2005 – Page 214 – Jimmy Akin

The Anti-Indiana Joneses?

Several readers have sent me links to stories announcing the indictment of Oded Golan, et al., for antiquities fraud.

Golan, you may remember, was the (initially anonyous) guy in Israel who claimed to own an ossuary of St. James that mentioned Jesus. Golan is also charged with being involved in a conspiracy that falsified artifacts of interest to the Jewish faith as well (e.g., an ivory pommegranate and a tablet linked to the Temple).

It very well be true that Golan has been involved in a conspiracy to commit fraud, and I would be quite happy to see the ossuary inscription and those on the other items proved to be forgeries (nobody doubts that they are ancient; the question is whether the inscriptions, or parts of them, are).

But I know something about the politics of antiquities in Israel, and I would not take the indictment, or even the conviction, of people in an Israeli court as proof positive of forgery. (I’d look more to the scholarly community to settle that matter.) The Israeli government has been known to manipulate situations involving antiquities to its own advantage, and the following is a real possibility:

Golan said in a statement Wednesday that "there is not one grain of
truth in the fantastic allegations related to me," and that the
investigation was aimed at "destroying collecting and trade in
antiquities in Israel."

Archaeology is a highly politicized field in Israel, and the officials in charge of the Israeli antiquities authority are so untrustworthy that some archaeologists are leaving some holy sites deliberately unexplored archaeologically lest, if they were opened up to that, the Israeli officials drop an ancient Jewish artifact on the ground and then use it as a pretext for seizing control of the whole site. Owners of sites of historical interest to Christians (inlcuding one of the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem) have been unable to get Israeli courts to defend their property rights when they have been forcibly taken over by Israeli citizens. It would not be beyond the realm of possibility that the Israeli government would choose to use a fraud case to destroy the reputation of an archaeological link to Jesus.

So the point is, I don’t know who is lying here.

Maybe both parties are.

I’m skeptical both of the box and of the Israeli officials’ charges against it.

Because of how highly political the situation is, though, I should note that my skepticism on this matter does not mean that I am "against Israel" or "on the side of the Palestinians" or anything like that. I’m not on anybody’s side over there. Being skeptical of the Israeli antiquities officials does not mean one is anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian. It’s just a recognition of the situation.

That being said, if Golan and his associates are guilty of fraud, I want them locked up for a long time as a warning to others. Messing with the world’s knowledge of its archaeological patrimony is a horrible crime against history and, in the case of biblical archaeology (Jewish or Christian), it’s a crime against religion.

GET THE FIRST STORY.

GET THE SECOND STORY.

Coke Contra Mundum!!!

What part of the country do you live in?

Me? I’m from Coke country, and proud of it!

I’m not from one of those bluestate "pop" or "soda" regions.

What am I talking about?

The generic term that is colloquially used for carbonated beverages, of course!

Coke, pope, and soda are the three dominant terms.

The county I was born in was a dark-red Coke county. The county I grew up in was a dark-red Coke county. And the county I expect to retire to (where my family cattle ranch is located) is almost certainly a dark-red Coke county (but the population is so small that nobody there has yet voted in this online survey).

When I was a boy, you might offer someone a Coke saying, "What kind of Coke would you like? I’ve got Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Dr. Pepper."

So when it comes to describing carbonated beverages in a colloquial manner, I’m a Coke man. When I’m at the supermarket and I’ve got three 12-packs of Caffeing Free Diet Dr. Pepper and three 12-packs of Diet Sunkist orange drink, I tell the cashier that "I’ve got three of both kinds of Coke."

They always know what I mean, even here in sunny "soda" southern California.

Here’s the nationwide map:

CLICK THIS LINK TO VISIT THE HOMEPAGE OF THIS IMAGE

Once you’re there, you can click the state to find out the totals for the county you live (/were born) in!

Then, join the Coke revolution!

Coke . . . It’s The Real Thing. . . . Coke Is It!

All the major forms of Coke. (Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, etc., were invented in Coke country, y’know!)

(Cowboy hat tip: Gleeful Extremist.)

Albert Einstein's Miraculous Year

1905.

One hundred years ago.

That was the year ideas exploded across Albert Einstein’s brain that would revolutionize modern physics.

In one year he wrote five papers that shook the foundations of science like nothing since Isaac Newton’s similar miraculous year two and a half centuries earlier.

Among other things, he proved the existence of atoms in one of these

papers–something that was still debated up to that point.

If you’ve ever wanted a chance to have a brief, understandabl tutorial in Einstein’s thought and its significance,

THIS IS IT.

Albert Einstein’s Miraculous Year

1905.

One hundred years ago.

That was the year ideas exploded across Albert Einstein’s brain that would revolutionize modern physics.

In one year he wrote five papers that shook the foundations of science like nothing since Isaac Newton’s similar miraculous year two and a half centuries earlier.

Among other things, he proved the existence of atoms in one of these
papers–something that was still debated up to that point.

If you’ve ever wanted a chance to have a brief, understandabl tutorial in Einstein’s thought and its significance,

THIS IS IT.

Footfall

Watching the news tonight with the continuing coverage of the quakewave disaster brought me fresh impetus to pray.

It also brought to mind something that had occurred to me a few days ago.

The dynamic duo of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle have an excellent sci-fi novel in which they try to do a more realistic take at what an alien invasion of Earth might involve and how we might be able to realistically defend ourselves–against aliens who at first seem completely invincible.

(The idea of being able to contribute something new and different to this well-worked-over theme was a precondition of Niven being willing to participate in the project.)

The cover has a nice blurb from Tom Clancy plugging it: "Nobody does it better then Niven and Pournelle. I loved it!"

I did, too.

Good book.

Very respectful of religion (Pournelle is Catholic). Interesting tidbit (and minor spoiler): The secret American project to deal with the alien mothership is called Project Archangel and involves developing a weapon known as Michael.

Why Project Archangel? Why Michael?

Because they’re hoping that Michael will drive the alien Satan from our heavens.

But here’s the connection that put me in mind of this novel (again, a deliberately vague spoiler): At one point the aliens deploy a weapon called The Foot that does something HORRIBLY reminiscent of what just happened to Indonesia and the surrounding area, only much, MUCH worse.

After the atrocity of unimaginable proportions, when the aliens start to get scared of what we do to them in retaliation (the fate of their race is on the line), you’ll cheer as a defiant human coldly tells the panicking alien leader:

"THIS is the price of The Foot!"

YEAH!

(Now if we could just find some alien butt to kick for what happened in Indonesia.)

GET THE NOVEL

Heads Up, Ratzinger Fan Club Boys!

Time Magazine is carrying an article speculating that

RATZINGER WILL BE THE NEXT POPE.

What?

Der Panzerkardinal?

Really?

Their unnamed insiders say yes, that Ratzinger is being seriously talked up in the right circles and that he has of late overcome his . . . reputation problem.

With the lengthening of JPII’s reign, it becomes more and more likely that the College of Cardinals will pick an older cardinal as the next pope (something Time correctly points out), which makes older cardinals like Joe more likely to get the nod next time out.

The reasoning is that JPII has been in office for so long that they don’t want to pick anothe pontiff with a very long reign next, so they’ll go with someone older who will presumably reign a shorter time, to give the Church a chance to assimilate the pontificate of JPII before having another similarly long-reigned pope.

Because of this very likelihood, I’ve been rooting for Arinze for a while, who also is older and who is very orthodox and who is from Africa and who has a special understanding of relations with Islam (a major topic for the Church in coming years). This has been based, to some degree, on the idea that Cardinal Joe wouldn’t be able to win the vote needed because of how he is (unfairly) perceived.

But if Ratinger is back in play . . . I don’t know which I’d rather see elected. Either would be great.

Of course this is all just speculation, and you know what they say: He who goes into a conclave as a prospective pope emerges from it as a cardinal.

But let me add a suggestion in case either of these great men of God become the next successor of Peter: I hope they keep their own names. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a pope who did that, and we don’t need a "John Paul III" immediately. But I think it’d be great to have a Pope Joseph I or Pope Francis I.

What think ye, Ratzinger Fan Club boys?

Attention, Cold & Flu People At Mass!

There’s something that the Church desperately needs you to do for it . . .

STAY HOME!!!

Having a contagious disease is a valid excuse for missing Mass.

Indeed, there seems to be something of a moral obligation not to infect other people so that they will suffer as you have been.

If you insist on showing up then be considerate of others by sitting at the front instead of the back so you won’t be coughing germs all over the people in front of you. (Preferably sit off to one side so you won’t be coughing directly at the priest.)

Also, when you do cough, remember your mother’s instructions and cover your mouth.

And kindly content yourselves with receiving the fullness of our Lord’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the appearances of bread.

All this applies to sick kids, too. If your kids are sick, leave ’em at home. If you don’t have anyone to leave ’em with, stay with ’em. The care of children is also a valid reason to miss Mass.

Thanks much!

(Sorry. Needed to get that out of my system.)

Attention, Cold & Flu People At Mass!

There’s something that the Church desperately needs you to do for it . . .

STAY HOME!!!

Having a contagious disease is a valid excuse for missing Mass.

Indeed, there seems to be something of a moral obligation not to infect other people so that they will suffer as you have been.

Also, when you do cough, remember your mother’s instructions and cover your mouth.

And kindly content yourselves with receiving the fullness of our Lord’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the appearances of bread.

Thanks much!

(Sorry. Needed to get that out of my system.)

Communion In Non-Catholic Churches

In an e-mail entitled "Protestant Communion," a correspondent writes:

Hi there:

Simple question:

Should catholics receive communion in a non-catholic church?

I am of the opinion that the answer is no. But, I’m having trouble finding
documentation to back me up. Would this be a violation of Canon law or
simply something that a more orthodox, observant Catholic ought to avoid.

Thanks for your time and your ministry,

There are a limited number of circumstances in which a Catholic can take Communion in a non-Catholic Church, but otherwise doing so is a violation of canon law. Unfortunately, the exceptions that exist presuppose that the sacrament is valid in the church were one is receiving Communion. This is the case in Eastern Orthodox churches and other Eastern churches (e.g., the Assyrian Church of the East), but it is not the case in Protestant churches, which is what I know you’re interested in.

The relevant canon is 844 (online here), but the whole canon is rather long, so I won’t walk you through all of it. Here’s the relevant part for your purposes:

§2. Whenever necessity requires it or true spiritual
advantage suggests it, and provided that danger of error or of indifferentism
is avoided, the Christian faithful for whom it is physically or morally
impossible to approach a Catholic minister are permitted to receive the
sacraments of penance, Eucharist, and anointing of the sick from non-Catholic ministers in whose Churches these
sacraments are valid.

Note the last bit in red. Unfortunately, Protestants did not retain valid holy orders and thus did not retain a valid Eucharist. Therefore, Catholics cannot receive this sacrament in Protestant churches.

Hope this helps!

Dinky Dungeons!

Okay, while we’re talking about game design, I should mention Dinky Dungeons.

This was a game that was designed by some Oklahoma boys who privately sold it back in the 1980s.

I met them (and their game) when I drove to the Tulsa event, OkCon. (They were from farther west, as I remember, hailing from Oklahoma City).

The idea behind Dinky Dungeons was that you got a whole role playing game in a single . . . pouch. The game was sold in a format that resulted in a tiny ruleboook that fit in tiny plastic bag with tiny dice. If they had called the game "Tiny Terrors," they would never have had to rename it.

The Dinky Dungeons guys enlisted me to work on a superhero variant of their game called Hoakey Heroes, but I don’t know that this ever came out.

The amazing thing about all this was that the game design actually worked–despite the fact that it lacked all the extra-whazzits doo-dads that game designs normally have. Just you, the dinky rule book, and two dinky dice were enough.

It showed that most role-playing games were way, waaaaay overbuilt.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DINKY DUNGEONS AND ITS SUCCESSORS.