I think it's difficult to approach the intellectual side of myth/tradition without looking at (social) psychological aspects, also. In large part, these communities of myth/tradition do a good job of supporting believers by outing Others (kind of like the main characters on LOST or even a little bit like a cult) and bolstering a foundation of common belief. On the other hand, living in a society ruled by corporate greed and liberalism under the auspices of corporations and business interests, I can almost see the draw to more myth religion for those who don't have social support or individual stubborness for the truth. After all, just take a look at the irrational support that Bush and neo-conservatives got after 9-11 until relatively recently. Sure, he officially has only received just over 50% of the popular vote, but imagine the intoxication of being part of the supporting group until even that group became strained by the truth.
I still believe in a combination of skeptical agnosticism with an emphasis on both rationalism and mystery, which drives us forward to discover while also be cautious about not causing too much damage. We've done a horrible job following this path so far, but I believe we can do it.
--The_Lex Sun, 25 Feb 2007 11:57:40 -0500