| Attention, conspiracy theorists: We are happy to | | | | radical notion that Jesus was divine.Reality check: The |
| announce the next New York Times best seller, "The | | | | Council of Nicaea dealt with the issue of Arianism, |
| Gospel of Judas." Soon to be a major motion picture | | | | which denied that Jesus and the Father were equal. |
| starring Tom Hanks -- wait, scratch that last part; that | | | | Of the 250-300 bishops present, only a few opposed |
| was "The DaVinci Code."A recently translated codex | | | | the Nicene Creed as it was formulated. Their |
| that scholars purport to be the long-lost "Gospel of | | | | opposition was to the use of wording that was not in |
| Judas" is supposedly shaking up traditional views of | | | | the Bible, though not to the ideas expressed in the |
| Christianity by depicting Judas as Jesus' best friend | | | | creed. The supposed "new idea" of Jesus as divine |
| and a bearer of "secret knowledge" who was only | | | | had already been accepted doctrine since the first |
| following Jesus' orders when he sold out to the | | | | century. By the way, the other burning issue at this |
| Pharisees."Judas the hero" is the headline of the day | | | | gathering of supposed radicals? When to celebrate |
| on TV, radio, Web sites and newspapers.From all the | | | | Easter.No editing. No burning of heretics. No |
| media hoopla, you'd think clergy across the land were | | | | suppression of ideas. The bishops merely expressed |
| shrugging their shoulders in futility and shutting the | | | | very succinctly what had always been Christian |
| church doors, never to sermonize again.It's the same | | | | canon.The simple fact is that Gnostic groups were |
| sort of glee with which the media trumpeted the | | | | never as widely popular as revisionists would have us |
| success of "The DaVinci Code" and with which they | | | | believe. They weren't even a cohesive movement, but |
| tout any discoveries that "challenge" traditional | | | | just a variety of cultic groups who held several general |
| Christianity.The appropriate response from Christians | | | | views in common, among them that creation itself is |
| should be a collective yawn.The relationship of "The | | | | flawed and evil; the body is a hindrance, a mere vessel |
| Gospel of Judas" to the facts of Jesus' life is akin to | | | | for the more-important spirit; women especially are |
| the relationship of the pop song "Rock Me, Amadeus" | | | | corrupt; and one can only be saved by "secret" |
| to classical music.The earliest mention of a "Gospel of | | | | knowledge which -- big surprise -- the cult was the |
| Judas" comes from St. Irenaeus, circa 180 A.D., in | | | | keeper of.Such groups existed before Jesus' time, and |
| "Adversus Haeresis" (Against Heresy). Irenaeus refers | | | | when Christianity began to grow, cult leaders must |
| to a Gnostic sect calling itself Cainites. In their gospel, | | | | have realized a bonanza when they saw it. Previously, |
| according to Irenaeus, Judas was portrayed as a man | | | | the cults' "mysteries" were linked to various |
| who knew secret lore about Cain and other "truths" | | | | mythological characters and pantheons. The |
| that led him to betray Jesus.The recently translated | | | | opportunity to link them to a historical figure whose |
| manuscript is the only known copy of "The Gospel of | | | | actions had taken on legendary proportions must have |
| Judas." It surfaced sometime in the 1990s and has | | | | been seen as highly lucrative.These Gnostic cults were |
| been carbon dated back to the third or fourth | | | | elitist, and their members took a dim view of the rapidly |
| centuries. The translation of the manuscript portrays | | | | spreading Christianity. The pagan philosopher Celsus |
| Judas as following Jesus' orders when he went to the | | | | complained that Christians did not demand virtue and |
| temple and sold out the Messiah.Part of the translation | | | | wisdom as prerequisites for salvation, whereas the |
| says of Judas in relation to the other disciples: "But you | | | | mystery cults preserved their knowledge for the elect. |
| will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man | | | | Naturally, the more money a potential initiate spread |
| that clothes me."So, far from betrayer, Judas is the | | | | around, the greater his "virtue.""The Gospel of Judas" is |
| enabler, even a hero. Holy plot twist!Actually, it's just | | | | no different. Written very late to be considered in any |
| typical Gnostic fluff, but this story has legs for the | | | | way authoritative, it also faces the unique difficulty that |
| same reason "The DaVinci Code" became a best | | | | its supposed source, Judas, killed himself. I suppose that |
| seller. Both are suited perfectly to take advantage of | | | | Judas conceivably could have thrown the 30 silver |
| the public's ignorance of history.There are plenty of | | | | coins back in Caiaphas' face, stopped off for coffee, |
| Gnostic so-called "gospels" floating around, most of | | | | and written down or related the "real" events of the |
| them claiming to relate the "real story" about some | | | | previous week before going off to hang himself, but I |
| aspect of Jesus' life that was overlooked by the | | | | find myself strangely skeptical on this point.But loose |
| accepted Gospels and apostolic writings. This was the | | | | facts and logic never stopped a good story. Maybe |
| inspiration for "The DaVinci Code" and the book "Holy | | | | Tom Hanks will be available for this movie, too: "Life is |
| Blood, Holy Grail" years before it. According to Bible | | | | like a box of bad chocolates. You never know when |
| revisionists, these widely accepted gospels were | | | | one will turn on you."Tad Cronn is an author and editor |
| excised from the Bible by closed-minded men at the | | | | from West Hills, Calif. |
| Council of Nicaea who forced people to accept the | | | | |