Just started reading The Davinci Code

None really...I've been in a mood recently, so I've been on a horror kick. Good luck with the Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown writes like an unusually bright 8 year-old with Down's Syndrome.

Can't read...eyes burned out. Two books at once? At the same time?

Actually I am planning to read the book that "Syriana" was based on because after seeing the movie twice, I still don't understand what was going on other than it was about some big oil, CIA, law firm, State Dept. blowback/meddling in the ME(Saudi A.).

What's the average IQ of a reader anyway?

You usually have to write in direct porportion to the ability of the readers you're trying to reach.

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What is "average," 95-110? Somewhere in there? I'm not sure, but I get what you're at...he can tell a story, but his prose is, well, awkward...to say the least. I wasn't being insulting to you, just Dan Brown.

You got that right.

He's fucking useless and virtually unreadable, worse than recent Stephen King.

Hardy. If a person wrote books according to peoples IQ's not one book would ever be sold or read! Idiots can't read, GLP proves that.

I found the Da Vinci code to be a good book for a 9 hour plane ride.
a typical fast-read dime store novel.
Nothing offensive in it for this Catholic.

I don't know what I'm in for.

I just read 7 pages describing this Dude's ride across Paris to the Louvre. 7 pages? I could of condensed that down to 1 or 2 sentences.

I know some ppl pay attention to detail, but good Lord!

I don't need a play by play about a freaking car ride!

Agreed.

Dan Brown is a lot worse of a writer than, say, Harold Robbins, or Tom Clancy.

And THAT is saying something!

His book is basicly a repeat of Holy Blood, Holy Grail written about 1982 by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln.
There is also Bloodline of the Holy Grail, by Lawrence Gardner.
And then to round it out, you must read Atlantis, Alien Visitation & Genetic Manipulation by Michael Tsarion.

You will begin to wonder if this bloodline is really so "holy" and good, or if perhaps it is the most sinister and threatening thing that has ever come upon this planet.

It makes you wonder, if there is a Merovingian Bloodline, why do they not openly rule the world by now?

I mean, since Adam Weishaupt incorporated the Bavarian Illuminati 230 years ago, you'd think they'd pulled off world order by now?

Someone needs to buy Maurice Strong, Rockefeller and their Ilk the "Idiots Guide to New World Order Building."

On a side note, I do have a link through on my website about Prince William, the strongest candidate I see for future world ruler and Biblical Antichrist.

[link to www.searchconspiracy.com]

I use to host the files myself, but, considering I'm getting 20,000 hits a week now, It bogs me down to host them.

Hence, the link through to the original site.

So far interesting, but certain parts suck.

Don't even bother to waste your time like that. It's a whitewash of a whitewash.

It is a good book if you just read it for entertainment purposes only...

I found it to be a pretentious bore.

I just started reading DVC too.
Interesting you should mention the car ride to the embassy.
That's about where I put the book down.
I'm curious enough to keep reading, I guess.

Langdon's character is limp.
I already dislike Sophie.
That nun shoulda locked her door.


Silas the albino is intriguing ...
I've been meaning to look up cilice.
Why doesn't he have blood poisoning already?



Anyway, I haven't seen the movie, so I don't have a clue.

i prefered deception point and that was still shite

Would of been cool when Silas found the Keystone, for the Nun to whip out a .50 cal and blow him and the church to smithereens :O)

"You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
~ John 8:32

Corporal Mortification in Opus Dei

Corporal mortification is regularly practiced in Opus Dei. It is perhaps one of the most startling aspects of Opus Dei life for people outside the group. Many of the practices of corporal mortification were at one time more regularly practiced within the Church; however, due to modern psychology and thinking, the practices which inflict pain are sometimes considered to be counterproductive to one's spiritual development, as they can easily lead to pride and an unhealthy attitude toward one's body.

Some acts of corporal mortification may be helpful in checking the desires of the flesh, such as fasting. However, in Opus Dei, especially for the numerary (celibate) members, all of the practices mentioned below are mandatory if one wishes to live the "Spirit of Opus Dei" fully.

The "Spirit of Opus Dei" is the standard of living, as outlined by the Opus Dei directors, for which all truly dedicated Opus Dei members strive. Under the umbrella of the "Spirit of Opus Dei" hide many of the abuses in Opus Dei. The subtle control to conform to the norm is typical in groups which practice mind control; members are "guilted" into conforming, feeling that they must in order to follow "God's will" as it is outlined by the controlling group.

Listed below are the ways Opus Dei numeraries practice corporal mortification:
* Cilice: [photo of cilice] [link to www.odan.org] - a spiked chain worn around the upper thigh for two hours each day, except for Church feast days, Sundays, and certain times of the year. This is perhaps the most shocking of the corporal mortifications, and generally Opus Dei members are extremely hesitant to admit that they use them. It is a painful mortification which leaves small prick holes in the flesh, and makes the Opus Dei members tentative about wearing swim suits wherever non-Opus Dei members may be.

* Discipline : [Photo of whip] [link to www.odan.org] - a cord-like whip which resembles macrame, used on the buttocks or back once a week. Opus Dei members must ask permission to use it more often, which many do. The story is often told in Opus Dei that the Founder was so zealous in using the discipline, he splattered the bathroom walls with streaks of blood.

* Cold Showers : Most numeraries take cold showers every day and offer it up for the intentions of the current Prelate.

* Meals : Numeraries generally practice one small corporal mortification at every meal, such as drinking coffee without milk or sugar, not buttering one's toast, skipping dessert, not taking seconds, etc. For the most part, eating between meals is not practiced. Opus Dei members fast on the Church's prescribed days for fasting, but otherwise must ask for permission to fast on their own.

* The Heroic Minute : Numeraries are encouraged to jump out of bed and kiss the floor as soon as the door is knocked in the morning. As they kiss, they say "Serviam," Latin for "I will serve."

* Silences : Each night after making an examination of conscience, numeraries do not speak to one another until after Holy Mass the following morning. (They do not say "Good morning" to anyone as they are getting ready.) In the afternoons, they try to avoid speaking until dinnertime. On Sundays, numeraries generally do not listen to music, especially in the afternoons.

Some forms of corporal mortification differ according to gender, as the following table shows:

Female Numeraries
* Sleep on boards laid on top of the mattress.
* May not smoke or enter a bar.
* The Founder believed that women had passions
that required more discipline to tame.

Male Numeraries
* Sleep without a pillow once a week.
* Sleep on the floor once a week.
* Allowed to smoke and go to bars with recruits,
for the purpose of drawing them closer to Opus Dei.

A former numerary wrote to comment on Opus Dei's corporal mortifications:

"The cilice and disciplines are so foreign to the experience of most people, that they just conclude that Opus Dei is very odd for mandating them. That is true as far as it goes, but there is a more important point to be made. Because of the dangers of masochism, the traditional Catholic teaching on this sort of mortification is that it be done under obedience to a spiritual director. Such supervision in fact exists in Opus Dei, although often authority is entrusted to people who lack requisite maturity and prudence. The real point is that even if the cilice and the discipline are acceptable forms of penance, their use shows that Opus Dei members are NOT ordinary people, are not free agents."


Relevant Quotes from the writings of Opus Dei Founder, Josemaria Escriva:

"Blessed be pain. Loved be pain. Sanctified be pain. . . Glorified be pain!" (The Way, 208)

"No ideal becomes a reality without sacrifice. Deny yourself. It is so beautiful to be a victim!" (The Way, 175)

"Obey with your lips, your heart and your mind. It is not a man who is being obeyed, but God." (Furrow, maxim 374)

"And be watchful, for a spark is much easier to extinguish than a fire. Take flight, for in this it is low cowardice to be "brave"; a roving eye does not mean a lively spirit, but turns out to be a snare of satan. Yet human diligence, with mortification, the cilice, disciplines and fasting are all worthless without you, my God." (Furrow, 834)

"They [Opus Dei numeraries] shall maintain the pious custom, for the purpose of chastising the body and reducing it to servitude, of wearing a small cilice for at least two hours daily; once a week they shall take the disciplines as well as sleeping on the floor, providing that health is not affected." (Opus Dei Constituciones, article 147)

"To defend his purity, St. Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, St. Benedict threw himself into a thornbush, St. Bernard plunged into an icy pond... You... what have you done?" (The Way, 143)

"What has been lost through the flesh, the flesh should pay back: be generous in your penance." (The Forge, 207)

"If you realize that your body is your enemy, and an enemy of God's glory since it is an enemy of your sanctification, why do you treat it so softly?" (The Way, 227)

"Your worst enemy is yourself." (The Way, 225)

"You have come to the apostolate to submit, to annihilate yourself, not to impose your own personal viewpoints." (The Way, 936)

--
Originally Written: June 3, 1998
Posted: May 13, 2002 
[link to www.odan.org]


Opus Dei tightly controls the lives of its members, especially the numerary members who pledge celibacy and typically live in Opus Dei residences. The following are some examples of the controls placed on Opus Dei numeraries, which are part of the "spirit of Opus Dei:"

* Opus Dei numeraries are expected to hand over their entire salaries to Opus Dei, and generally may not hold their own bank accounts.  The numeraries are told to use money as if they were the mother in charge of a large and poor family.  They ask for the money they need each week and are then required to report how it was spent to the penny.  Opus Dei does not provide any financial report that indicates how the members' money is spent.

* Both incoming and outgoing personal mail is generally read by the Directors of each Opus Dei residence, without the knowledge or consent of family and friends.

* Reading material is strictly controlled, as are television viewing, listening to the radio, and other forms of recreation and entertainment.

* Opus Dei numeraries notify their Directors of (and secure permission for) their comings and goings.

* Opus Dei numeraries are required to practice corporal mortification such as the use of a cilice (a spiked chain worn around the thigh), flagellation, and sleeping on the floor or on boards.

* Opus Dei numeraries are required to confess weekly and are strongly discouraged from confessing to a non-Opus Dei priest.

* Opus Dei numeraries typically may not attend events which are not conducive to proselytizing, such as athletic games, theater, concerts, movies, etc.  In the rare instances when they may attend these events, permission must be secured from the Opus Dei directors.

* Opus Dei members are enjoined to confess even their slightest doubts to Opus Dei priests and/or Spiritual Directors; otherwise, "the mute devil takes over in the soul."

[link to www.odan.org]

They had those too in the Middle Ages.

They were called Flagellates.

Opus Dei Founder, Josemaria Escriva

{he's got 'antichrist' written all over him}

I come from a long line of Catholiphobes.
{is that a word?}

My money still is on William.

[link to www.searchconspiracy.com]

But, as fragmented as opinions and the world is right now, how can the world ever come together, and put all their support behind one world ruler?

I mean, we can see by Bush's actions that most Globalists are retarded, just by Bush's reaction to Public Mandates.
IE: We want our Troops home, Bush thinks that to mean, Increase the Troops.

Sorry dude. It was really lame. Reading 'cell' now by SK and I am fighting the urge to stick a knife in my eyes.
Halfway thru tho. Can't stop now. Already found a major proof reading error. That was my favorite author. I think the car accident loosened some bolts in his head.

Geez, I just bought that book. Now I don't know if I should bother. SK's books have been shit for the last 10+ years. I shoulda known better.

Da Vinci Code was an interesting read. And there are some things that have been found in correlation with some ancient texts and other things are simply amalgams of certain events and people. Such as Sognierre. I have found two Saugniers in French history. One was an actual museum curator but had little knowledge of the apocrypha(as far as I've read) and another Father Saugnier who was a Father(whatever you call it) of a church called Renne Les Chateaux who had found some ancient documents hidden in a pillar and for some reason decided to live a life of lechery, debauchery and evil. This life of his also included secret rituals held within the church. It is said that on his death bed he had a priest reside over him and hear his confession and after that priest had heard the confession refused to give saugnier restitution for his horrible crimes.

I must say this even things in that book which match up with the dead sea scrolls and the apocrypha should all be taken with a grain of salt. Those may be Holy men that wrote these things but holy men tend to stretch and bend the truth a little at a time till it is unrecognizable.

So far it's been a pretty predictable read. Dan Brown just seems to be putting forth conspiracy theories that I've known about since 1994.

It's kind of funny, when you step away from it. Here is this Professor getting accused of murder, of a man who's granddaughter not only works for the police, but is a cryptographer?

Even in a world of most coincidental events, that is TOO much of a coincidence.

I'll continue with it, in the same vein it's like driving by a car wreck: You don't want to look, but somehow you can't help yourself.

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A free falafel with every visit!
J/K

I'm reading a book called Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo.

It's about a soldier who went to war and got his limbs blown off and his face is blown off too and he's laying in a hospital bed thinking back on his life and why we got involved in the war in the first place.

Depressing but good!!!!!

Johnny got his gun... holy cow..

I read that book back in the 70's during the VietNam war. Very intense. Depressing as hell, yes..and it gets worse.

How did you ever come across that book after all these years?

Maybe GWB should read it.