'Da Vinci' churches ripped

The Washington Times ^ | 3 January 2006

[Aussie Dasher]

LONDON -- Westminster Abbey has implicitly criticized churches that opened their doors to the filming of "The Da Vinci Code" last year by denouncing the thriller as "nonsense" that should be exposed by Christians.

The abbey barred the filmmakers from its premises in June, saying that the best-selling Dan Brown novel on which the film was based was "theologically unsound."

But Lincoln and Winchester cathedrals cooperated with the Hollywood adaptation, as did Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland.

The film -- starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and Sir Ian McKellen -- is expected to be one of the blockbusters of the year when it is released in May.

The novel, which has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide, is replete with secret societies, cryptic clues and an albino assassin.

Now Westminster Abbey's canon theologian, Nicholas Sagovsky, has entered the fray, arguing that numerous factual errors in the book undermine its author's claims to have based it on solid research.

[Aussie Dasher]

"theologically unsound"? I just thought it was a heap of cr*p!

[Darkwolf377]

As FR's resident agnostic ;) I can say this book is garbage, and I don't care how many people say otherwise. It was so poorly written I bailed after a few chapters, and I've read even in the NYTimes fer Pete's sake about how packed with inaccuracies it is, displaying a shocking lack of knowledge of basic art history, nevermind its made-up religious aspects which the author pushes as being factual.

OK, I'm not getting any deeper into the 14,643th DaVinci Code thread on FR.

[Arkinsaw]

It's fiction. It should also be noted that in regard to H.G. Wells War of the Worlds......there are no Martians in killing machines. It makes me angry that H.G. Wells lied to us.

[peyton randolph]

I'm not getting any deeper into the 14,643th DaVinci Code thread on FR.

Oh come on...at least wait to see how it evolves...or maybe the thread is intelligently designed.

[Aussie Dasher]

To say nothing of the whoppers BJ Clinton got away with (&lies as well...)

[LauraleeBraswell]

Well there was some truth to it, everyone knows the story was fiction and the history embellished upon, but yes there were unsavory facts in respect to the Catholic church. No institution is perfect.

[Darkwolf377]

LOL

There's something about DaVinci Code threads that convince me maybe we DO all come from pond slime, and certain subjects reactivate that level of "thinking".

[bnelson44]

Well to start with, the man's last name was not da Vinci.

[pitbully]

ping

[bnelson44]

Sure there were unsavory facts, but which of the "facts" of the book are true?

[thefactor]

dan brown knows all of this. but i will let people in on a little secret:

the truth would not sell books! in his numerous interviews, he has never said this was straight fact. he wrote a piece of fiction based loosely on fact. just like any other fiction writer. but the buzz would be diminished if he said all of this and then ticket sales might go down. and hollywood would not like that.

[jocon307]

Thank you Westminster Abbey!

[Accygirl]

It's an easy to read popcorn book, and I think that the movie will be a fun summer blockbuster.

[Theo]

Am I reading this right? Churches hosted this movie, and/or encouraged their parishoners to attend it? Bizarre.

[bigsigh]

I think there's a museum in Paris.

[BenLurkin]

Simply read just the last chapter of the book.

You'll have a good chuckle and be glad you didn't waste your time on the rest of it.

[peyton randolph]

there are no Martians in killing machines. It makes me angry that H.G. Wells lied to us.

Martians?...What about Xenu and his thetans?

[A CA Guy]

The Da Vinci code is bunk.

Man can always find what they want to out of language or music.
I remember all the backward playing of music where people said the DEVIL was talking to people speaking evil through it.
Then someone else took preachers doing their thing, ran them backward and also could find the DEVIL. Evil messages from the devil when played in reverse.

It is all bullcaca.

My problem with it all is this movie and other devices are merely continuing methods to reduce God to man's level so no man may not be judged by God's standards because man instead will judge God. This whole purpose is to diminish religion, God and their influence on daily society.

[peyton randolph]

Am I reading this right? Churches hosted this movie, and/or encouraged their parishoners to attend it?

Church settings play an integral role throughout the book. It appears that some churches allow filming of the movie on their locations. Movie isn't out yet. Won't be until summer.

[spyone]

The book was a good read and look forward to the movie. Nothing wrong with entertaining fiction.