woman who then repopulated the earth (though the reasons for the flood are different - no Nephelim in Greece).

The myths surrounding people were the only ones probably based in truth, but no one educated actually thinks that Perseus was the offspring of Zeus (or even a fallen angel/demon). He was a man who founded a kingdom and what better way to legitimize yourself than to claim divinity? Kings throughout time have used divine right (dropping their own divinity for the idea that they were selected by God... not much different really) to force their will on others. Even in the US, God was invoked as the reason for westward expansion.

In summation, The Romans were masters of assimilation, and Rome WAS the Catholic Church. The absorbed pagan holidays and rituals, applied saints and saviors in the right places and made it Christian, and they did it to prevent bloodshed and rioting, and to keep the populace under control. The placement and name of Easter, the timing of Christmas and the idea of saintly feast days all have roots in paganism.