It may be stupid, but at least it is decently stupid to misunderstand and reject myth. What is indecently stupid is to misunderstand and accept myth.

This indecent stupidity comes in two strains, one phobic and the other counter-phobic: 1) fundamentalism, and 2) psychologization of myth, a la Joseph Campbell.

The commonality of the two strains is also two-fold. They share: 1) a stunted intellectuality dominated by a narrow conception of knowledge as explanation; and 2) a preoccupation with religion experienced primarily as a form of libidinous power, fascinating because it defies explanation. The fundamentalist wants to harness that power (which is alarming) and the psychological mythicist wants to disarm and diffuse it (which is boring). And of course, there are also those disordered souls who have both attitudes toward myth simultaneously, and spasmodically push and pull against it according to their current orientation (which is embarrassing). This type is common in the New Age community.

These three types all have “spiritual” self-identities, but are the furthest thing from spiritual. They lack depth, and they lack the will to know what depth is.

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People who want life explained to them should study science. People who find God incomprehensible ought to be (cautious) atheists.