• Welcome message

Blind Faith: Blind Folly

~ by Frank O'Meara

Blind Faith: Blind Folly

Daily Archives: October 19, 2017

WHERE FROM ? WHERE TO ?

19 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by frankomeara in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

"Da Vinci Code", "Origin", Dan Brown, Robert Langdon

“When you’re on a good thing, stick to it !”  The sentence used to be the advertising jingle for the Mortein Fly-Catcher : once stuck on the sticky paper, the critter is there to stay.  Dan Brown has stuck to his winning formula since the “Da Vinci Code” : Robert Langdon, the Princeton “symbologist” facing another enigma, the girl (with whom he never falls in love) accompanying him on his palpitating mission to find the cryptic meaning of symbols and codes (it never gets more intimate than that), the tidbits we pick up about history, architecture, science, religion, language and especially symbols (readers will discover – at last ! – the origin of that weird “&”), the frantic pace as our two sleuths keep a step ahead of the nasty types out to murder them rather than allow them to break the code and solve the mystery — it’s all there in “Origin”, which like all the others is a bloody good read.  Its theme : an I.T. genius has found the answers to our fundamental metaphysical questions : “Where do we come from ?” and “Where are we going ?”  But he is assassinated before he can spill the beans, leaving only coded clues to his answers which are a direct threat to the world’s religions.

Brown reveals a more than passing acquaintance with the arguments for and against belief in God.  Readers of this Blog will not only enjoy the novel but find food for serious thought about the age-old science vs religion debate, as well as about the current speculations re the threat many see in the inexorable advances made by and promised for Artificial Intelligence.  “Origin” is brain-food, before we all turn into cyborgs and computers like the prototype “Winston” (monte@iglesia.org – easy to decode) rule the world.

RIDENDA      RELIGIO

Advertisements

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

” MAKE YOUR LIFE A MASTERPIECE “

19 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by frankomeara in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

"Lawrence of Arabia", "Origin", Abbé Pierre, Bach, Christopher Hitchens, Confucius, Dan Brown, Dave Brubeck, David Lean, Gandhi, Jesus, Lazarus, Marcus Aurelius, Mark Twain, Molière, Mozart, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, The Meaning of Life, Woody Allen

“The only way to conquer death is to make your life a masterpiece.”  A pearl of great price, not from Confucius, Jesus, Marcus Aurelius, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Woody Allen or even . . . me.  Surprisingly, it’s from Dan Brown, the da Vinci code guy, in his latest book, “Origin”.  We’ll devote another post to this most recent of his best-sellers, but for the nonce this one phrase deserves its own.

Christians claim that Jesus conquered death by rising from the dead (if He did it for Lazarus, why not for Himself ?).  Even if you’re naïve enough to believe that, Brown’s maxim still makes a lot of sense (and even more if you aren’t).  The meaning of life ?  To make the most of it while it lasts – or the best you can.

Bach, Mozart and Dave Brubeck produced masterpieces; so did Shakespeare, Molière and Christopher Hitchens (and, I must add, David Lean for his movie “Lawrence of Arabia”).  But their lives were not necessarily masterpieces.  Gandhi, the Abbé Pierre and, of course (for Christians) Jesus, lived lives that we could call veritable masterpieces.

Neither my life nor what I have written will ever be considered masterpieces, nor even a footnote to human history and thought.  But my book and blog, whatever about my life, are the best I could do.  At least I tried.  So I reckon the effort alone deserves a “C” (at least . . .).

RIDENDA      RELIGIO

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • Email

Like this:

Like Loading...

”Frank O’Phile”

A collection of sometimes serious, sometimes entertaining, often wry reflections, teasers and ticklers, to help believers on the brink realize that their belief has blinded them to the vision and the truth that alone can make them free.

Archives

  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013

Recent Posts

  • LAPSED ?
  • Interlude : ” HOW WILL IT END ? “
  • GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS
  • ” THERE WAS A THING CALLED ‘GOD’ “
  • SEEING IS BELIEVING ?

Recent Comments

frankomeara on LAPSED ?…
Amy Fienga on LAPSED ?…
frankomeara on LAPSED ?…
Thom on LAPSED ?…
frankomeara on Interlude : ” HOW WILL I…

Calendar

October 2017
M T W T F S S
« Sep   Nov »
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
3031  
Advertisements

Blog at WordPress.com.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: