Most Da Vinci Code readers believe Jesus fathered a child, poll finds

The Daily Telegraph ^ | May 17, 2006 | Jonathan Petre

[MadIvan]

The best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code has seriously damaged people's faith in the Christian Church, a survey has found.

Two thirds of Britons who have read Dan Brown's thriller believe that Jesus fathered a child with Mary Magdalene, a claim rejected as baseless by historians and Bible scholars.

Those who have read it are also four times as likely to think that the conservative Roman Catholic organisation Opus Dei, whose members include the Cabinet minister Ruth Kelly, is a murderous sect.

Seventeen per cent of readers are convinced that the lay group, whose founder was canonised by the late Pope John Paul II, has ordered or carried out a murder, compared with four per cent of those who have not read the book.

The poll has shocked Church leaders who have mounted a massive campaign to debunk The Da Vinci Code in advance of the release of the Hollywood film version this week. The findings suggest that the book has significantly shifted attitudes towards traditional Christianity and will fuel fears that people increasingly prefer to believe in conspiracy theories that taint the Church rather than historical evidence.

The poll found that more than one in five British adults has read the book, which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and that a large proportion believe its central claims.

Sixty per cent of the adults polled said after reading the book that they believed there was truth in the suggestion that Jesus had children and that his bloodline survives, compared with 30 per cent of those who have not read it.

Just under a third, 27 per cent, think that the Catholic Church is covering up the truth about Jesus, and the figure rises to 36 per cent among those who have read Brown's novel.

Austin Ivereigh, the director for public affairs for Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, accused Brown of dishonest marketing and said the film should carry a "health warning".

He complained that Brown and Sony Pictures, the film's distributors "have encouraged people to take it seriously while hiding behind the claim that it is fiction.

"Our poll shows that they should take responsibility for their dishonesty."

The poll was conducted by Opinion Research Business among a representative sample of 1,005 adults between May 12 and 14.

[Cardhu]

There is a theory, first publicized in The Templar Revelation by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, that the person to the left of Jesus (to his right) is actually Mary Magdalene, rather than the apostle John (as all art historians identify it). This theory is central to Dan Brown's popular novel

The Da Vinci Code. In the book, it is said that John/Mary Magdalene has a womanly bosom, feminine facial features, and is swaying gracefully toward Peter. Peter appears to be making a threatening gesture across Mary's throat. The author uses this theory to advance his view that Leonardo da Vinci was once the head of a secret society, the Priory of Sion, which protects the secret of Jesus' royal bloodline, and where his descendants live today.

Wikipedia

[mware]

Seems the critics didn't care for the movie much either.

"The Cannes audience clearly grew restless as the movie dragged on to two and a half hours and spun a long sequence of anticlimactic revelations."

"I kept thinking of the Energizer Bunny, because it kept going and going and going, and not in a good way," said James Rocchi, a film critic for CBS 5 television in San Francisco and the online outlet Cinematical. "Ron Howard makes handsome films. He doesn't make bad ones, but he doesn't make great ones."

"One especially melodramatic line uttered by Hanks drew prolonged laughter and some catcalls, and the audience continued to titter for much of the film's remainder."

"Some people walked out during the movie's closing minutes, though there were fewer departures than many Cannes movies provoke among harsh critics. When the credits rolled, there were a few whistles and hisses, and there was none of the scattered applause even bad movies sometimes receive at Cannes"

[veronica]

Looks like it's getting crappy reviews. The book was a potboiler. Schlock!

[Diva]

I Remmeber the first time I ever heard of this book, in the lobby of a small school where I teach. This private school is in a rather affluent area of Metro Detroit and most of my students are children of doctors, lawyers and such. The credulity of the two parents discussing the book was astounding. I suppose I should know better at my age but I admit hoping for a little skepticism!

I think that there are lots of folks predisposed to believe Dan Brown, they want very much for his little fairy tale to be true or at least for their to be more to Jesus than just Him being God for goodness sakes! As for the Catholic Church well... it's always fun to misrepresent.

[Tench_Coxe]

"The best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code has seriously damaged people's faith in the Christian Church, a survey has found"

How can it damage something those people didn't have?

[Tench_Coxe]

"The best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code has seriously damaged people's faith in the Christian Church, a survey has found"

How can it damage something those people didn't have?

[kalee]

Thanks for the suggestion, but she only reads the "newest findings" as she calls it.
Heaven knows I've tried to redirect her.

[olezip]

This reaction should not be a surprise, given the "tanking" of Christian religions in Europe and the USA. Combine that with the dumbing down of our government schools we have produced a couple generations of dounces who have no idea who their elected leaders are, can not perform simple math, do not know elementary geography, probably cannot write. No amazement here!

[NavyCanDo]

I would suggest if you are a Christian and are thinking about seeing the movie for the entertainment or out of curiosity, then at least go armed to the teeth with the truth. Yea yea I know, it's only fiction - - but unless your feet are firmly grounded in the truth this book and it's movie can very well plant that seed of doubt in your head and that is its intention.

I found the information below on the Christian Worldview Website.......


The Da Vinci Code

Separating Truth from Fiction
By Sean McDowell

A few weeks ago I received a frantic call from a mother afraid her daughter would lose her faith after reading The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown. “How do I answer her questions?” she asked. And, “What part of the novel is fiction, and what part is truth?” The novel is appropriately placed in the “fiction” section of bookstores, but because of Brown’s clever blending of fact and fantasy, countless people have been convinced that its outrageous claims are actually rooted in history. And with the movie release on May 19th, questions will likely increase.

One reason some people have been confused is that the opening page of the book says, “FACT…All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate.” When asked on The Today Show how much of the book is based on reality, author Dan Brown replied, “Absolutely all of it…is historical fact” (October 10, 2005).

While The Da Vinci Code may be great fiction, it is certainly not historical fact. Consider just a few of the historical blunders:



THE DA VINCI CODE: “During 300 years of witch hunts, the Church burned at the stake an astonishing five million women” (p. 125).



TRUTH: Historians all agree that the actual number of people burned at the stake was 30,000-50,000. If Brown’s math were correct, then a total of 46 women would have been burned at the stake each day for the entire 300 year period. This would be 40% of the female population in Europe during this time! Clearly, his claim is fiction.



THE DA VINCI CODE: “Some of the gospels that Constantine attempted to eradicate managed to survive. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the 1950’s hidden in a cave near Qumran in the Judean desert” (p. 234).



TRUTH: Constantine had nothing to do with the completion of the biblical canon or the destruction of secret gospels. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947, not the 1950’s. They included books of the Old Testament and writings of the Essenes, a strict Jewish community. Not a single New Testament book or gospel was found in the entire collection of scrolls.



THE DA VINCI CODE: The Priory of Sion is allegedly the oldest secret society, founded in 1099. This small band of conspirators knew the truth about Jesus’ marriage to Mary Magdalene, but because of opposition from the church, kept the explosive secret hidden. They waited for the perfect moment to reveal the secret to the world (pp. 157-58).



TRUTH: The real Priory of Sion was founded by Pierre Plantard and registered with the French government in 1956! The documents that supposedly prove the existence of the Priory were fabricated by Pierre Plantard and his associates, who have since admitted to the cover-up.



THE DA VINCI CODE: The figure on the right of Jesus in the “Last Supper” painting by Leonardo Da Vinci is Mary Magdalene (p. 243).



TRUTH: Da Vinci himself labeled the figure on Jesus’ right side as “Johannes,” referring to John, the beloved disciple. If Mary was added to the painting then there should be fourteen figures, whereas there are still only thirteen (Jesus and the twelve disciples).



THE DA VINCI CODE: “The marriage of Jesus to Mary Magdalene is part of the historical record” (p. 245). Two primary arguments are put forth to support this claim: First, it was unlawful for a Jewish man to be unmarried. Second, according to the “gospel” of Philip, Jesus kissed Mary on the mouth, which indicated his special relationship to her.



TRUTH: There were in fact many Jewish rabbis who were not married. We know of two specifically during the time of Jesus—John the Baptist and the apostle Paul. Paul said, “Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord and Peter” (1 Corinthians 9:5). If Jesus had been married, certainly Paul would have cited Him as the ultimate example! The “gospel” of Philip, as we will see below, was written far too late to be considered a reliable historical document.



THE DA VINCI CODE: “More than eighty gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few were chosen for inclusion—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John among them” (p. 231).



TRUTH: There were never eighty gospels being considered for inclusion in the Bible. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were all based on eyewitness accounts, are internally coherent, and have been corroborated by archaeology and non-Christians sources. The four biblical gospels were all completed within the first century (by 85 A.D.). In comparison, the so-called “gospels” of Mary, Thomas, and Philip were written by imposters no earlier than A.D. 150.



THE DA VINCI CODE: “Until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet…a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A Mortal” (p. 233). In other words, Jesus was not considered divine until the 4th century when Constantine turned him into a deity at the council of Nicea.



TRUTH: The question being debated at the council of Nicea was not whether Jesus was divine, but how he could be both God and man. Jesus was considered God since the inception of the church. Paul said Jesus was, “in very nature God” (Phil 2:6), John writes that Jesus made “Himself equal with God” (John 5:18), and the early church father Ignatius refers to, “our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.” All of these quotes are at least 200 years before the council of Nicea.



THE DA VINCI CODE: “Sophie, every faith in the world is based on fabrication. That is the definition of faith—acceptance of that which we imagine to be true, that which we cannot prove” (p. 341).



TRUTH: While this may be true for some faiths, it is outrageous to claim this is true for all faiths. Christianity, in particular, is not based on wishful thinking, but rather on historical fact. Christianity is rooted in objective history, including events like the exodus from Egypt, the reign of King David, and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, Paul said that if the resurrection of Jesus did not really happen then we are to be pitied and our faith is worthless! (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17).



But if it did happen, then there is forgiveness and hope for those who follow Jesus: “He who sees me sees the one who sent me…Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me (John 12:45; 14:1).

[Doohickey]

This, ladies and gentlemen, is also how liberals win election. Truthfulness doesn't matter. It sounds good, and it's different from the norm. Idiots will go for that every time.

[mware]

Our parish priest spoke about the movie during his homily last week. He said he was not telling people not to go see it if they wanted to, but he did say go into the movie knowing the truth and viewing it with a critical eye.

[sayfer bullets]

late for work Marker

"Primary Colors" was fiction too, but it had an agenda.

[patriot_wes]

Exposed as a complete fraud...by CBS 60Minutes no less!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/27/60minutes/main1552009.shtml

[LoudRepublicangirl]

I have no interest in seeing the film and I have not and will not read the book. It's not because I am a religious fanatic who will not accept other theories. I just hate to follow the crowd. I have never watched an episode of Survivor, American Idol and I don't get excited about Desperate Housewives. As my parents observed about me-I march to the beat of my own drums.

[SteelCurtain_SSN720]

I now believe that Albinos are murderous, evil people with special powers. This is based on a few movies I have seen them in, so it must be true!!! /sarc off

[TXnMA]

Widespread belief in fiction -- another triumph of the British intellect!

Sorry 'bout that, Ivan... '-}

[Shimmer128]

But you shouldn't seek out blasphemy either. Fiction about Jesus is blasphemy, he's so holy that His people knew not even to utter the Lord's name. We treat Him so casually. (shaking head)

[Little Ray]

It strikes me as pretty silly. How many people think that Raiders of the Lost Ark dramatizes the recovery of the Ark of the Covenant from the Nazis prior to WWII?
And what would Jesus being married and fathering a child have do with one most important part of Christianity: the empty tomb?

[pinz-n-needlez]

This strikies me a bit as ActII of a modern effort to gut Faith and Western Civilization from the inside, by playing a game of Least Common Denominator.

Act I was the brou-ha-ha over Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. That also had Jesus and Mary producing children, but as part of a dream sequence.

That book actually strengthened my faith, by making Jesus less a Medieval Pretty Boy in paintings and statues, and more of a real man considering options and then CHOOSING! such a hideous death for our sakes.

Pinz

[Tokra]

I am always distrustful of polls. I may go see the film though just to see what all the hype is about.

Make sure you sneak in through the exit doors so Mr. Brown doesn't get any of your money!