Real Wealth Society

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

I’ve been thinking about revelations By Fred Cederholm

Column for on/after Apr 09th

I’ve been thinking about revelations. Actually I’ve been thinking about Holy Week observances, the Bible, Judas Iscariot, “The DaVinci Code,” public knowledge, and the White House. As we prepare for the coming of Easter Sunday and its meaning/significance, there is much to TH*NK about. The past week was filled with a number of revelations, or was it?

You see, revelations are about our learning (or at least our becoming aware of) facts and information which challenge our core beliefs. In the alternative, revelations of new data/info can also cement our understanding of that which we hold most dear and believe. The rocks in our lives become more solid, or they begin to crack. The six days between Palm Sunday and the promise of the Resurrection of Easter Sunday mark the observances of Nisan 14, Passover Seders, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. They serve to prepare us for the high point of the Christian year. They put us in the mood, they give us an historical perspective, and we reflect.

The teachings of the 39 books of the Old Testament, together with the 27 books of the New Testament, are more than an historical account of prophesies and their fulfillment for believers. They are the Word of God. They hang together in a oneness of truth which has withstood the tests of time and has survived centuries of challenges and so-called revelations.

The figure of Judas Iscariot personifies the betrayal of Jesus the Christ to the most violent death of crucifixion. Last week, the public learned of the existence of an additional “Gospel of Judas” written circa 180 AD. This revisionist text attempts to place Judas in a different context by “rehabilitating” him and “blessing” his act - cementing/enhancing his relationship with Christ and elevating him as the one “chosen” for the act of betrayal. Talk about the ultimate in political spin! This “Gospel of Judas” does not square with the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is not a narrative history of the life of Jesus and his actions. It is more of an apocryphal tale in the tradition of the Book of Revelations. For me it contains no revelations, and has no right to be elevated to equal status with the Bible’s other 66 books.

Last week, English courts absolved author Dan Brown from allegations of plagiarism and intellectual property theft in his fictional bestseller “The DaVinci Code” (2003). “Code” has been controversial since its release and the highly hyped movie version of it starring Tom Hanks will soon be released. This work – like Brown’s earlier “Digital Fortress” (1998), “Angels and Demons” (2000), and “Deception Point” (2001) – is both excellent and thought provoking. They are all worthy of your attention, time, and consideration.

In each, there is the underlying theme that knowledge/information has been only selectively released/shared/fed to the general public by the powers in control. The public just could not be trusted with the full awareness of the “facts,” because they then might not accept the decisions/agendas made on their behalf by the power elites - be they religious, financial, or political. I find it particularly of interest how this court ruling came just before Holy Week in the light and context of the timing of publicizing the “Gospel of Judas.” Then too, there were the other revelations that were shared with us last week.

In the unfolding drama of finessing the justification for the invasion, war, and occupation of Iraq, we learned from court filings by Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that the leaks (outing covert operative Valerie Plame and discrediting her husband’s findings of fact) came from the very top of the White House. At least they were done with the knowledge and/or blessing of the President and the Vice-President. Public protests from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue damning the leaking of classified information were but cover for the facts behind the leaks and the identification of the leakers themselves.

The more we know; more we know that we don’t know. In the absence of finding weapons of mass destruction, Saddam’s links to Al-Qaeda, and nuclear weaponry capabilities (compounded by the Downing Street Memorandum), should we be surprised by these so-called revelations? Hardly! I’m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.

Copyright 2006 Questions, Inc. All rights reserved.
email: asklet(at)rochelle.net

To “audit” column and learn more about the subjects discussed, please check out: The Coptic Ps.Gospel of Judas (Iscariot)

The “lost” Gospel of Judas

The Official Website of Dan Brown http://www.danbrown.com/

Dan Brown, The Wikipedia Bio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Brown


Court Filing Says Bush Authorized CIA Leak
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4736213&nav=menu34_2

Reports Substantiate WH Plan to Discredit Iraq War Critic Via Plame CIA Leak
MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "www.bespacific.com" claiming to be http://www..bespacific.com/mt/archives/cat_courts.html

Libby: Bush Authorized Plamegate Leak
Indicted ex-Cheney aide told grand jury of White House approval
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0406061libby1.html

posted by sbks at 1:08 PM