Okay, after writing for the Discuss Da Vinci Blog (a dozen or so posts plus several dozen replies in the comments, some of them to some real … uh, "characters" …) I've had pretty much enough of Dan "it's true, absolutely all of it, errr, except when it's proven wrong or inconvenient for me" Brown's novel.

However, I had to post this. An excellent documentary called The Real Da Vinci Code (hosted by Tony Robinson and originally broadcast a year or so ago) is now available on DVD. I highly encourage anyone who's interested in the issues raised by the book to watch this documentary. It's both scholarly and entertaining. Buy it from Amazon.com ($13.99US) or from your local DVD store.

The entire thing is also available to watch online for free here: The Real Da Vinci Code on Google Video (1 hour 41 minutes). Of course, since they are now (finally) selling a legit DVD version, you should really buy the DVD in addition to watching it online. Besides, it loses something watching it on the blurry Google Video box, especially when they are showing the documents, beautiful architecture, etc.

Further reading:

• TheLife.com’s Da Vinci Code site – Many useful articles.
• Criticisms of the Da Vinci Code – Some of the criticisms of the book & movie (Wikipedia entry).
• Glad you asked that: A Da Vinci Code primer – Answers to common questions.

Was browsing Amazon today (as I am wont to do a little too often as my growing Amazon Wishlist will attest) and came across this quote re the "multiple universes" objection:

As far as the endless universes argument, I'll lay the flaw on the line: THE MANY UNIVERSES THEORY EXPLAINS EVERYTHING, THUS IT EXPLAINS NOTHING. I could say with equal validity that, in a multiverse consisting of an infinite number of realities, there would inevitably arise a world where fossil evidence appears to support evolution, when in fact it never occurred. The evidence looks that way by sheer coincidence. (Free Thinker's review of Dawkins' The God Delusion on Amazon)

The objection of "endless universes" seems to come up occasionally when I'm discussing God with people. It is sometimes used in its scientific sense an argument against the Anthropic Principle, however there are more than a few problems with using multiple universes as an argument against the Anthropic Principle.

I haven't yet read Dawkins' The God Delusion, but from what I've heard about it, it wouldn't present much new information. Here are some resources I've come across lately regarding Dawkins' book:

• Skeptical Christian: The God Delusion – The Skeptical Christian's review of the book.
• London Review of Books: Lunging, Flailing, Mispunching – Terry Eagleton's literary review.
• The Complete Review: The God Delusion – Links to many published reviews of Dawkins' book (both positive and negative) with several quotes listed on the page.

As always, if you're going to read The God Delusion, I might suggest that for balance you also read McLaren's Finding Faith.

BTW, sorry for the lack of posting. The last two weeks were spent scrambling to try to get all of my papers handed in for school so I didn't have a lot of time to post.