Facts and truth are relative and there are few universal truths. One universal truth is that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Aside from that and a few other universal truths, truths are relative to our education, environment, religion, etc., etc., etc.
We choose to believe in God, or not.
We choose to believe that today is Wednesday, or not.
History is replete with historical revisionism and much of history is difficult to verify. For example, if we take the Bible, what is supposed to be the Word of God, the first books of the Old Testament were not written until more than 300 years after the death of Christ. Up to that point, the story was passed down verbally.
Then, many centuries later, King James decided that there were issues with the Old Testament and re-wrote it the way that he thought it should be. He changed some facts, made up others and completely misinterpreted the meanings of some of the original text. Even today, Biblical scholars can’t agree on many parts of the Bible because within the pages of the Bible there are so many inconsistencies.
So, we choose what facts we believe and what facts we choose not to believe. This is why cops try to get statements from as many witnesses as possible because all of the witnesses they interview saw the event slightly differently.
You choose to believe certain things about the DaVinci Code based on research you have performed, or others have performed or the time of day. Why you choose to believe these things is personal to you. I choose to believe different things about the DaVinci Code. I also said that I thought it was in interesting story but, at the end of the day, it’s still fiction. Some fiction makes you go “hmmmmm”. Other fiction makes you close the book and move onto the next one without giving it another thought.
I don’t expect ANY fiction to be historically accurate, nor do I expect to be believe that it is factual. That’s why it’s called fiction. If Brown’s research suggests that the art, architecture and secret societies were real, then that’s his reality because that’s his perception of the facts and, for each of us, perception is reality.
Your perception of reality is different from his and you disagree with his presentation of the story. I read the book simply to read a story that presented an interesting plot . . . TO ME. So, my perception of reality is a little different from you AND from Dan Brown.
In everything I have seen that you have posted, your biggest beef appears to be with the Priory of Scion. I haven’t seen you take issue with the Knights Templar or Opus Dei, for example. So, I don’t know if you take issue with those as being “factual”, or if the Priory of Scion issue consumes so much of your attention that you haven’t gotten to some of these other things.
Regardless, you will go back to your initial position and fail to understand any of mine. That’s your choice and you are welcome to think/believe whatever you choose.
Thanks for a good discussion.
(IOW, we can continue to eat up JimRob’s BW and not change each other’s minds. Let’s end it here.)
Today is Wednesday. If we choose to believe otherwise we are choosing falsehood.
The truth matters. A pilot who chooses to believe whatever he wishes about his altitude; a parent who chooses to believe whatever he wishes about his child; a driver who chooses to believe whatever he wishes about cars in the opposing lane…
The truth matters. Spreading falsehoods has consequences. This is, or was, a discussion about what is true.
Let’s end it here.
I can't see a path to continue. A debate on what is true is futile if one side believes that truth is a personal choice.
Thanks for your reply.