I agree with that... but the Church's anger about this book and movie is way out of proportion to what the book really claims. There must be a million books published a year that makes claims about Jesus and the Roman Cathlic Church and its teachings. The Da Vinci code in comparison is very mild and very tame. I think the Church is in an uproar because the book makes a "somewhat credible" story and so many Catholics started to have doubts as to what the truth is.
The Church is the only institute in the world that could put this issue to bed. It has at its disposal the Vatican Archives that is filled with documentation and proof about the early beginnings of the Church. That is what the story line contends, that the early Church hid the truth about Mary and Jesus, right?
The Church has done this to "some" degree but the only thing most people read are stories like this. I would be interested in the Church producing some more interesting documentaries that show that Dan Brown's claims are wrong, instead of asking its followers to SUE. To me, that is just whitewashing the issue and well... that makes people just a tad more suspicious.
I think, beyond the whole married with children thing, the theme in the book most offensive to devout Christians would have to be the notion that Christ was a mortal man, a mere prophet and not the Messiah. It then goes on to say, in a faux factual manner, that the Church decided to cover it all up (the humanity and family life of Jesus) in a meeting.
The impression I got from the book is that Dan Brown tried writing an essay first, then went back in and added dialogue and a plot as a means of disseminating his message. Sort of like the proto-Marxism that Tolstoy included in War and Peace. But beyond all that, I still enjoyed the read, even if Brown did use the term "sacred feminine" WAY too much.
For the record, I was raised Catholic. I'm not especially religious any more (and no, it wasn't the Da Vinci Code that sowed the seeds).
National Geographic/Time produced an excellent 2 hour documentary refuting every piece of alleged historical truth in the Da Vinci code. The book, as fact, is already blown out of the water. For those who WANT the truth.
How so? Whatever documents they produce won't be believed by those who need conspiracy theories. It will always be argued that they're holding back the "real" documents.
At this point, I don't fault people for suing to defend their reputation. It may be an unwise move. In this case it's probably pointless. But if it's in their legal right, it's an avenue they're entitled to consider.
Read some of Laurence Gardner's book on this - he has access to the Vatican archives and many other ancient libraries and archives - and his books are not fiction:
Look him up - and read his credentials
It may be that the 'fiction' is found from the places that 'doth protest to much"
Why "hide" this "proof?" Why not distroy said "proof?"