Howstuffworks.com takes on scientific and other inaccuracies in The Da Vinci Code. Proving that Dan Brown is just a good of scientist as he is a theologian.
BIBLES have been banished from Victorian hospital bedsides and
some schools because they may offend non-Christians.
Almost all Melbourne’s major hospitals have withdrawn the Holy
Book from rooms and several schools have refused to allow their students to
be given free Bibles.
The Gideons International Australia, which distributes Bibles free
to hospitals, schools and motels, blames political correctness.
"The reason most often given is that ‘We are a multicultural
organisation and we don’t want to offend anyone’," Gideons’ executive director
Trevor Monson said.
"It is a terrible shame because we get lots of letters from
people who say having a Bible by their hospital bed has been a great comfort
to them during their darkened days."
The Catholic Church condemned the ban and labelled arguments that
Bibles could offend non-Christians as "silly".
"To say that other faiths might be offended if a Bible is there
is nonsense," Archdiocese of Melbourne auxiliary bishop Christopher Prowse
said.
Hospitals including the Royal Melbourne, Royal Children’s, Austin,
The Alfred, Monash Medical Centre, Box Hill, Maroondah, Dandenong and Casey
have all removed Bibles. Royal Melbourne spokesman Rod Jackson-Smith denied
a ban, but said: "We don’t (have Bibles in each room) any more.
"Because we have so many people from different religious backgrounds
it is considered inappropriate.
"It is also an infection control measure."
Well I guess there are some plagues in the Bible. Just ask the
Egyptians. Or maybe they had misheard and thought the Bible included the Mold
Testatment.
Dan Mitsui at The Lion and the Cardinal has created a new pen and ink drawing of Calvary. The detail is really amazing since the more you study it the more you see. Quite beautiful.
With the movie version of “The Da Vinci Code” set to open May 19th, frankly some of us have Da Vinci fatigue. What better time for some fun in parody than now? Humor is good for all of us! Introducing "The BaLoney Code," a parody written by Davis Sweet. “An expert and hilarious job of terminal surgery.” says Tony Hendra, founding editor of National Lampoon. This is not another ticked-off Catholic book debunking "The Da Vinci Code." It’s just full-on irreverent humor, like "Blazing Saddles" or Monty Python.
Book Description
In this hilarious sendup, a Harvard professor ("Herbert Longwind") of a non-existent discipline ("symbologify") teams up with a sexy French police officer ("Trophie Adieu," whose grandfather died for The Secret) and an eccentric British billionaire ("Bob Teabag") to track down the Holy Grail. They face cliffhangers and absurd conspiracies at every turn, leading them through seven pop culture-oriented codes ("The De Vito Code," "The Bon Jovi Code," and more) until they find their mythical quarry — but, naturally, it’s not what they expected.
"Doctor Longwind," Trophie said curtly. "I see you’re inspecting my horribly murdered grandfather."
"You must be Trophie Adieu, the most educated person in the Dubuque police force, whom I’ve heard so much about," Longwind said. "I understand that in addition to your police work in cryptography, you are a paleontologist, linguist, ophthalmologist, toxicologist, dentist, exorcist, ventriloquist, and immunologist."
"Yes," Trophie said. "Which makes me the second most educated person on the force."
"Interesting story," Longwind said. "I was just hearing about your accomplishments, and I realized that if you put all your titles together, the initial letters spell out P-L-O-T-D-E-V-I-C. If you had an E in there, you’d have an anagram for ‘Pelvic Dote.’ "
"I have the E," Trophie said. "I’m also an ethnomusicologist, all but dissertation. But you may not dote on my pelvis until I know you better."
The press release for the book says "Dan Brown, has a style that is so breathless and melodramatic it’s practically impossible not to lampoon"
A couple of weeks ago Mike Aquilina linked to and recommended the Daily Gospel which is a free service that emails you the readings of the day along with some commentary which can range from the Fathers of the Church to modern day saints and others. I have been reading it for the last couple of weeks and found the commentary to excellent. I especially like the one they had today.
Saint Theresia Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein] (1891-1942), Carmelite, Martyr, Co-patroness of Europe
The Prayer of the Church
“The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
Christ is the way that leads to interior life and to the choirs of the blessed who sing the eternal Sanctus. Christ’s blood is the curtain in the Temple through which we penetrate into the Holy of Holies of divine life (Heb 9:11f.; 10:20). In baptism and the sacrament of penance, he purifies us of sin, he opens our eyes to the eternal light, he opens our ears to perceive the divine Word, he opens our lips so that we begin to sing the song of praise, so that we pray the prayer of reconciliation, of petition, of thanksgiving; and all those prayers are nothing but various forms of the one adoration…
But it is above all the sacrament in which Christ is personally present, which makes us members of his body. By participating in the sacrifice and in the sacred meal, by being nourished with the flesh and blood of Jesus, we ourselves become his flesh and his blood. And only when we are members of his body, and to the extent to which we are that in truth, his Spirit can give us life and reign in us… We become members of the body of Christ “not only through love…, but also really and truly by being one with his flesh. That is realized through the food he gave us in order to prove to us his desire for us. That is why he lowered himself even to the point of coming to us, and that he formed his own body in us, so that we might be one, as the body is united with the head.” (St. John Chrysostom) As members of his body, animated by his Spirit, we offer ourselves in sacrifice “through him, with him and in him,” and we unite our voices to the eternal thanksgiving.
Dave Hartman at Catholic Report interviews the Bishop Of Saginaw, Robert Carlson. Bishop Carlson has just returned from a pilgrimage to Rome and while there was asked by Pope Benedict XVI to meet with him. Bishop Carlson is truly an excellent bishop.
First Gen X Revert does a short fisk of some responses for a VOTF conference in Long Island. Now Gerald has laid in with some punches to the VOTF recap.
By the way Gerald has been running an excellent series on "Tabernacles to Love" and pictures from beautiful churches his readers has sent in.
Just when you think you have seen it all Gerald presents a group of Franciscans from Zurerich with a tea ceremony including one picture of a woman sitting in a pentagram smoking a cross-shaped pipe.