I'm a big fan of Joseph Campbell, who is considered by many to be a real authority on mythology - including Christianity. It was his opinion that mythology provides people with a guide to how the world works and a blueprint for living their lives. He also suggested we should stop quibbling over small details and pay attention to the message in the myth, particularly those myths that are repeated over and over in many different cultures and times. If Dionysus, Mithra and Jesus all share the same characteristics, what are those myths telling us?
    When he was asked what a culture would be like that had no such mythological guidelines, he said "Just pick up one of the major newspapers."
    As an example of how religious stories can become skewed, soon after WWII the U.S was in the process of rebuilding Japan's economy by encouraging manufacturing. One of the products produced by the Japanese was a Christmas ornament consisting of a lovely cross upon which was hung a white bearded fat man in a red suit. They never caught on, but they are quite valuable now among collectors.

O'Meara