Posted on 03/02/2007 6:43:36 PM PST by Pyro7480
By Luis Sergio Solimeo
It just does not stop. Following in the footsteps of The Da Vinci Code, the Gnostic offensive against Christianity is forging ahead with new pretexts, and, once again, with massive media coverage.
The New Onslaught: Archeological Fiction
This time, it is not a pseudo-historic novel,1 but a pseudo-scientific Discovery Channel documentary, titled: The Lost Tomb of Jesus, which was directed by James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici.
The two are well-suited for the task. Mr. Cameron is a science fiction2 fan, while Mr. Jacobovici could be considered an archeological fiction aficionado. Four years ago, he produced another Discovery Channel documentary claiming a funeral urn had been discovered with the inscription, “James son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” Later, Israel's Antiquities Authority officially declared the inscription a forgery.3
He and Mr. Cameron now suggest that a set of ossuary-urns, engraved with the names, Jesus, Mary, a second Mary, Matthew, Joshua and Judah, proves that the Divine Savior did not resurrect and ascend to Heaven, but married Saint Mary Magdalene and had a son named Judah, not a daughter named Sarah, as The Da Vinci Code claimed.
A Twenty-seven-year-old “Novelty”
The factual basis, or rather, the pretext for this new onslaught is a mausoleum discovered in Tilot, Jerusalem, by Israeli archeologist Prof. Amos Kloner of Bar Ilan University in 1980. The burial chamber contains several funeral urns engraved with the names mentioned above. Ten years later, he publicly announced his discovery, with little excitement. Nevertheless, the documentary’s authors claim it to be the tomb of Jesus’ “family.”
However, even Professor Kloner disagrees with their claim: “‘Jesus son of Joseph’ inscriptions had been found on several other ossuaries over the years. There is no likelihood that Jesus and his relatives had a family tomb. They were a Galilee family with no ties in Jerusalem. The Talpiot tomb belonged to a middle-class family from the first century CE [A.D.]."4
Speaking of the documentary, Prof. Kloner went even further: "It makes a great story for a TV film, but it's impossible. It's nonsense."5
He also stated: "In their movie they are billing it as 'never before reported information,' but it is not new. I published all the details in the Antiqot journal in 1996 and I didn't say it was the tomb of Jesus' family. I think it is very unserious work. I do scholarly work ... based on other studies."6
Gnostic Propaganda
The Lost Tomb of Jesus’ web site indicates clearly that this is simply another bit of Gnostic propaganda.7 Among the “holy books” which allegedly provide a theological basis for the documentary’s absurd thesis are various Gnostic works, including the Acts of Philip, The Gospel of Mary [Magdalene] and The Gospel of Thomas. Curiously enough, these are the same “sources” cited by The Da Vinci Code.
Gnostic partisanship here is obvious. According to the site, the Gnostic “Acts of Phillip” were part of the canon of the New Testament in the fourth century but were removed “because they did not adhere to common cultural and church practices established at the time.”8 However, the Church has always rejected the Gnostic writings. They were never part of the canon of the New Testament, which was pretty much defined by the end of the second century.9
The site recognizes that the Acts of Philip was attributed to “Christian Gnostics” and adds: “As is the case with the other Gnostic writings, the spiritual role of Mary Magdalene has proved to be the most contentious subject in the text. Some believe that passages relate Mary's privileged status and leadership role amongst the apostles, a view that has not been espoused by Christian theology in the past.”10
According to the same source, one must know Gnosticism to understand Christianity. Christianity is allegedly an eclectic mixture of Jesus’ doctrines and paganism. Thus, the site reads:
In fact, the religion as it is currently practiced is actually a fusion of the teachings of Jesus himself (as well as their interpretations by his followers), Judaism, paganism, Greek thought, and even mystical religions. To begin, get the basics on the Judeo-Christians, and their contribution to the development of Christian thought. Then read about the Nazarenes and the Ebionites, two Judeo-Christian [Gnostic] sects that were arguably the earliest followers of Jesus - although each enjoyed divergent legacies within the context of Christian history. Next, learn about the Gnostics, the Essenes, and the Gentile Romans - all of whom have been at the center of debate at some point during the evolution of the Christian faith.11
After Liberalism and Marxism, Gnosticism
Beginning in the nineteenth century, the Church was the object of a savage attack by liberalism, which denied the existence of the supernatural and grace on the pretext of exalting human liberty.
Throughout most of the twentieth century, the Church faced political and cultural persecution by Marxist materialism that deemed religion “the opium of the people.”
As the twenty-first century begins, the Church continues to suffer from these two offensives, but now is attacked once again by the “eternal heresy,” irrational Gnosticism.
Facing this new onslaught, we must hold fast to our Faith and deepen our knowledge of it. We must also manifest our indignation against these public attacks on the adorable Person of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us not forget we are members of the Church Militant. By Baptism and Confirmation, we are made milites Christi, soldiers of Christ. One only really loves that which he is willing to defend. If we truly love Christ and his Church, we must oppose these pernicious ideas.
Click here to send your instant e-protest to Mr. John Hendricks, President of the Discovery Channel.
______________________
1. Cf. TFP Committee on American Studies, Rejecting the Da Vinci Code (Spring Grove: 2005).
2. Cf. Biography for James Cameron http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000116/bio.
3. Dion Nissenbaum, Tomb of Jesus, son found, film reportsDirector claims titanic `new' evidence; experts call it bunk, McClatchy Newspapers, Published February 27, 2007, Chicago Tribune www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0702270145feb27 ,1,1790100.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed
4. David Horovitz, New film claims Jesus buried in Talpiot, “The Jerusalem Post,” Feb. 25, 2007, http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1171894508893&
pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
5. Ibid.
6. Judith Sudilovsky (Catholic News Service) Biblical scholars reject filmmakers' claim about tomb of Jesus, Feb-27-2007, http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0701131.htm.
7. http://www.jesusfamilytomb.com/holy_books.html.
8. http://www.jesusfamilytomb.com/holy_books/apochryphal/acts_philip.html.
9. Cfr. TFP Committee on American Issues, Rejecting the Da Vinci Code, (Spring Grove-PA, 2005) pp. 57-58.
10. http://www.jesusfamilytomb.com/holy_books/apochryphal/acts_philip.html.
11. http://www.jesusfamilytomb.com/back_to_basics/early_christianity.html.
Catholic ping!
.
I'm not a Christian, but the believers should realize that Christ would not have ascended with his mortal body.
Why isthe Gnostic view given any credibility on the level of the traditional view of Christianity?
Jesus said that a tree is known by the fruit it bears. What fruit have the Gnostics harvestest the last 2000 years? Jesus also said let the light shine bright on a stand so that all might see it. He didn’t say to hide it for only those in the know can see it.
The traditional view Christianity, pracited in the open to all see made the west advnace and brought about concepts of freedom civil rights, democracy, a fair judicial system and a general tolerance of human kind.
If the Gnostics were right and were allowed to be the dominant voice in religion, what do these people think the world would have changed , do they think that slavery would still exist, would Christians be free, or more free than they are today? Seems their purpose, is not to offer an any fruits, but it could only be to tear down the branches that bear the real fruits of Christianity!
Jesus' Body post-Resurrection is glorified. It obviously isn't governed by the same natural laws as ours are. However, the tomb was and still is empty.
Don't forget the DaVinci Code was "just" a book and "just" a movie...the saga continues.
I think that's a mistake. The natural laws are as much God's as well as ours, He created them, and all things happen by natural means. Granted there is much our science doesn't yet understand.
I just don't think a Christian should feel his belief should be altered regardless if the remains of Chist's body were to be found or not.
Why not? Was there a problem with the transporter system?
Paging Scotty, paging Scotty...
Actually, I always thought that Jesus and Enoch and Elijah were merely taken away and then zapped outside the space-time continuum. The "rising into the sky" was merely how the onlookers interpreted the disappearance. God uses "simple" things to explain these things to us who are not rocket scientists...
Works for me.
Cameron and his ilk just want Christians to doubt their faith, as evidenced when the media said "if this will discredit and prove Christianity as false"?"
Let's see how tough they are. Will they do the same kind of disrespectful thing with Islam?
Cowards.
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
1 Cor 12-14
And why should we realize any such thing??? What do you base that knowledge on???
Simply that the mortal body does not survive outside the confines of this earth. As I said in a prior post, God does follow His own laws. My point was that, if Christ ascended, it would have been his spirit and not the mortal body leaving this plane.
"I'm not a Christian, but the believers should realize that Christ would not have ascended with his mortal body."
You aren't a Christian, yet you state what believers shouldn't believe?
Aw, come on...that doesn't even make sense...
I state what the laws of physics are. We can choose to believe them or not, I suppose.
That's where faith has to kick in, when things cannot be explained.
That's where faith has to kick in, when things cannot be explained.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.