Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Navajo Creation Story
If we look at these stories from a modern perspective, then it is fairly likely that neither of them is entirely true. To what degree are they not factual, from a modern perspective? Equally. However, we must remember that this modern perspective, science, is a rather new (a few hundred years) idea. Humans have not always look at things from such a "if It hasn't happened it can't" perspective. We like order as a people so that is why we tend to gravitate toward science. But this is beside the point. What is more important is whether this story is more and less likely to be true. The answer to this, in my opinion, is that they are equally likely to be true. Sure this story seems way too fantastical to be true (yes, i just used the word fantastical) but isn't Adam and Eve equally strange? Adam makes Eve from his rib, they obtain things from eating fruit, etc. All and all, they both seem equally likely to be true.
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Then why do people tell the stories to people all over the world then. The stories are quite known in a lot of places. If people tell the stories for a number of years, then isn't there a certain amount of factuallity to what is aspect of the story is true.
ReplyDeleteI agree that taking into account what we know today, neither story is likely to be true. I suppose this could also make them equally likely to be true (looking at it from a glass half full/half empty perspective), but that would still be less likely than them being untrue. Also, I think that science, and the human tendency to gravitate towards it is important and completely relevant. It isn't just that we like order, it is that we like cause-effect and being able to prove an outcome. The fact that we can't do this with the creation stories makes it difficult for many to believe there is any truth to them.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the fact that our modern perspective gives us a different look at these stories than several hundred years ago. I'm wondering, though, do you think that one would seem more likely than another if we didn't look at the stories with such a modern perspective?
ReplyDeleteGood observations/questions all. Tim, good for you for noting that our modern sensibilities have changed what we consider factual and fantastical. Still, if we look at the stories as each getting at something fundamentally true about where we (along with evil/pain/disorder) came from, they suggest fundamentally different views that even a modern mind can have an opinion on.
ReplyDeleteThink about it futher.