Posted on 05/19/2006 6:28:58 PM PDT by rhema
The Da Vinci Code -- which opens in the U.S. on May 19 -- might be subtitled "Religion for Morons" or "Gnosticism Meets The New Age."
It's fantasy posing as reality. The Sony Pictures film is blasphemous, defames the Catholic Church, and promotes neo-pagan Goddess worship.
I find it offensive, and I'm not even a Christian.
Director Ron Howard (who specializes in visual candy) assures us that Opie's opus will be true to the novel -- a pretentious, overwritten piece of trash that makes Bridget Jones's Diary look like one of the 100 Greatest Books Ever Written.
The plot of Dan Brown's mega-best seller (45 million copies sold) goes like this: Jesus married Mary Magdalene, who bore his children, who became the Merovingian monarchs of France, whose descendants are running around Europe today -- being chased by Opus Dei or Mormon missionaries or Martians or someone.
Again, according to The Code, The Catholic Church has for centuries concealed the truth about Jesus to maintain its power. Mary Magdalene represents the "sacred feminine" -- which supposedly predates monotheism -- and which wicked patriarchalists have spent millennia trying to suppress, the better to deny man's sexual nature and subjugate women.
The book (and presumably the film) even has a ritualistic orgy, where communicants dance with orbs and the grand master of the book's mysterious order gets frisky with a plump, middle-aged lady. The scene is described on page 311: "'The woman you behold is love!' The women called, raising their orbs again. The men responded, 'She has her dwelling place in eternity.'" (All I want is lovin' you, and music, music, music?)
Brown may have achieved the impossible -- devised a type of mumbo-jumbo that makes "healing" crystals seem serious.
Orthodox Christians are rightly offended by The Code's plot, denying as it does the divinity of Jesus and his mission.
People are free to believe, or not believe, in Jesus. Jews and Christians have been debating the identity of the Messiah, what God requires of us and how salvation may be achieved for almost 2,000 years. But to turn the life of a man almost a billion people on this planet worship into a soap opera beggars the term insensitive.
At least Christians can take comfort in the fact that their's isn't the only faith maligned and misrepresented by Brown's book.
On page 309, Brown writes of his protagonist: "Langdon's Jewish students always looked flabbergasted when he first told them that the early Jewish tradition involved ritualistic sex. In the Temple, no less. Early Jews believed that the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple housed not only God but also His powerful female equal, Shekinah. Men seeking spiritual wholeness came to the Temple to visit priestesses -- or hierodules -- with whom they made love and experienced the divine through physical union."
This would be amusing, were it not so disgusting. Jews daily pray for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. For what -- so men can "experience the divine" by getting a little nookie?
In Judaism, "Shekinah" refers to the Divine presence, at one time said to reside at the Temple. Because the Hebrew word is feminine, in Brown’s fevered imagining, it has morphed into a female deity.
There were no "priestesses" in the Temple. The Torah condemns the ritual prostitution practiced by the Canaanites as "an abomination" -- its most severe censure.
It was Judaism that first related sexuality to morality. (Christian sexual ethics come from the Jewish Bible.) Where did Brown get his understanding of ancient Judaism -- from that noted Kabbalist, Madonna? Did he discover Jewish polytheism among the documents hidden away in the Templars’ secret crypt, along with Jesus’ marriage license?
In an article on nationalreview.com, David Klinghoffer argues that Jews also should be concerned about The Da Vinci Code because of its disturbing parallels to "The Protocols of The Elders of Zion."
"The Protocols," a forged document, postulates a conspiracy of Jewish leaders to conceal the truth about their alleged control of humanity through various political movements. The Da Vinci Code claims the Catholic Church is involved in a massive cover-up to hide the real history of Jesus, in order to maintain its control of the faithful. In both cases, the public is invited to scorn the sinister conspirators -- Jews or Catholics.
As a Goddess-worshipping, neo-pagan, Brown seeks to reverse the Bible's process of taming man's erotic nature (by channeling it to fidelity and family), once again divorcing the sexual from the spiritual -- freeing man's hedonistic urges from Judeo-Christian constraints. That Brown has so many admirers among Hollywood libertines is unsurprising.
But why all the fuss? After all, it’s only a movie, right?
The novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand was once asked why she primarily wrote fiction, instead of works of philosophy. Rand explained that it's far easier to convey ideas through fiction than non-fiction -- witness Dante's The Divine Comedy, witness Uncle Tom's Cabin, witness Ben-Hur, The Screwtape Letters and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Novels and films aren't footnoted. The author or screenwriter can create a thoroughly convincing universe that powerfully projects his message. From The Birth of a Nation and Triumph of The Will to Thelma and Louise and Brokeback Mountain, films have told us how to think about the world around us.
Most movies present the world according to Hollywood (and the word became flesh -- lots of flesh) -- that the sex act is good in and of itself, that people should follow their feelings (which invariably will lead them to right conduct and happiness), that prayer is like throwing a penny in a wishing well, that God is within us, that God is love, that God makes no demands of us and that the followers of traditional religion are a bunch of uptight, puritanical, hypocritical killjoys.
Debunking Christianity -- which is The Da Vinci Code's mission -- advances this worldview.
All too many people read novels or see films and think they're experiencing reality. Their understanding of the complicated history of settlers and Indians comes from Dances With Wolves. They are informed about the crusades by Kingdom of Heaven. Their understanding of the theory of global warming comes from The Day After Tomorrow.
According to a Barna Group survey, 24% of those who read The Da Vinci Code said it aided their "personal spiritual growth and understanding." In other words, one in four of its readers believe the book’s thesis (as opposed to its storyline) is true. Our "personal spiritual growth" isn't aided by what we believe to be a lie.
The best response to The Da Vinci Code -- besides derisive laughter -- is a boycott. Resist the urge to determine just how bad it is by buying a ticket. You'll only be rewarding the perpetrators -- perhaps encouraging The Da Vinci Code: Part II, wherein Dan Brown reveals that Jesus was really married to Lazarus.
It'll be forgotten a whole lot sooner than that. The caterwauling is being drowned out by the virtually universal derision for this ponderous, pretentious dud of a movie. Even liberal critics like the guy at the Minneapolis Star Tribune ("Long and Winding Code" is his title) are lining up to bury this offal. It's simply. . . embarrassingly . . . awful.
Critically speaking, final stop for this turkey of a movie: the Slough of Despond.
I bought a ticket to The Passion of the Christ to hear a message.
On the other hand, I bought a ticket to Million Dollar Baby to be entertained and instead got a message. Rumor has it that Brokeback Mountain has a message.
Quite a few movies out there with a message.
Eco did this sort of thing much better in his novels (The Name of the Rose, Foucalt's Pendulum). I saw the movie yesterday (friends were going). What fatuous tedium! Honestly, how do you sit through lines like "You're the last descendant of Jesus Christ!" without tittering?
You haven't refuted a thing. This book doesn't purport to be anything other than historical fiction.
to those religious folks who feel threatened by the da vinci code,
ask yourself one question:
what is more believable - that there was a man named jesus who happened to be married and had a child?...OR, that a man named jesus was immaculately conceived, and walked on water, and turned water into wine, etc........
...the bible is THE biggest piece of fiction of all time, and should have a disclaimer saying so
Michael Moore? Please.....
How about we place him into the National Enquirer Level of fiction...
Thanks for playing
this is a freaking war.
put money is the devils pocket.
With a post like this aren't you implicitly admitting that the purpose of the "Da Vinci Code" isn't really mindless FICTIONAL entertainment, but a conscious effort to attack, create doubt about, and/or debunk the Bible, Christianity, Jesus, the Catholic Church, religion in general, etc.??
If you're a devout Christian, the better question is--why wouldn't you feel threatened by a movie like this? Fiction is a powerful tool for propaganda and everyone who says "it's just fiction" can't really deny that.
That said , Brown can write whatever he chooses to and Hollywood can make any kind of movie they want, as far as I'm concerned. But why should they get to be immune from criticism? Why should Christians always have to, as my favorite college basketball coach once suggested to Connie Chung, 'sit back and enjoy it'?
Would you read and watch Da Vinci Code Part II? Have Part II reveal that Judaism is a fraud. And that powerful Jews try to control history and go around murdering people to hide the truth. It can include fictional ideas from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Fact: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a real book. Fact: There are Jews in many positions of power. Fact:...
Don't worry, the book would be labeled fiction.
Sounds like a good book/movie to promote? I don't think so.
I can't judge a book or a movie until I read it or see it. After I do, I can make a judgment. But I cannot let others tell me what to read or see. As a conservative, practicing Catholic, that is what I teach my children.
Well, perhaps you haven't been here long enough to remember, but the bruu haha around here about Harry Potter was just as strident and hysterical as it is about the Da Vinci Code.
As for Browns claims, he has said the book is fiction.
Not unlike National Treasure, which used history as a stage to spin it's yarn from. The Old North Church, the Declaration of Independence, etc, all exist, but was anyone, including you, gullible enough to honestly believe there really is a treasure map written on the back, that can only be seen using glasses built by Ben Franklin?
Please.
Honestly, I do love how history repeats itself.
This whole situation is at it's core "The Last Temptation of Christ II"
The Da Vinci Code is a movie that might have gone down as essentially the sequel to Ishtar, but with the help of all the hysterical ranting against it, it will probably at the very least make it's 3 times budget, and actually turn a profit.
I do hope the Folks that are getting so exorcised over this movie realize that they themselves are becoming part of the entertainment value added for the movie. How so you ask.
Well, as with the Last Temptation, people went to the theaters, in some cases, just to see the protestors, then went in to see the movie just to infuriate them.
And look at the end result. Did all the hand wringing and protesting stop The Last Temptation of Christ? Hardly. The protestors successfully snatched it from the jaws of defeat, just, as it would appear, the nonsense about the Da Vinci Code will do now.
Don't worry, Sony will appreciate all the effort.
Prove it.
And yet, the most amazing and powerful thing about your denial of God and faith is that God still loves you. His mercy is infinite.
I like the fact that so many people are speaking out about this movie. It is very heartening that so many people choose to defend God.
Well, Sony, and their shareholders like it too.
If they keep speaking out, showing up at the Theaters, and keeping the discussion going, you'll be even more heartened when people have to start talking again for Da Vinci Code II.
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