Da Vinci Hoax Blog

I'll be on "Scarborough Country" (MSNBC) tonight...

UPDATE: Alas, cancelled! Trumped by Jimmy Hoffa...

... to talk about the Coded Craziness, especially reactions to the movie. Scarborough Country airs at 9:00 p.m. EST on MSNBC.

"The Da Vinci Hoax" on EWTN this week

THE DA VINCI HOAX (60:00) NEW

Father Mitch Pacwa interviews the authors of The Da Vinci Hoax, Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel, about the errors contained within Dan Brown's best-selling novel. Topics focused on here include examinations of several of the book's subjects, including the Gnostic Gospels (and the Gospel of Philip in particular), Emperor Constantine, the Council of Nicea, the Knights Templar, Mary Magdalene, the Priory of Sion, and of course Leonardo da Vinci himself.

Wednesday May 17, 2006 10 PM and Friday May 19, 2006 10 AM

• More about "The Da Vinci Hoax" DVD

NEW: "The Da Vinci Hoax" DVD, with Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., Carl E. Olson and Sandra Miesel

The Da Vinci Hoax DVD

Hosted by Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., with Carl E. Olson and Sandra Miesel

Now the insights and arguments of the best selling exposé, The Da Vinci Hoax, are available on DVD. Apologist Carl E. Olson, historian Sandra Meisel, and Jesuit biblical scholar Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J. join forces to expose the myths of Dan Brown’s popular novel, The Da Vinci Code.

Using top-notch graphics and outstanding art, this powerful, in-depth documentary gives an inspiring visual and intellectual presentation on the real truth about Christianity, and a devastating critique of the numerous errors and deceptions in The Da Vinci Code about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, the early Christians and the Catholic Church.

55 minutes. $14.95.

Michael Baigent and "The Jesus Papers" featured on "Dateline"

I didn't see it since I don't watch silly "investigative" shows that feature wingnut theories that aren't taken seriously by 99.9999999% of historians. Baigent, of course, is one of the three authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail, and one of the plaintiffs in the recent (and failed) lawsuit against Dan Brown's publisher for copyright infringement. Baigent's new book is simply another tired riff on the 1965 book, The Passover Plot: Jesus really didn't die on the Cross, but escaped and moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he opened an espresso shop and did palm readings. (BTW, John Lennon said of Hugh Schonfield's book, "My views on Christianity are directly influenced by [the] book." What's up with Brits and weird, nutty theories about Jesus?) Or something like that. Anyhow, NewsBusters.org has a piece about the nonsense that's worth reading. Personally, I can't wait for NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CNN, etc., etc., to start doing "investigative" pieces about how Mohammed never existed, that Buddha didn't found Buddhism, that Moses was actually a member of the PLO, and so forth and so on. Should happen any day now, just as soon as the talking heads at N(ever) B(elieve) C(hristians) finish telling the world the truth about the "'Gospel' of 'Judas'."

By the way, NBC pitched the infomercial by using slogans including, "What if everything you think you know about Jesus is wrong?" (Sounds very similar to the ominous voice overs in the DVC trailers). I say: Hey, what if everything you saw on NBC was wrong? And everything spouted on "Dateline" was a pile of steaming mashed potatoes? Now that's something with a ring of truth to it.