‘Code’ Stirs Controversy

The Intellegencer & Wheeling News Register ^ | 19 May 06 | By BRIANNA SADLER

[leadpenny]

STEUBENVILLE — There’s been a stir of excitement and debate among scholars and historians ever since the release of Dan Brown’s novel, ‘‘The Da Vinci Code.’’

But with the release of the movie version today, that stir has accelerated into a frenzy over the controversy that some scholars fear will influence the faith people have in Christianity.

‘‘It presents a distorted picture of Jesus and the Catholic church and other Catholic organizations,’’ said Alan Schreck, professor of theology at Franciscan University in Steubenville.

The novel alleges that the lost Gnostic gospels portray Jesus as an average person who falls in love and marries Mary Magdalene. According to the novel, Magdalene is the “Holy Grail” who carries the blood of Christ in her womb by way of bearing a child, and that is a secret the Catholic church has been trying to hide for almost 2,000 years.

‘‘It’s not even such a matter that this is false that Jesus was married as it is the way the book portrays Christians and the Catholic church as being an institution that is investing in covering things up. If this were taken as an expose, I think that would be the greatest cause for concern. Brown’s implication is that we don’t really know the truth about Jesus from the church. Instead, what’s really true about Jesus is in these hidden Gnostic gospels,’’ Schreck said.

Schreck said that scholars have been aware of the Gnostic gospels for centuries but have discredited them as being false.

‘‘Nobody who seriously looked at these sources for 2,000 years believed that Jesus was married,’’ Schreck said. ‘‘Why believe it now?’’

One reason Schreck said that people would probably go see the movie or read the book is because of the culture’s fascination with wanting to be let in on secrets. Schreck fears that because people get caught up in the novel, they will want to take it seriously.

‘‘The average person who doesn’t know the facts is going to begin to think that the Catholic church is shrouded in these mysteries when the purpose of the church is not to cover up things about Jesus, but to uncover and tell the truth about Jesus against these false views that have been around for about as long as the church has,’’ Schreck said.

One positive effect that Schreck hopes the movie will bring is an occasion for people who want to know the truth about Christianity to discuss it and learn more.

Although the debate over whether or not the movie should be boycotted persists, Schreck believes that it is a decision everyone must make on their own.

‘‘In perspective, five or 10 years from now no one is going to remember ‘The Da Vinci Code.’ But the gospel of Jesus Christ is going to last until the end of time,’’ Schreck said.

[babydoll22]

"The motivation isn't Gnosticism at all."

You have that right. Money money money! ( The Apprentice theme song)

Greed is good.( Gordon Gecko)

[sirchtruth]

Am I the only one that sees an overwhelming, unique
opportunity about this movie to witness for Jesus?

[R. Scott]

I am amazed at the amount of free publicity people are giving this film. Opie could not have bought this much TV and newspaper space.

[ovrtaxt]

Not at all. I'm thinking of seeing it and getting some good info. Great opportunities.

The DaVinci Codebreaker is apparently quite effective.

[MonroeDNA]

I am absolutely going to see it.

--Recovering Catholic

[R. Scott]

… I shall start ignoring it immediately!

Best of luck! The opponents of the film will not allow anyone to ignore it. They insist on generating as much publicity as possible for the movie.
Maybe it’s an insidious Hollywood plot?

[sirchtruth]

If the snobass critics don't like it, then most likely it means this movie will be a hit!

[sayfer bullets]

And Hillary is just a woman. In both cases, for the subject, the comparative is a tool used to further an agenda. The author hides behind "fiction" like Hillary does behind her gender.

The goal is to challenge and break down trust in the foundations of Christianity, and Hollywood doesn't DO "just fiction" any more. Even frickin' Star Wars had to end up preaching leftist morals. There's always a message.

[Caipirabob]

Folks, don't get hysterical. It's fiction.

I don't concern myself with the story so much as the constant drum beat from leftist to kill Christianity as a whole. They see this movie as one more chink in the armor of Christ. I see it as a book that sold well and, from what I hear, a particularly bad movie. I mean if the heathen French laughed at it in Cannes, I suspect it's worse than we know. Those folks love to kick Christians around.

I get the mental image of Charleston Heston as Moses with a movie review:

"If thou produces thine movie, it shall suck raw eggs"

[leadpenny]

It's all about word-of-mouth for me. If this movie is on fire a week from now and a few movie friends I rely on say it's good, I'll put it on my list. I'm way behind on the movies I want to see.

-- A reformed Catholic (Lutheran (not practicing) by birth)

[fortheDeclaration]

Brown simply uses the trappings of Gnosticism to promote an underlying advocacy for Goddess worship,

And since when has the RCC been against Goddess worship?

[ovrtaxt]

Well, yes- point taken. But this is in a pagan context, with no connection to Christ at all.

[Always Right]

No mention in the article that one of the actors said the Bible should be force to have a disclaiming calling it fiction.

[Always Right]

Folks, don't get hysterical. It's fiction.

When you write a book about real people and real religion, it is not appropriate to write a story that slanders them with lie after lie, even under the guise of being fiction. What if I wrote a story about a real person and made him a pedophile in my story, would that be OK?

[Vanders9]

Dont get too taken up with conspiracies...seeing them everywhere can be a snare too.

This movie (and book for that matter) illustrates the general attitude of the media moguls very well - an unholy mix of comtempt and cowardice. They despise christianity, in the true sense of the word, because they mistake our acknowledgement and struggle against sin as hypocricy. They love to "needle" us because they know that some brothers and sisters cannot but help to rise to the accusations (it can be very painful when you see and hear insults to things you hold very dear), yet, as has been correctly stated, they dont mess with those religions who would not "turn the other cheek", or do not hold that all of us are sinners who need saving, not shooting. To put it bluntly, they regard christianity as a "soft" target. Its disgusting really, but no more than you would expect.

One last point. The success of the book is at least partly due to an enormous spiritual hunger in the west generally. People want to believe SOMETHING. The fact that they are prepared to believe some giant conspiracy theory rather than the true good news is an indication, surely, that the christian church is missing something in its witness.

[Past Your Eyes]

The last time I went to see a movie I was disappointed. That was Jurassic Park. I haven't been back since.

[mtbopfuyn]

The average person who doesn’t know the facts

The fact is it's FICTION! Same thing with Harry Potter. Honestly, some wacko goes out on the deep end and all the sheeple fall over themselves to follow.

[Aquinasfan]

Brown's fictional work is not only fabricated Christian history/theology--it distorts Gnosticism too.

LOL! And art and architecture. I wonder if he got anything right.

[Aquinasfan]

Folks, don't get hysterical. It's fiction.

Fiction can do tremendous harm, like "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," for instance.

Also, Brown insinuates that his book is historical fiction, with his introductory "fact" page.