Posted on 05/09/2006 6:34:24 PM PDT by voletti
MUMBAI: A Catholic group on Tuesday called on Christians to starve themselves to death in protest at the release of the “The Da Vinci Code” at cinemas in India.
The Catholic Secular Forum said it hoped thousand of people would attend a protest Wednesday in Mumbai to burn effigies of Dan Brown, the author of the best-selling novel.
“It’s to show the extent that our feelings have been hurt,” said the group’s general secretary Joseph Dias.
He denied the hunger strike was irresponsible. “It’s a more Christian way of doing things rather than pulling down things and tearing them up,” he said.
The film, scheduled for global release on May 19, will be dubbed into four languages and will be distributed across India, a spokesman for Sony Pictures said.
The planned protest in Mumbai is the latest around the world against the controversial film, starring Tom Hanks, and based on Brown’s best-selling novel.
The film explores the idea that Jesus Christ married Mary Magdalene, had children, and that their descendants are alive today. Christian churches have condemned “The Da Vinci Code” as an attack on their faith and an aide of Pope Benedict XVI has called it a “perversely anti-Christian novel.”
About two percent of India’s 1.1 billion people are Christians.
The Catholic group also called for a second film, “Tickle My Funny Bone,” to be banned saying it told the story of a “sexy nun.” AFP
I'm REALLY suspicious that this report comes from a newspaper in a Muslim nation at war with India. I'm pretty certain it amounts to an attempt to show its gullible readers what those silly Indians are doing.
This film looks so boring.
As evil as this film may be, I am not sure the Christian thing to do is to starve yourself to death.
If it's anything like the book, it'll be great.
I researched this: None of the other sites covering the Catholic Secular Forum make any mention of "people starving themselves to death." I think it's bizarre Jihadist propaganda.
And when the subject isn't Catholics acting insanely, you normally believe Pakistani exclusives about what's going on India?
If this report is really true (which seems somewhat questionable), I have no problem with Christians or anyone else starving themselves to death or immolating themselves or whatever. Suicide tends to improve the overall gene pool for those still alive.
I strenuously object when people (i.e., Islamic jihadists) harm other people while suiciding. If they'd just stick to blowing themselves up, I'd consider it a win-win situation.
Starving oneself to death seems like a pretty benign way to go. I suspect that the producers of the Da Vinci Code would agree: It lets the suiciders voice their objections to the movie in a dramatic fashion, and it generates enormous amounts of free publicity for the movie and boosts attendance and profits.
Historically (seriously), bad books made good movies, and this one sounds like a classic of graphomania!
No, not as a rule, but there is all kinds of religious kookery going - Catholics (or any other Christian sect or schism) are not exempt.
I have no idea what the proper word in that country would be for "fiction," but they clearly don't know how to interpret the word. Get a grip folks.
OTOH, Dan Brown is enjoying massive free publicity - I bet his book has had many, many reprinting's by now although, IMHO, it isn't his best book.
A Catholic group on Tuesday called on Christians to starve themselves to death in protest at the release of the “The Da Vinci Code” at cinemas in India.
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