Opus Dei Versus The Da Vinci Code – Opus The Winner?

Ian Paisley dot Org ^ | 6 January 2006 | British Church Newspaper AKA European Institute of Protestant Studies

[Murtyo]

Aaaah, between a rock and a hard place. Where does Ian Paisley and Co. come down on this one??

[sourcery]

[Darkwolf377]

The DaVinci Code has entered the realm of "Who cares?" in my mind very rapidly. Last weekend I posted some of the blatant errors in the book--stuff a freshman high school art appreciation student would have known--and this weekend I can't think of a more boring topic.

I am sure this will be a huge hit, but those who WANT it to be true as a tool with which to bash the church will not be dissuaded, so what can this lone atheist do to convince those dopes otherwise?

[DaveTesla]

The Dead Sea Scrolls include a range of contemporary
documents that serve as a window on a turbulent and
critical period in the history of Judaism. In addition to
the three groups identified by Josephus (Pharisees,
Sadducees, and Essenes), Judaism was further divided into
numerous religious sects and political parties. With the
destruction of the Temple and the commonwealth in 70 C.E.,
all that came to an end. Only the Judaism of the Pharisees-
-Rabbinic Judaism--survived. Reflected in Qumran
literature is a Judaism in transition: moving from the
religion of Israel as described in the Bible to the
Judaism of the rabbis as expounded in the Mishnah (a third-
century compilation of Jewish laws and customs which forms
the basis of modern Jewish practice).

The Dead Sea Scrolls, which date back to the events
described in the New Testament, have added to our
understanding of the Jewish background of Christianity.
Scholars have pointed to similarities between beliefs and
practices outlined in the Qumran literature and those of
early Christians. These parallels include comparable
rituals of baptism, communal meals, and property. Most
interesting is the parallel organizational structures: the
sectarians divided themselves into twelve tribes led by
twelve chiefs, similar to the structure of the early
Church, with twelve apostles who, according to Jesus,
would to sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes
of Israel. Many scholars believe that both the literature
of Qumran and the early Christian teachings stem from a
common stream within Judaism and do not reflect a direct
link between the Qumran community and the early Christians.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/scrolls/juda.html

SO the Rabbis were supposed to validate Christ's
authenticity?
How absurd!


From left to right

Bartholomew
James Minor
Andrew
Peter (also called Simon Peter)
Judas Iscariot
John
Jesus
Thomas
James Major
Philip
Matthew
Thaddeus
Simon the Canaanite (also Simon the Zealot)

I count TWELVE apostles.
Or perhaps John just took the day off.

To quote David Horowitz: The Catholic Church was the enemy of Communism".

It is no mystery why today's Marxist's attack it.

[Darkwolf377]

To quote David Horowitz: The Catholic Church was the enemy of Communism". It is no mystery why today's Marxist's attack it.

Interesting points. This last one is intriguing because sometimes I think the Church has come around to the side of the socialists, at least where other nation's riches are concerned.

[CDHart]

My neighbors are all upset about it. When I told them I read the book two years ago, and it was FICTION, a NOVEL, they were shocked that I had read it. So most of these people are freaking out over something they haven't even read. Dumb, IMO.

Carolyn

[DaveTesla]

I think the Church has come around to the side of the socialists

It is called infiltration and is the reason I left the church.

[Darkwolf377]

I've read it, but abandoned it before the end. I don't think there's a need to freak out, but I do think it confirms how deeply the church is held in contempt, because it really IS as bad in terms of attacking the church as its critics claim.

I have to disagree slightly over the adamant assertion about it being a novel, and fiction, which it most certainly is...BUT the author put a note at the front of the book claiming the history it's bassed on is FACT. That's why I consider this a "stealth history" book, because everyone I've spoken to who loved the books says "It's all true, all the background about the church." Well, it's not, but the readers of this fiction believe it is.

[DaveTesla]

"If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth"
Joseph Stalin

[DaveTesla]

For fiction, Mr. Brown claims it is fact.

From the official web site:

FACT:

The Priory of Sion—a European secret society founded in
1099—is a real organization. In 1975, Paris's Bibliothèque
Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers
Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of
Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo,
and Leonardo da Vinci.

The Vatican prelature known as Opus Dei is a deeply devout
Catholic group that has been the topic of recent
controversy due to reports of brain-washing, coercion, and
a practice known as "corporal mortification." Opus Dei has
just completed construction of a $47 million National
Headquarters at 243 Lexington Avenue in New York City.

All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and
secret rituals in this novel are accurate.

PROLOGUE http://www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/excerpt.html>

[Darkwolf377]

All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.

And they most assuredly are not. In fact it's been noted that as editions come out, more corrections are made.

Not long ago I found a website where actual Parisians were pointing out all the erroris in the dscriptions of architecture, documents and streets in the book. I've already had it with arguing over how much art history this book flubs.

None of these were behind my reasoning for abandoning the book, btw. I just couldn't take one more cliched, uninteresting second of the stupid thing.

[Russ7]

This book is a clever attempt to redefine Jesus from the Divine to a purely human person. Once this is achieved then anyone with an opinion can define Jesus anyway they like....after all...everyone is entitled to their opinion...right??

Then there is NO absolute truth, just your version of the truth which all must respect.

One very clever way to destroy the premise that there is only one absolute truth is to take an example like...." this apple pie tastes delicious and is the best one ever made.". I could disagree with that statement without giving up my adherance to the belief in one absolute truth. There are subjective opinions and then there are non subjective opinions.

[sirchtruth]

There are subjective opinions and then there are non subjective opinions.

Is that absolutely true or not?

[cb]

I read the book and it read like someone's description of an "adventure" game he played on a computer once. You know the kind where you have to go somewhere and get something and it'll have a clue on it and if you aren't careful you'll get killed by some booby trap or ogre hiding under the stairs.

the part I love most was that the payoff was these "descendents" of Jesus hiding after 2000 years. Sheesh, few people can trace their lineage back 200 years. It was clearly bs from start to finish...who could take it seriously?

[Incorrigible]

Ha! So Paisley has a new boogyman beyond the Jesuits to stir up the red handers!

Thanks for slumming into alternate news sources so we don't have too Murtyo!

Paisley provides imputus for young people to join the ranks of the IRA. I like his projectionism that this book is a recruiting tool for the Uber-Catholics (as I've seen then referred as :-)

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Paisley provides imputus for young people to join the ranks of the IRA.

That statement doesn't make any sense, by that logic I must also be encouraging IRA membership by opposing the IRA.

[dalight]

The church seems to support socialism, it just opposes the offical atheism of the Communists.

[Russ7]

Do want a subjective answer or an absolute answer?

[CDHart]

"claiming the history it's bassed on is FACT."

It's about as factual as a Lifetime Movie Network fact-based movie.

Carolyn

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Love your tagline - it's true!