"The Da Vinci Code" Thoughts
A line from Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" tells you why it's easily the most disputed religious novel of all time: "Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false."
I got this off the internet. I have read the book and listened to it. And I have listened to some of the rebuttals. Interesting, some of the rebuttals have more lies than the book itself.
I am very happy about the book and the movie. Not because it is factual, but because it is setting established religion on its nose, where it was 2,000 years ago, and where it should have stayed.
When I was a child, the RSV, just out, was considered blasphamy by the King James group, and still is today by some, despite the understanding the KJV had a few flaws in it. A recent spam (like yesterday) insisted the KJV was the only version "authorized" by God. Wow.
The catholic church ruled western religion for a thousand years, 400-1400, which coincidently were called the dark ages. Reading and writing were universally baned outside of a small in-group, prients, monks, and such. Even services were in a language unknown to the congragations. Corruption was normal. Killing by torture anyone with independent thoughts was normal. Killing women who were even slightly exceptional was normal. Killing people who tried to break away was normal. America was founded, in part, by those trying to get away from the church. Anything better now? In Washington alone, the priest rape price is going to be over $100 million before the victims are completely and properly paid off, with few prients going to (choke) "jail" for a crime that for everyone else jail is a given.
How accurate is the catholic church? Let's see.
The second commandment is on graven images, whoops. WRONG. The second commandment is the third commandment moved up a notch, and the tenth commandment is doubled. Cool. Now they can spend billions on images cause they rewrote the commandments.
How about marriage. How did Peter get a mother-in-law without being married? What happened to Paul saying a religious leader needed to be the husband of one wife? Doesn't work in the catholic church. How many popes fathered children? Oops.
People in glass houses have rock throwing issues. Any catholic complaining about false doctrine better go find a mirror.
I don't claim to have a clue about the validity of of the Da Vinci code or the correctness of religion or doctrine. I don't claim to know any answers about religion, faith, or spirituality, except one. If you have a personal relationship with God, you have something. If you don't, you don't.
Anyone who wants to know what I mean about having a personal relationship with God, watch Fiddler on the Roof. Just a movie, but Tevye shows what I'm talking about in a way not duplicated by anything else I've seen. And, it isn't even a Christian depiction.
Let's see. Where did that idea come from?
"And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Gen. 5:24
Enoch did in the Bible what Tevye did in the movie. And what we all could be doing, if...
All of the rest of religion is smoke and mirrors. And the catholic church appears to have that market cornered. Not that the rest of established religion isn't trying to compete. And all of us including me, regardless of our religious affiliation, or the lack of, all of us want to point fingers. But, who is right? If you have a personal relationship with God, it doesn't matter who is right. And, if you don't have one, it also doesn't matter. Search your heart. Which do you have?
I got this off the internet. I have read the book and listened to it. And I have listened to some of the rebuttals. Interesting, some of the rebuttals have more lies than the book itself.
I am very happy about the book and the movie. Not because it is factual, but because it is setting established religion on its nose, where it was 2,000 years ago, and where it should have stayed.
When I was a child, the RSV, just out, was considered blasphamy by the King James group, and still is today by some, despite the understanding the KJV had a few flaws in it. A recent spam (like yesterday) insisted the KJV was the only version "authorized" by God. Wow.
The catholic church ruled western religion for a thousand years, 400-1400, which coincidently were called the dark ages. Reading and writing were universally baned outside of a small in-group, prients, monks, and such. Even services were in a language unknown to the congragations. Corruption was normal. Killing by torture anyone with independent thoughts was normal. Killing women who were even slightly exceptional was normal. Killing people who tried to break away was normal. America was founded, in part, by those trying to get away from the church. Anything better now? In Washington alone, the priest rape price is going to be over $100 million before the victims are completely and properly paid off, with few prients going to (choke) "jail" for a crime that for everyone else jail is a given.
How accurate is the catholic church? Let's see.
The second commandment is on graven images, whoops. WRONG. The second commandment is the third commandment moved up a notch, and the tenth commandment is doubled. Cool. Now they can spend billions on images cause they rewrote the commandments.
How about marriage. How did Peter get a mother-in-law without being married? What happened to Paul saying a religious leader needed to be the husband of one wife? Doesn't work in the catholic church. How many popes fathered children? Oops.
People in glass houses have rock throwing issues. Any catholic complaining about false doctrine better go find a mirror.
I don't claim to have a clue about the validity of of the Da Vinci code or the correctness of religion or doctrine. I don't claim to know any answers about religion, faith, or spirituality, except one. If you have a personal relationship with God, you have something. If you don't, you don't.
Anyone who wants to know what I mean about having a personal relationship with God, watch Fiddler on the Roof. Just a movie, but Tevye shows what I'm talking about in a way not duplicated by anything else I've seen. And, it isn't even a Christian depiction.
Let's see. Where did that idea come from?
"And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." Gen. 5:24
Enoch did in the Bible what Tevye did in the movie. And what we all could be doing, if...
All of the rest of religion is smoke and mirrors. And the catholic church appears to have that market cornered. Not that the rest of established religion isn't trying to compete. And all of us including me, regardless of our religious affiliation, or the lack of, all of us want to point fingers. But, who is right? If you have a personal relationship with God, it doesn't matter who is right. And, if you don't have one, it also doesn't matter. Search your heart. Which do you have?
posted by John | 8:12 AM
1 Comments:
I love Fiddler on the Roof.
However, I think you make a mistake in your accusatoins against the Catholic Church.
Your objection about the 10 Commandments doesn't hold because the entire text is still included in the Catholic arrangement. Catholics do believe it is wrong make images and worship them as if they were God Himself.
Also, the Catholic Faith is not invalidated by the presence of sin and ignorance. John Paul II (a very holy man) acknowledged the presence of sin and ignorance amongst Catholics and even its leadership.
But even Christ had sinful followers and leaders. Judas betrayed Him. Peter denied Him and even cut off a fellow's ear in defiance of Christ.
Reading and writing has NEVER been banned by the Catholic Church.
Even at the time of the Reformation, the laity could understand the Latin of the Mass and most had prayerbooks to help them. I'd encourage you to read Stripping of the Altars.
The killing of people is wrong. But Jews kill Palestinians and each other. Does that mean that Judaism is evil. Hindus and Muslims kill each other over religion. Again, why focus on Catholicism when warts can be found anywhere?
Reducing everything to "a personal relationship with God" sounds nice and satisfying. But at the end of the day, "personal relationships" require knowledge and communication.
If I don't know who my wife is, what her feelings, emotions, desires, thoughts, etc. are - How can I have a relationship with her?
At the end of the day we must to submit to God's revelation about Himself. That means there cannot be contradictions. Jesus, Mohammed, and Buddha can't be all be correct. Jesus said He was the Son of God and the only Savior of maknind. Mohammed said he was only a human prophet. Both can't be right.
Post a Comment
<< Home