Can we classify religions as myths?

[Dystopia]

According to the dictionary (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/myth) a myth can be:

1 - A traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.
2 - Stories or matter of this kind: realm of myth.
3 - Any invented story, idea, or concept: His account of the event is pure myth.
4 -An imaginary or fictitious thing or person.
5 - An unproved or false collective belief that is used to justify a social institution.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of recorded religions mankind has practiced and gods we have worshiped throughout history. Any sane person will not have a problem in classifying Greek, Egyptian or Norse gods/religions as mythology. Why not Christianity or Islam? After all, there is no evidence to support any claim regarding any religion/god, just like there wasn't proof for the ancient gods

My question is - Can we legitimately/"scientifically" consider all religions/gods as myth? Is the classification accurate? And if so, why is it a problem to classify the big five religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism) as myths and not the ancient gods/mythology/religions?

[Jenny A]

My question is - Can we legitimately/"scientifically" consider all religions/gods as myth? Is the classification accurate?

Yes.

And if so, why is it a problem to classify the big five religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism) as myths and not the ancient gods/mythology/religions?

Because it offends living practitioners. You know, like the various religious visitors who get offended here on the forums.

[Dystopia]

That would be my thought, indeed it offends living practitioners, just like if there were any worshipers of Thor or Zeus they'd freak out if we classified their gods as myths.

[The Valkyrie]

Yes, we keep trying but the religious majority just won't accept that definition for some reason.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Even the Bible says that the Bible is BS. Those English guys who wrote it were really pranksters.

Titus 1:14 (CEB) = They shouldn’t pay attention to Jewish myths and commands from people who reject the truth.

Think about that little gem The Bible is full of Jewish myths. The Bible says to disregard the myths that so many people believe. So that verse says not to believe anything in the Bible because it can all be nothing but Jewish myths.

[Rabb Allah]

By default a religion is based upon myth. You have prevailing theories such as the Ritual/Myth theory which are used to give meaning to myth and the rituals and religions that follow it. On a theological note, myth much like the word theory is what is used to classify all religious tales. Myth is not to be mistaken for a derogatory word.

I myself loves mythology but I would never mistaken those myths for reality and form a religion from them.

[ignoramus]

By default a religion is based upon myth. You have prevailing theories such as the Ritual/Myth theory which are used to give meaning to myth and the rituals and religions that follow it. On a theological note, myth much like the word theory is what is used to classify all religious tales. Myth is not to be mistaken for a derogatory word.

I myself loves mythology but I would never mistaken those myths for reality and form a religion from them.

90% of the world can't distinquish the difference unfortunately.
As our friend says: they go one god too far...

[Rabb Allah]

By default a religion is based upon myth. You have prevailing theories such as the Ritual/Myth theory which are used to give meaning to myth and the rituals and religions that follow it. On a theological note, myth much like the word theory is what is used to classify all religious tales. Myth is not to be mistaken for a derogatory word.

I myself loves mythology but I would never mistaken those myths for reality and form a religion from them.

90% of the world can't distinquish the difference unfortunately.
As our friend says: they go one god too far...

Well, just like the word "spirit" theist have taken the words myth, god and religion and corrupted into something it cannot possibly be. Santa Claus much like god is not a real and literal thing and somehow religious minds try making sense of this.