fiction

1
Facts versus
fiction
Arturo Soto, MBA - Riga, May 2006
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Facts versus
fiction

• 1. Introduction
• 2. The New Testament
• 3. Jesus and the Church
• 4. Other arguments on various issues
• 5. Opus Dei

3
BROWNs Real history of Jesus

• He was a teacher and a philosopher of peace and
  love
• He wants to reestablish devotion to goddesses
• His wife was Magdalene (Holy Grail), He entrusted
  to her his new movement and she gave birth to his
  offspring
• Thirsty for power Peter from envy took control of
  the Church
• Magdelene has to flee to France, where her child
  grows and begins the secret family of Jesus,
  which is constantly persecuted by representatives
  of Peters Church

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BROWNs Real history of Jesus
The Prioiry of Sion saved the true story of
Jesus Merovingai, Da Vinci (saved the secret
in pictures),famous scientists, knights
templar Opus Dei is currently the Churchs tool
for destroying the secret
5
Other arguments onDa Vinci

• Until now history is written by the victors
  the Church from the time of Constantine. All for
  power
• Constantine forced bishops to accept a list of
  books of the Bible (the canon) and gave all power
  to Peters Church
• The dominant church condemned other viewpoints
• Discrimination against women also started within
  the church, against the will of Jesus

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What documents does Brown use for support?

• The cup of the Holy Grail 1981 Holy Blood and
  Holy Grail. M. Baigent (psychologist), R. Leigh
  (author), H. Linoln (TV director).
• Templar Revelation L. Pichnett ir C. Prince
  (parapsychologist and alien specialist)
• Goddess and Saint Mary Magdaliene The Woman
  With the Alabaster Jar M. Starbird its a
  fiction he admitted himself.
• Gnostic Gospels

IN COURT FOR PLAGIARISM
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FACTS The Gnostic Gospels

• Gnosticism was a complex philosophy, a fashion on
  some intellectuals
• Sincretism
• Dualism
• Ocult
• Antifeminist viewpoint.
• The gospels of Thomas ir Phillip II-V century
  texts,written not by direct witnesses of Jesus .
• Jesuss words were adapted according to gnostic
  ideas.
• There is no hint of a marriage between Jesus and
  Mary Magdelene.

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From the gospel of Phillip

• From the parchment And the friend (...) Mary
  of Magdalene (...) she more than (...) the
  disciples kissed him (...)
• Da Vinci Code distortion
• And the Savior had a friend Mary Magdalene.
  Christ gave her priority, often kissing her on
  the lips

9

• Peacefully, its only a novel, nothing to worry
  about
• The author said, all the art,architecture,
  documents and secret rituals described in this
  novel are real ir exact.
• He wants to reveal the true history of humanity
• (www.danbrown.com)

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2. The New Testament

• Da Vinci code
• In the beginning there were about 80 gospels and
  thousands of texts about Jesus.
• God didnt send the Bible by fax...
• The victors chose the gospels they preferred most

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FACTS 2. The New Testament

• The faith of the Church
• God didnt leave books. He left people
• The first five decades Christians lived out their
  faith without writings, for them the Old
  Testament and apostles examples and teachings
  were sufficient
• Revelation of God were transferred from time to
  time from one community to another.
• With the passage of time some documents were
  considered authoritative sources
• they appeared at the time of the Apostles or
  first witnesses of Christ
• they were used everywhere in liturgical rites

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FACTS history says...
4 Gospels
32 years
33 years after Ch.
100
65
150
122 years
Are the Gnostic gospels more believable than the
New Testament?
NO
Gnostic gospels
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Other ancient texts
Authors Authors When written The oldest copy Span of years Copies
Julius Ceasar Julius Ceasar 100-44 after Christ 900 after Christ 1,000 10
Aristotel Aristotel 384 322 after Christ. 1,100 after Christ 1,400 5
Erodot Erodot 480 425 after Christ 900 after Christ 1,300 8
Demosten Demosten 283 222 after Christ 1,100 after Christ 1,300 200
Gospels Gospels 60-100 After Christ 150 after Christ 50 5400





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FACTS 2. New Testament

• 100 AD there is already rules of faith everywhere
• Most of the Christian writers are cited
• Used everywhere in liturgy
• Its the best remaining and best documented
  collection of ancient texts
• There are more than 5400 handwritten copies
  saved in various libraries of the world
• 98 of the New Testament handwritten documents
  are identical to the current

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FACTS 2. The New Testament

• About 150 AD
• All bishops recognised 4 gospels
• Only when the freedom to meet came about, 393 AD
  Hippo meeting (and not 313 AD as stated by Brown)
  the bishops decided officially which Bible books
  are inspired by God according to tradition.
• Gnostic books denied Jesus humanity.

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According to Brown

• Until 313 AD. Nobody believed in Jesus' divinity
• Current Christianity was thought up by the
  Emperor Constantine.
• Jesus was a clever teacher.
• There were thousands of texts about His humanity
  spread everywhere.
• Constantine brought together the bishops in Nicea
  so that they would pronounce Jesus divinity,
  though none believed it.

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• Did no one believe in
• Jesuss divinity until 313 AD?

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FACTS persecutions until 313 AD

• Pagan documents of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
  centuries Tacit, Svetonijus Celsas. Roman
  empires acts of martyrs. Witnesses of Passiones.
  
• Dark witnesses of Christians, hated peoples
  relations, disastrous superstition, they have
  their god and dont want to sacrifice to the gods
  of the Roman Empire

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FACTS the Pagans wrote

• 108 AD Plinijus wrote for the Emperor Trajan
• They usually come together and pray to Jesus
  as God on the established day before dawn. They
  also pledge themselves...

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FACTS From Nerons (54-68 AD) Religio
illicita

• What awaited the first victors?
• Peter, Phillip and Andrew were crucified. Paul
  was beheaded, Jacob was chopped up, John was
  sent into excile and thrown into a boiling vat of
  oil, Thomas was killed with a spear in a stove,
  Jacob was beaten to death with a stick and
  stones, Baltrams skin was pierced, Matt was
  killed with a sword, Judas Tadas was beaten with
  a stick, Simon was cut in half with a saw,
  Mattias was killed with an axe.

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FACTS persecutions until 313 AD

• Domicion (81-96 AD)
• Trajan (108 AD) Here 10,000 died.
• Antonin Pijus (138-161 AD)
• Marcus Aurelijus (161-180 AD)
• Komodas (180-192 AD)
• Septimijus Severas (193-211 AD)
• Maksimas Traksas (235-238 AD)
• Especially Romes 1000 aniversary (248 AD)
  peoples energetically raised against them.
• Decijus (249-251 AD)
• Valerijonas (253- 260 AD)
• Diokecianas (284-305 AD)

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Other questions

• Why didnt it tolerate them when Rome tolerated
  all philosophies and religions?
• Why kill worshipers of goddesses if this was
  accepted in ancient Rome?
• Why would people gives their lives for the
  teacher of this movement?

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From the resurrection of Christ Christians
believed that Jesus is both God and man. Due to
that

• Through 11 persecution periods several hundred
  thousand people were discriminated against,
  tortured in stadiums, thrown into boiling old,
  killed

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FACTSConstantine and Nicea meetings

• Constantine, from 313 AD, seeking to strengthen
  the Roman Empire, was favourable to Christianity
• Therefore he called the Council of Nicea
• The Council of Nicea officially and
  philosophically confirmed the original faith
  true God from true God,begotten not made, one in
  being with the Father,....
• The bishops didnt create anything new
• The vote went for 298, against 2
• According to Brown hardly 51 percent were for

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4. Other arguments

• FACTS
• Only half a million people lived in Palestine
• In the neighbouring kingdoms of Palestine there
  are no historical writings about a Jewish leader
  overthrowing their kings...

• Da Vinci Code
• Jesus inspired millions of people to overthrow
  the king from the throne, ...

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4. Other arguments

• Da Vinci Code
• The Gospels showed a too divine Jesus, seeking
  to create a myth of divinity

• FACTS
• He was born, ate, drank, cried, made merry, got
  angry, suffered, died
• The disciples are described as cowards, selfish,
  egoists...

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4. Other arguments

• Da Vinci Code
• Its clear that He was married

• FACTS
• The Gospels werent quiet about Jesuss other
  relations friendships, family. Why would they be
  silent on this?
• Rabbis certainly married. He wasnt a rabbi..
• Celibacy, although seldom, was practiced
  Essenians, John the Baptist, Paul...

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4. Other arguments

• FACTS
• Why is she always and everywhere mentioned as
  Saint Mary Magdelene?
• Why leave her in the Gospel as the first witness
  of Jesuss ressurrection?

• Da Vinci Code
• the Church condemned Mary Magdalene and
  maintained that she was a demonic prostitute

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4. Other arguments

• Da Vinci Code
• The Church, fighting against goddess worship,
  discriminated against women...

• FACTS
• There is a special devotion to the Virgin Mary,
  Mother of God.
• How many female saints are there in the Church?

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4. Other arguments

• FACTS
• The most recent research shows that witch
  hunts
• - took place in 1550-1630 AD, and not many
  centuries
• - killed 40,000 people, and not millions
• - 20 percent of them were men
• - 98 percent of cases were in France (Catholic),
  Switzerland and Germany (protestant)
• - They were carried out by Catholics and
  protestants. 50 percent were the states
  themselves.

• Da Vinci Code
• Through many centuries, on a global scale
  witch-hunt burned 5 million innocent women

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4. Other arguments

• Da Vinci Code
• The Priory of Sion
• Established in 1099 AD
• Les Dossiers Secrets
• Parchments, 1975 AD. Found in the Paris National
  Library.

• FACTS
• Les Dossiers Secrets (Tuscan du Plantier
  1967)was forged 1967 AD fraudently placed in the
  Library
• The forgers confessed that the Priory was
  established in 1956 AD.

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Opus Dei according to Brown

• Da Vinci Code
• Organisation of monks
• Power hungry sect
• Masochism practicing people

• FACTS
• A Church approved lay organisation
• The whole of Opus Dei is equal to Hobart
  (Tasmania) city diocese
• Penitence practice is exaggerated in the book

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OPUS DEI A laymens organisation
34
Dr. Ernesto Cofino, Guatemala Family father
Tony Zwiefel, Switzerland. Engineer
Montse Grases, Spain. Pupil
Isidoro Zorzano, Argentina
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St. Josemaria EscrivaSought holiness and
apostolate in the everyday

• Means?
• Sacraments
• Prayer
• The sacrifice of work
• Repentence and subjugation of the body
• There is an old tradition of the Church. There
  are many saints.
• To suffer together with Jesus and all humanity.
• To repent your own and others sins.
• Self control and restraint
• No pain, no gain.

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Conclusions

• Faith in Christ is scientifically based on the
  Gospels.
• The Church never received benefit from faith.
• There are a lot of gaps in the faith of
  believers.
• The Church respected women more than others,
  since it respected their dignity.
• If you want to know about the Church and Opus
  Dei, its better to turn to trustworthy sources.

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Literature

• Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown
• De-coding Da Vinci. Facts behind the fiction of
  the Da Vinci Code. Amy Welborn. Our Sunday
  Visitor. Hintington IN, USA 2004
• Dictionnarie de la Bible, Supplement. Letouzey et
  Ane. Paris 1988
• Conocer la Biblia, J. Montforte, 39-42. RIALP,
  Madrid
• Kataliku Bažnycios Katekizmas n. 120
• Reasonable Faith, W. Craig, p. 194
• Kleine Kirchengeschichte, Herder Taschenbuch
  Verlag, 1988, p. 45
• Geschichte der Katholischen Kirche. Leipzig 1989.
  p. 51-59
• Šventieji. Fernando ir Gioia Lanzi, Alma Littera.
  P. 53..
• The Scholar and the Godess, Charlotte Allenn,
  Atlantic
• Witches and Neighbors, R. Briggs, Oxford
  University
• Gli illuminati e il Priorato di Sion. Massimo
  Introvigne, Piemmpe Spa, Italia 2005