The Holy Grail & what not !!

An interesting take on why Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" is all wrong - is here:

http://warintheheavenlies.blogspot.com/2006/04/da-vinci-code-why-isnt-it-true.html

I have to admit that after reading this i have more reason to believe that Dan Brown is 'somewhat' true.

(apparently, brown's book's first page says "All characters, Historical references, locations etc are correct & accurate as per my knowledge" - thats strange. i'l look it up when i get home )

but what the heck, faith is just faith and i am fairly certain that every modern day religion or 'faith' was born out of some kind of old, like, 'pagan' system of belief and then subsequently 'polished' & 'cultured' by generations of scholars funded by kings & institutions who naturally depended on their 'faith' getting popular to save their own asses or make themselves richer.

That would mean that there should an element of "hanky pankiness" that must be allowed.

This is true of Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims - i mean everyone.

( Examples:

1. Christians - resurrection of the christ, miracles of the christ etc
2. Buddhism - stuff like Robbers attacking the Buddha and somehow not being able to inflict damage and similar stuff ive read in Illustrated Comics
3. Hinduism - Oh do i have to tell. Elephant faced Ganesha, Peacock riding Muruga, Durga with two dozen limbs, Boons granted after 50 years of penance inside ant hills and what not !!
4. Muslims - The Al Isra (journey of the prophet to mecca & his subsequent meeting with allah's spirit)

I am fairly certain that all these stories were spun out based on certain special junta and has passed through the hands of generations of spin doctors, wannabe gurus who doctored to suit their express purposes based on the degree of gullibleness amongst the people of the time.

I am a firm believer of the fact that anything - i do mean ANY thing revolves around the following:

1. Physical Security ( as in protection from violence, death, disease)
2. Materialistic goals ( as in money, wealth, land etc)
3. Power (This is more or less a function of 1 & 2 - but power become important as a tool for obtaining 1 & 2 and then controlling 1 & 2 for foreseeable periods of time against various external factors that may develop)

Religion, faith and so on has always something with which a hold can be maintained on a largish group of people be it for reason 1 or reason 2 or reason 3.

This fundamental concept can be extrapolated, even today to explain why religion works out.