It’s actually the kind of gig I like – back and forth within 24 hours.

Very nice talk at Alleghenny College last night – many thanks to Fr. Mark Hoffman, who invited and hosted me. I’d say there were around 200-250 people there, and I did the usual DVC thing, but really emphasizing some basics that have really been pressing on me the past few months:

-Details are interesting but unimportant. You want to quibble about esoterica in DVC in relation to other books…be my guest. That’s really not the point. The point is that this is silly nonsense, the acceptance of which exposes one’s ignorance and gullibility.

-You want to learn about early Christianity? Good. Then read the New Testament, The Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache, the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, Tertullian, Justin Martyr….etc. Then let’s talk!

-Illogic. I am big on this one – Jesus is a mere "mortal" – then why is his daughter and bloodline special? How does MM get to be a goddess then? And this Peter Party stuff? If they were intent on stripping MM from the Christian record, what a bunch of incompetent chumps – ’cause they did a lousy job. Moreover, they were kind of whacked – if they intentionally fabricated a story that was going to get them persecuted. If they really wanted "power" – they should have picked the MM story. Whatever!

-You want fiction that deals with religious faith? You’re in luck, because some of the greatest literature ever produced revolves around that nexus. Toss Brown and pick up Graham Greene, O’Connor, Lewis, Percy, Spark…do it!

-This canard that the Jesus of Christianity is an unapproachable distant figure, and a lie, in contrast to the wonderful gnostic Jesus. Really? Read those gnostic writings and then read the canonical Gospels. Then get back to me. Encounter the Jesus who says, "Pick up your cross and follow me," "Sell what you have and give the money to the poor," and "Love your enemies" and then do some soul searching. Why is it that I don’t want this to be the "real Jesus?" Why? What am I afraid of?

Oh, and if you want to get depressed, read the International Movie Data Base message boards on DVC …don’t say I didn’t warn you.