Many of my fellow Christians are in a furor over the upcoming release of the movie, The DaVinci Code. I never read Brown's book. Instead, I read the book which he liberally plagiarized from, The DaVinci Legacy. But because they're almost identical, I can speak knowledgeably about the concepts which both are built on.And I can tell you that they're engrossing fiction, and all you have to do is suspend belief when you read them. The "history" they're based on is easily disproved. So why should Christians be so nervous about the movie's release?
Well, things have a way of leaching into pop culture. Christians are worried that people may actually begin to believe some of the allegations made in these faux historical novels. But they're so easily refuted that even the mainstream media is doing so (there's a great article here at salon.com about it). Books which go into even greater detail are listed here.
But now all Christians can breathe a sigh of relief. The DaVinci Code is getting terrible reviews, everywhere. It appears that it will die a death much quicker and less painful than the controversy it's caused.
P.S. Does anyone else think that this picture looks a little bit like Lee Ann??? Hmmm, I think we may have a conspiracy here...
29 comments:
I am thinking I will see the movie despite the reviews. I have always been a fan of Ron Howard and Tom Hanks so I will give them a fair hearing.
BTW, as regards your last post, Ron Howard would fit nicely in there in his college years at USC *S*
I am always amused when people get all uptight at movies. "It's a hollywood liberal left conspiracy or a religious conspiracy, etc." Like you said, it is entertainment. The last controversial movie I saw was "Brokeback Mountain" and I still haven't felt a gay tendancy.
Yes, a little bit. It could be a future HNT posting! As for that movie, here's how much space I'll spend discussing it ____. This is not because I am a pissed off Christian OR any other kind of Christian OR because I have some other religious belief OR because I adhere to no religion whatsoever. I simply do not care. I have my last final for this semester in about four hours and then I am done with my junior year. That's what I care about.
BTW: After my final is...er, well - final, I still won't be caught up in this hype. I'll pretty much always not care. If this movie bombs, then maybe it'll all just go away - until the next meaningless major controversy comes down the pike. Maybe it'll be one that I do care about, which won't make it any less meaningless... just more fun!
;-')
~Mike
Do you remember the controversy over the Harry Potter movies? I actually found them to be very entertaining and I am a Christian.
I am interested in seeing the movie, the hype makes me almost want to see it more than I did originally.
Thank you for the link, very sweet of you. I promise, no conspiracy there, and I take the comparison as a compliment.
Have a great day!
I'm proud to say I've not read that book.
I think that Christians just need to relax. It is after all Fiction. Besides would it be that big a deal if Jesus was married? Who really cares....
The book has sold 60 million copies so I think that most people have seen it who are going to be into it anyway.
Scott
Thanks for finding someone else's link to give out this week. Watch out Lee Ann. Saur had me belly dancing last week. I am really going to have to cook up something good for some a pay back. :)
Thanks for finding someone else's link to give out this week. Watch out Lee Ann. Saur had me belly dancing last week. I am really going to have to cook up something good for some a pay back. :)
I read the book and there was never any confusion that it is a work of fiction. I had to laugh at the books that came out "debunking" it. To me it's like trying to prove that Winnie the Pooh is really only a stuffed animal that can't talk or eat honey. (Sorry, been reading that to the little guy...)
I think it's ironic that the people trying to stop others from watching the Da Vinci code are doing a great job of promoting it. I think I'll see it and read the book just to spite them.
I'm with ya, Saur. I don't have a problem with the concept of the book, as a work of fiction. I love a good twisted angle story.
It does bug me that many take it as documentary. But the truth of the matter is that people who don't want to believe in the doctrine of Christianity will latch on to anything they can that says differently or discredits the scripture and believe it as fact.
But - that's just how it is. I for one don't lose much sleep over this movie coming out. I don't think it's any more or less a threat to sensibility at large than anything else ...
This is totally off the subject, but I saw you met Dani through one of your other blogs and complimented her on something she had said, although you also said you hadn't yet visited her blog. I'm curious - did you visit her blog and do you still agree with her point of view? Sorry to be so nosy, but I've encountered her before and you're the first person I've seen who didn't refer to her as a hate-monger.
I havent read the book, and have no intention of watching the movie unless it happens to be on TV when I'm surfing channels.
I have read a different book (about the Knights of the Templar) which pointed out that to be a rabbi (which I believe Jesus was), one had to be married. Since I'm not a scholar, let alone a biblical scholar, I cant say whether or not this is true, but it is intriguing.
Seriously, this whole issue is starting to annoy me.
Ok - so it's troubling to thing that Jesus might have been married. But it's not a novel concept. In fact, not only Purdue but other novelists and movie makers have played with the idea for a while.
So why is everybody getting so hyped up about it? Because it's happening in Hollywood, I guess.
Oh well. Missing the movie only means missing some ENTERTAINMENT. Its a matter of personnal choice, but not a life-altering decision.
Anyway, who ever said Hollywood movies were real?
Beav, Yeah. It's just another in a long spate of silly movies.
Daveawayfromhome, to be the elder of a church (pastor) one needs to be married, too (according to scripture) but we have the Catholic priesthood... Anyway, Jesus was seen as a teacher but was never recognized as an official Jewish Rabbi. The word "rabbi" means teacher, only.
Grant, Oh good heavens, Dani's blog is downright creepy. There's obvious mental illness there. I had just said a nice welcome to her in the one note I wrote her, but also added that if what others were saying was true, she was dead wrong. And she is.
Clew, well, it goes back to people believing what they want to believe. After all, we have all sorts of cults (and some religions that really classify as cults) that believe garbage with no historical veracity.
Notsocranky, excellent analogy!
Reverberate, I've been torn. I wanted to go see it anyway (though I know it's all nonsense), till I heard it was a dud.
Jef, very true. There are too many lazy thinkers out there. That's why there's certainly a place for the refutation of the faux facts in the DaVinci Code. I just don't get why anyone's panicking over it.
Michelle, ;o)
Scott, well, the main reason that a true Christian would be harmed by believing that Jesus was married: If Jesus was married, it would mean that he preferred one mortal woman over anyone else. Also, we would have to somehow fit her into the equation.
The Catholics already have tried to deify Mary (with no scriptural backing for it) because there was a need to fit a female deity into their religion in order to pacify the pagans. But if Jesus had a wife, it would confuse things even further - both for the Catholics and possibly the Protestants.
Additionally, it would complicate things if they had progeny. Would the progeny be a special race? Angelic? Privileged? Finally, having a family would've distracted Jesus from his ultimate purpose. And since it's not mentioned in the Bible, it's assumed that it didn't happen... or, you could argue, if it DID happen, it apparently wasn't of any significance.
Daniel, aw, c'mon. You don't like garbagey stuff every once in a while? ;o)
Lee Ann, oh yeah, much ado about nothing when it came to Harry Potter. Interesting how the books continue to improve, huh? I guess practice makes perfect! I'm only sorry the author got sick of the character which made her the money to begin with! And you can't easily convince me there's no conspiracy. Hmmm... I remember you have a suspicious celebrity surname. I wonder...
Mike A, I'm with you! This is as much as I'll be bothering to post about it. But, pop culture always intrigues me...
Ed, are you trying to tell me that the sight of a fencepost doesn't arouse you just a little? ;o)
Mindless D, you're welcome! She has a fun little blog, doesn't she?
Mallory, you're right, Ron was quite a non-entity, wasn't he? I had a friend who died when we were 27. He was a special effects artist who knew Ron and said he was very nice. Of course he said that about Michael Jackson too(?) Anyway, you're right about Ron and Tom Hanks; two stellar talents!
I read the Da Vinci Code fully realizing it was a work of fiction so it's no big deal to me.
Actually Angels and Demons, written by him, is a much better book and more entertaining to me.
Saur,
Go look at sweetnsar. Not as "ingenious" as what you did to me, but it is a start.
Actually the history isnt that easy to prove either way. Christianity is full of erased and changed history.
It is more likely that jesus was a normal guy, had a wife, and some kids and died, than to buy into the christian story about him. And to top it, the evidence for both are similar: ZERO.
So I dont see all the anger, both are myths. They are only as fun, or as dangerous as stupid people make them.
The DaVinci Code is fiction, period. Christians should be happy that someone wrote a story that has something to do with Jesus (vaguely) that so many people actually read! I think it's raising interest in Christianity. How can that be bad?
There's nothing like getting a bunch of people riled up and angry to get mass interest in reading your book and watching your movie, no matter how good or bad it may be.
Saur,
I just don't see myself being with a woman with a great body and a eagle type head. The face is just too important.
I emailed you. Used your blog admin email.
I can sit back and laugh at all this.
The problem is that the radical Christian "mega-church" groups believe soooo much crap. They take what the Bible says, and then change it around to make it "say" what they think it should say.
For evidence I will present the "left behind" stuff.
So when someone else takes a few things from the Bible then makes up a story using the material, it is a direct threat to what they are doing. If the movie makes for a better story than theirs, the end result is a loss of their flock to a new church.
No flock = no revinue.
You are right about the money part. That is what the church does, make money and gain power. It is a political organization that is able to operate across and inside of borders.
Anyway, for fun times, google search Santa and then Jesus. Guess which one has more than double the hits? Which one is real again?
Do you really think that if kids were left alone until 18 (you know, learning science, math, all that atheist crap) that they would buy into god? No educated person would accept childish myths if they were given a chance to learn and think first. That is why you get kids brainwashed as soon as possible. Hell dunk them in water as soon as they are born, start there.
If our kids were forced to learn scientology from a young age, who here would be happy with that? Do you see why I am not happy that they are forced to learn christianity all the same?
* sigh *
well, at least we christians aren't rioting and issuing fatwas against dan brown.
:-P
I just got finished reading the DaVinci Code. I liked it. It was well written. I am now reading The DaVinci Legacy A)becasue I saw it on your blog first (wouldn't have known about it otherwise) and B) becasue the local Wal-Mart I shop at had it for under $5.
I also wanted to read it because I bought one of those books from a Christian author whose reputation I trust. (He's also a prof at the seminary I applied to.)
I told myself I'd never read Dan Brown's book, but figured as an informed and educated Christian I'f I'm going to criticize something, I better know what I'm talking about before I open my mouth.
I'll also see the movie in a few weeks, when I can use my free passes because I've always liked Tom Hanks' films. And Ron Howard is a good director.
I'm also going to post about them on my blog, once I finish with the other book.
to lazy iguana:
As one who has read and enjoyed the Left Behind books I can tell you that the authors acknowledge that theirs story is BASED ON the FRAMEWORK of Revelation. Events that will happen at some point whether you believe in them or not.
In addition, Tim Lahaye is a very knowledgeable and respected pastor who has written quite extensively on Revelation and the end times.
I hope you have read ALL OF the Left Behind books before criticizing them.
All the noise is much ado about nothing.
People who would take it as gospel truth are the same types of sheeple who follow after weird cult leaders.
They are the types who fall for things without using their brains.
I read the book and enjoyed it. It was a fun work of fiction. Period.
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