Types of religious stories

There are several kinds of religious (a.k.a. mythological) stories. Because of the amount of time between when the stories began, and when they were written down, many will overlap. Some may even have elements of all four.

1. Fantasy
   These stories were invented purely for entertainment purposes. There is as much reality in them as there is in the Harry Potter series.
   
   
2. Fable
   These stories were invented to teach children, and older newcomers to the society, how to live peacefully with the group
   
   
3. History
   These stories have a basis in something that really did happen long ago. But, like a giant rumor mill, these stories changed. Some things were added, and others forgotten. It is a challenge to find the truth among the fiction.
   
   
4. Science
   Now, I do realize that these stories are rarely scientifically accurate. I do, however, understand what our ancestors might have thought. They saw things happening around them, and created a story to explain the why and how. It is no longer science, because we have (for the most part) discovered what's really going on. But they do give insight into how people thought thousands of years ago.