Shades of Schadenfreude

British court battle over 'The Da Vinci Code'.

Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh are suing their own publishers, Random House, claiming Dan Brown's book draws heavily on their 1982 bestseller "Holy Blood, Holy Grail".

Brown's 2003 book has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and earned the American $78.5 million.

Baigent's and Leigh's book tackles theories that Jesus and Mary Magdalene married, had a child, and the blood line continues to the present day -- with the Catholic Church aware of the discovery and trying to suppress it.

Heretics being sued by other heretics. They say that there are no new heresies, just recycled ones. Apparently, there is a collolary to this. There are no new heretical books, just successive waves of plagerism. The sickest part of this heresy is the denial of the Cross, that's what really disturbs me.

Schadenfreude \SHOD-n-froy-duh\, noun:
A malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others.

So, this gets a double schadenfreude. Either Random House gets sued and loses millions or Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh get ripped off and never see a dime. Either way, both will incur huge legal fees.

And there's a movie, starring Tom Hanks no less. I guess this is Hollyweird, once again, trying to capitalize on devotion to our Lord and Savior. Methinks there's room for a triple boycott here: Hollywood, Tom Hanks and Random House.

Roman Catholics have been reading this crap. I once got in a quick conversation with an acquaintance and I mentioned that I do a lot of reading on religious stuff. She replied, "Oh, I do too, have you read the Da Vinci Code?"

"No", I replied, "I didn't get much of a formation so I stick with the Catechism and the writings of saints." I couldn't tell if she read it as a means to refute it and help warn her friends or what.

"Oh well", she observed, "The Da Vinci code is not for you if your Faith is not strong."

My first instinct was to say something like, "Go to Hell, heretic witch." But I just went silent. Someday I'll be able to muster a quick response that'll shake people up but not threaten them. I'm not there yet.

This is like Jews taking up reading Hitler's Mein Kampf for enjoyment. I suppose when Jews completely forget the Holocaust then they will. Roman Catholics seem to have had their own theological Holocaust in form of "The Spirit of Vatican II " or as a eminent blogger has termed it "Wittenberg II." And they deny it! The basics are not getting taught so people are turning to Dan Brown for catechetics/general enjoyment.

I'll only be reading this book from Ignatius Press.



Quinquagesima Sunday. Feast day of St Alexander.