Posted on 05/16/2006 5:45:12 AM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
by Mark Finkelstein
May 16, 2006
Let's be clear: the Da Vinci Code portrays Christianity as a fraud and the Roman Catholic Church as a murderous conspiracy. As Archbishop Angelo Amato, the number two official in the Vatican doctrinal office which was headed by Pope Benedict until his election last year recently stated, if "such lies and errors had been directed at the Koran or the Holocaust they would have justly provoked a world uprising."
Yet the Today show has decided to offer the movie, scheduled for release this week, untold millions in free advertising by devoting hours of, um, worshipful coverage to it, and even sending Matt Lauer to Europe for the week where he will be "On the Road with the Code."
This morning we were treated to Matt exploring the Louvre, where the Code begins. We were told of a new wave of Code tourism, in which people plan travels around the world to explore the sites portrayed in the movie. NBC reporter Melissa Stark engaged in respectful, at times almost giddy, interviews with some of the films actors and with director Ron Howard.
Finally, some 47 minutes into this morning's show, Today timidly stuck its toe into the matter, as Stark made reference to the fact that the Da Vinci Code had stirred controversy.
So, just whom did Today choose to discuss the controversy? Archbishop Amato himself or another Vatican spokesman? William Donohue, whose Catholic League has written an open letter to director Howard? Perhaps Pat Buchanan, an MSNBC analyst and frequent Today guest who has written an outraged column about the Da Vinci Code? Nope. Today chose . . . Da Vince Code director Ron Howard himself! Howard made some vague, elliptical remarks about the movie encouraging people "to make some choices themselves and about what they feel and how they believe." Howard let us know that "I feel that kind of engagement is a healthy thing." Thanks for sharing, Ron.
Incredibly, Today never even told us what the controversy was all about. If they rely on the Today show, believing Roman Catholics would enter theaters unaware that the movie portrays their religion as a malevolent, murderous fraud.
Again, try to imagine a movie that, in the same way, treated Mohammed as a hoaxster and Islam as a murderous fraud of a religion. Do you think Today would devote days to celebrating the magnificence of the film and its themes and bury any criticism with some oblique comments from the movie's director?
As Buchanan said in his column: "the hoopla attending the release of 'The Da Vinci Code,' based on the Dan Brown novel that has sold 7 million copies in the United States, tells us something about whose God it is permissible to mock and whose faith one is allowed to assault."
The lead in text on the move "Fargo" said it was based on a true story. It wasn't. It was all made up :~D
Oh and don't miss his code for "justifying homophobia", which is code for 'never question the motives of the gender-confused, because they're NOT harmful pedophiles like so many of you **racists** seem to think.'
"And anti-Christian"
Very true, I didn't mean to omit the others .....
"Let's be clear: the Da Vinci Code portrays Christianity as a fraud and the Roman Catholic Church as a murderous conspiracy"
Once again, the left is jealous of the Catholic Church because they are such a huge world-wide provider of health and human services, embarassing the liberals who can't gather nearly that much support by stealing money from taxpayers.
You're a Christophobe. How do ya like it?
Christophobe Columbus?
Hey maybe the movie studio's are behind these Da Vinci protests...just to get the extra ticket sales based on "bad publicity".
Reminds me of how well the Muslims did protesting against CARTOONS that they said were blasphemous....
"Muslim cartoon fury claims lives...The Danish embassy in Tehran was the scene of angry protests At least five people have been killed in Afghanistan as protests against European cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad swept across the country."
Oh, but THIS time it's DIFFERENT! See, that was a protest against defaming a religious figure and this time it's, well, different...;)
I have been argued with on this site because I called this stupid book anti-Catholic, illogical, boring, full of errors, and plain hateful.
But anyone who says that--threats of murder aside-- protesting the showing of this no-doubt boring movie is somehow right when protesting Muhammad cartoons was so wrong, well, I don't think they're thinking their position through.
Whoever pays money to see this junk deserves what they get. Whoever doesn't want to see it--don't.
Sometimes people just need to step away from their first emotional gut reaction and look at the entire picture. My faith isn't so fragile that it would be shaken by a work of fiction...I find it disheartening that in the days ahead we will be deluged but the MSM painting Christians otherwise.
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