This was well said....." What matters is the power of myths to inspire belief and to enable believers to make sense of their experiences. .... Once accepted, a myth can be used to ennoble the past, explain the present, and hold out hope for the future. It gives individual and social life meaning and direction. This ability to guide action distinguishes myths from legends, folk tales, and other stories. In short, myths have the power to change lives and shape societies." I have struggled to shed the literalism of my upbringing so as to better respect cultures and people that utilize myth telling to make sense of their world. It is hard to not equate "myth" with lie but doing so will better my understanding of people and history. It is unfortunate that fundementalists unknowingly are destroying the beauty or power of Bible stories by insisting they are uniquely historical. I do not have to agree with the perceptions of the world that these ancients had but I can understand how they felt and empathize with them.