*rubs chin thoughtfully*

[JakeD]

What's the most interesting/thought-provoking thing you've seen or read lately?

Why was it so?

[Lilith]

Depends on how 'lately', I guess. I saw a guy on the subway with a big fluffy scarf (it's farking cold today) which had Muslim symbols all over it, and I wondered if he even knew (he was Mid-Eastern in appearance) that a lot of those symbols weren't the peaceful kind--and if he did, did he care one way or another.

[cris]

Interesting, what did the symbols mean and what did they look like?
I wonder how many people own things that have symbols that to them look just like a pattern. I myself don't know a lot about symbols. But find it very interesting.

[Marsbert]

I've been wanting to read this book.....cant remember who it's by or what the title is, but it's a "what if" situation about what if lindberg (SP?) had become president instead of Roosevelt and what if we hadn't gotten into the war and what if Germany had won the war and how the world would be today. I think it sounds incredibly interesting but ma's gonna wait till Christmas to give it to me so I'll tell ya then if it actually is or not ;)

[LizardKing]

I just finished reading The Davinci code, fascinating stuff! Lots of little known info about the Roman-Catholic church, Mason's, and other secret societies. I would highly recommend it if you like mysteries!

[Lilith]

... if you believe the author's suggestion that it isn't fiction, whereas it really is (and not too good a piece of fiction at that).

[LizardKing]

Ok. Apparently you didn't enjoy it. Or did you even bother reading it? I've heard the tripe about the author trying to imply the book is factual and frankly after reading it I found this to be pretty ridiculous. Many of the organizations that he talks about about are real (I looked them up) and worth investigation if your into that sort of thing, but I just thought it was an entertaining read, nothing more.:D

[Lilith]

I looked over the book and I found it very inane and put-on, not to mention badly written--but that is not why I disliked it. I can't STAND it when people get known facts wrong in published material (especially when it's what their story is partially based on). It's an insult to my intelligence.

For example--the Dead Sea Scrolls do not contain anything at all about Jesus. They were buried some decades before he was born, and they are of significance mainly because they contain passages from the Tanakh (Old Testament). I detest poorly researched pseudo-historic writing.

[cris]

I agree that you really have to be able to pull out the facts from the fiction from the book. But I enjoyed it also. Better than Angels and Demons. Just remember that it is fiction. He took real groups and put a twist on them. Some he added things to and others he just created pure BS to make it more interesting. I think Skeptics had a pretty good write up on the book and pulled out the fact from the fiction. Anyway I still found it an enjoyable read.

Oh, Lil - Jesus being mentioned is open to interpitation. There are some scholars that believe that there is referance of him, but that of a prophet, not the son of God. I can see if I can find the passages again, If interested.

[Lilith]

cris... do try to find the passages, as it is interesting to me what they base their claims on, since the guy or his parents weren't even born (http://orion.mscc.huji.ac.il/resources/FAQ.shtml#aboutJesus) when the scrolls were written, sealed and put away.

/me shrugs
But everyone is entitled to their opinion. Obviously this book sold a crapload of copies--but so do most pastel-covers in the Romance isle of B&N. I know, I sold a lot of those in my time there.

[Diva]

Thanks, LK. I'll check that one out. You seem to like a lot of the same things that I do so I'm sure it will be interesting.

The most recent thought provoking thing I read was the gay marriage thread. It was interesting to hear so many different opinions, regardless of If I agreed with them. I learned a lot more about people and found a part of me that I thought was long gone.