The Bible Decoded

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" -- Matthew 5:9

"Men loved darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil" -- John 3:19

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In its academic sense, the word myth simply means "a traditional story", whether true or false. (It is from this definition that the study of "mythology" derives, which includes all religions)

The truth is a mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, anthropomorphisms, in short, a sum of human relations which were poetically and rhetorically heightened, transferred, and adorned, and after long use seem solid, canonical, and binding to a nation. Truths are illusions about which it has been forgotten that they are illusions."
- Nietzsche (in Lewis Hyde's Trickster Makes This World)

Taoism emerged in China about 500 bc, and gave us holistic medicine, energy healings, acupuncture, herbal cures, martial arts, and chi, the invisible life force. It's a philosophy of health based on nature, and all things in balance. The Yin-Yang symbol (above) is well-known and illustrates this, the light and dark are in balance but always changing into the other, like night and day; the only constant in life is change itself. Neither is perfect, so each contains a spot of the other, some say this is the male & female, or positive & negative. It's a very open philosophy that accepts all religions, its goal was to stop warfare, promote health, treat each other with kindness and respect, and stay in balance with nature.
Here's a great basic intro:
Religious Tolerance - Taoism

Even though this represents a lifetime of Bible and religious education that began at age five (when I could already read and was given my first Bible, a revised standard edition from 1954 that incorporated changes from the recently discovered Dead Sea Scrolls), many writers, teachers, and philosophers have influenced my thoughts and progress. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge them here for those interested in further theological study.

- Christian metaphysician, author, and teacher Charles Fillmore, founder of the Unity School of Christianity.He said "What you think today may not be the measure of what you think tomorrow."

- Author Alan Watts, who deftly blended the line between eastern and western philosophy, and emphasized that "the only constant in life is change" in his concise, wise, and last book, "The Wisdom of Insecurity".

- Georgia theosophy author Roy Eugene Davis, who brilliantly explained the journey on the spiritual path that we all take in "The Way of the Initiate".

- Professor of mythology and author Joseph Campbell, who showed us all the unity and growth of myth and religion, the underlying common themes to nearly all disciplines of belief, in classics like "The Hero with 1000 Faces", "Masks of God", and "Transformation of Myths Through Time".

- Theosophical author Natalie Banks, whose brilliant book of the parable "The Golden Thread", shows the common link between nearly all religions.

- Christian teacher and theologian Joyce Meyer, who is bringing metaphysics into traditional protestant churches, helping people find "a deeper meaning" and expanding her wisdom through expert use of modern media: TV, internet, CD and DVD recordings. Not only that but her ministry uses the proceeds to feed hungry people worldwide. "It does no good to just tell people 'Praise God', or 'Thank you Jesus'. You end up sounding like an idiot."

In the British comedy film The Ruling Class, the mad earl, played by Peter O'Toole, thinks he is Jesus. The local priest asks him why he thinks he is God, and he replies, "Because when I pray, I find that I'm talking to myself."