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MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 4074
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 10:09 am: | 
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Anyone catch this article in today's Star Ledger that Opus Dei has their NJ headquarters in South Orange: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1147843021274630.xml&coll=1 |
cmontyburns
Citizen
Username: Cmontyburns
Post Number: 1832
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 10:45 am: |
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It's not exactly a secret. (Though I live nearby, so maybe it's not well known outside Montrose.)
Here's their Web site:
http://www.southmont.net/
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Nancy - LibraryLady
Supporter
Username: Librarylady
Post Number: 3457
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 10:51 am: |
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Wonder if the house pays property taxes or is exempt?? truely, just curious. |
Peter J. Watts
Citizen
Username: Peter_watts
Post Number: 25
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 11:14 am: |
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I would imagine they're exempt. The organization has been around a while so I'm sure they've found time to get that status. But that's only a guess. |
Nohero
Supporter
Username: Nohero
Post Number: 5398
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 11:18 am: |
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The article says that the house is owned by a non-profit foundation, the Southmont Foundation. |
cmontyburns
Citizen
Username: Cmontyburns
Post Number: 1834
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 11:21 am: |
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Looks like they're hosting a cookout on Memorial Day. Could drop by and ask.
http://www.southmont.net/upcoming.html
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Jersey_Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 861
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 1:54 pm: |
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This town just keeps getting more interesting.
J.B. |
bets
Supporter
Username: Bets
Post Number: 23093
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 2:27 pm: |
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That's one thing you can unequivocally say about South Orange: It's never boring! |
marion cobretti
Citizen
Username: Marion_cobretti
Post Number: 134
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 3:02 pm: |
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when the book came out,local news teams went to the house but they declined to be interviewed. |
Jersey_Boy
Citizen
Username: Jersey_boy
Post Number: 863
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - 3:06 pm: |
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Welcome back, Bets.
J.B. |
Shanabana
Citizen
Username: Shanabana
Post Number: 429
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 10:24 am: |
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I can imagine why OD would decline to be interviewed. You can't imagine how much of a pain that book has become for me at work. People want to know anything but verifiable history (I realize this is difficult about Christ, but when it comes to Leonardo, it is easier to see the book is full of crap). |
Sitoyan
Citizen
Username: Sitoyan
Post Number: 170
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 12:08 pm: |
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The book is a novel. It does not pretend to be a historical document. I don't see why people get upset with its contents. It is an excellent testimony to the wild imagination of its author. |
Peter J. Watts
Citizen
Username: Peter_watts
Post Number: 26
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 12:24 pm: |
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I think the problem is most people do see it as fact because it carries a sense of authority. |
cmontyburns
Citizen
Username: Cmontyburns
Post Number: 1836
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 1:25 pm: |
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I think history has shown that when it comes to religion, open-mindedness isn't seen as an asset. I'm not sure why people find reaction to this book so surprising. There are plenty of people who can rattle off talking points about the "factual errors" in the book who haven't read the actual book. (Which, by the way, is probably the most poorly written book I've ever read.)
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Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9439
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 1:41 pm: |
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http://newsbusters.org/node/5402
Quote:
If "The Da Vinci Code" was already feeding the flames of controversy with its challenge to the basic tenets of Christianity, actor Ian McKellen managed to pour a refinery tank's worth of gasoline on the fire on this morning's 'Today' show, asserting that the Bible should carry a disclaimer saying that it is "fiction."
"There have been calls from some religious groups, they wanted a disclaimer at the beginning of this movie saying it is fiction because one of the themes in the book really knocks Christianity right on its ear, if Christ survived the crucifixion, he did not die for our sins and therefore was not resurrected. What I'm saying is, people wanted this to say 'fiction, fiction, fiction'. How would you all have felt if there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie? Would it have been okay with you?"
There was a pause, and then famed British actor Ian McKellen [Gandalf of Lord of the Rings], piped up:
"Well, I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction. I mean, walking on water, it takes an act of faith. And I have faith in this movie. Not that it's true, not that it's factual, but that it's a jolly good story. And I think audiences are clever enough and bright enough to separate out fact and fiction, and discuss the thing after they've seen it."
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Shanabana
Citizen
Username: Shanabana
Post Number: 431
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 5:08 pm: |
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Sitoyan, as Peter Watts said, many people don't seem to want to understand that it is a novel. And, like I said, I don't care what it says about Christ, its the misreadign of LEONARDO (he's not really called Da Vinci) that I'm concerned with in the classroom.
Many people have "heard" from a friend that such-and-such is true, and it's stuff straight out of the novel. This is just an annoyance, really. But beyond annoyance, sometimes I find the willingness of young adults to conflate fact and fiction to be downright frightening. People are so willingly misinformed! (Evince the current war.)
And, cmonty: "There are plenty of people who can rattle off talking points about the "factual errors" in the book who haven't read the actual book. (Which, by the way, is probably the most poorly written book I've ever read.)"
I've read plenty of reviews, excerpts, etc. I don't have to read the book and waste my time on what you point out is pretty trashy. But, if I were into the genre of conspiracy-theory-thrillers, I'm sure I would read it. I have nothing against people reading the book...
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tomp
Citizen
Username: Tomp
Post Number: 33
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 6:00 pm: |
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Protestations that "it's just a novel" are more than a little disingenuous. The novel portrays numerous points of wild speculation and outright error as fact. Dan Brown himself has asserted that "The only thing fictional in “The Da Vinci Code” is the characters and the action that takes place. All of the locations, the paintings, the ancient history, the secret documents, the rituals, all of this is factual." What people are upset about is precisely this fabric of made-up history that the story rests on, and which is presented as true. So, agree with it or don't, but saying "it's just a novel" is just a way of dismissing its critics without having to engage them. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9446
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 6:07 pm: |
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It's kind of like the Satanic Verses for Christians except it's not as well written. |
SoOrLady
Citizen
Username: Soorlady
Post Number: 3329
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 6:28 pm: |
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Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9447
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 6:29 pm: |
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Tom,
You do realize there are scholars known as Biblical minimalists who believe most of the Bible is fiction. According to Wikipedia entry, Minimalists believe that the 12 tribes of Israel never existed, King David and King Saul never existed, and that the united kingdom of Israel never existed. Furthermore, the Church has has been a major censor from the earliest days. Not to mention the amount of information lost in translations, fires, etc. Those most upset about the book want there to be a single truth and the plain fact is there isn't. This includes the Vatican and Opus Dei. Unfortunately all they have is... faith. And it's not enough, apparently. They fear faith won't be enough for those who fill their coffers. Fun stuff. Would make a great book... |
Nohero
Supporter
Username: Nohero
Post Number: 5411
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2006 - 10:53 pm: |
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The unfortunate fact is that people take all of these controversies (biblical minimalism, disputes in the early church councils, and disputes in the middle ages) and "mush" them all together. They really have to be discussed separately, because they are literally spread out over thousands of years. Unless someone thinks that it is all part of one big conspiracy. 
Biblical minimalists are addressing the sources of the Torah. No matter what people believe about that, the events and the writing down of those events took place long before the year that we know as "Year 1", AD. We do know that, in year 1, and for some time before that, there was a Jewish Kingdom with Jerusalem as its center. I do not believe that is disputed by any historian, archeologist or other scholar.
Then there is the question of what happened there in the early years of what we call "A.D.". In the grand scheme of things, there was a relatively short time between the events, the writing down of those events, and the decisions made as to what writings constituted the scriptures which recorded those events. That was basically the start of what many call The Church.
There are valid, historical studies of the manuscripts, and the philosophies, which form the background of "The Da Vinci Code". Just because someone questions how that has been reported in the book, does not mean that they want to "suppress the truth".
I'm not an Opus Dei fan, but I know enough to say that they have been used as a convenient villain for the novel. Since most people don't know anything about Opus Dei, it's unfortunate that the only thing they may learn comes from Dan Brown's book. I'd be upset, if that happened to something I cared about. I think most of us would be.
As for the controversy about the book, I think that the publicists were trying to stir it up, to "fill their coffers". |
tomp
Citizen
Username: Tomp
Post Number: 49
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 6:38 pm: |
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Big Internet Theologian explains The DaVinci Code
http://holyoffice.livejournal.com/80533.html |
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