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Dealing with The DaVinci Code - A Strategy to Minimize Its Impact
E-mail ^ | April 2006 | Anonymous

Posted on 04/11/2006 3:41:19 PM PDT by Rockitz

WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAY 19TH?

May 19th is the date the Da Vinci Code movie opens. A movie based on a book that wears its heresy and blasphemy as a badge of honor.

What can we as Christians do in response to the release of this movie? I'm going to offer you the usual choices -- and a new one.

Here are the usual suspects:

A) We can ignore the movie. ........

The problem with this option: The box office is a ballot box. The only people whose votes are counted are those who buy tickets. And the ballot box closes on the Sunday of opening weekend. If you stay home, you have lost your chance to make your vote heard. You have thrown your vote away, and from Hollywood's point of view, you don't count. By staying home, you do nothing to shape the decision-making process regarding what movies will make it to the big screen.

B) We can protest. ........

The problem with this option: It doesn't work. Any publicity is good publicity. Protests not only fuel the box office, they make all Christians look like idiots. And again, protests and boycotts do nothing to help shape the decisions being made right now about what movies Hollywood will make in the next few years. (Or they convince Hollywood to make *more* movies that will provoke Christians to protest, which will drive the box office up.)

C) We can discuss the movie. We can be rational and be ready with study guides and workshops and point-by-point refutations of the lies promulgated by the movie. ........

The problem with this option: No one's listening. They think they know what we're going to say already. We'll lose most of these discussions anyway, no matter how prepared we are, because the power of story always trumps the power of facts (why do you think Jesus taught in parables?!). And once again: rational discussion of history does nothing to affect Hollywood's choices regarding what movies to make.

But there's a fourth choice.

D) On May 19th, you should go to the movies.

Just go to another movie.

Save the date now. May 19th, or May 20th. No later than Sunday, May 21st -- that's the day the ballot box closes. You'll get a vote, the only vote Hollywood recognizes: The power of cold hard cash laid down on a box office window on opening weekend.

Use your vote. Don't throw it away. Vote for a movie other than The DaVinci Code. If enough people do it, the powers that be will notice. They won't have a choice.

The major studio movie scheduled for release against DVC is the DreamWorks animated feature Over the Hedge. The trailers look fun, and you can take your kids. And your friends. And their friends. In fact, let's all go see it.

Let's rock the box office in a way no one expects -- without protests, without boycotts, without arguments, without rancor. Let's show up at the box office ballot box and cast our votes. And buy some popcorn, too.

May 19th. Mark your calendars now: Over the Hedge's opening weekend. Buy a ticket.

And spread the word. Forward this e-mail to all the Christians in your address book. Post it on your blogs. Talk about it to your churches. And let's all go to the movies.


TOPICS: Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: christiankooks; christians; davincicode; hollywood; hollywoodagenda; moronicidea; movies; whackjobs
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To: Cyclopean Squid
Alas.....you're so right.....nothing can be trusted...

Are you people really this dumb?

81 posted on 04/11/2006 5:51:48 PM PDT by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: Rakkasan1
people I work with believe "JFK" was gospel truth and that "The Day After Tommorow" wasn't just Algore's wet dream and thanks to Michael Moore, banks really do hand out firearms to new checking account clients,so I suppose anything's possible.

You should change work environments. :-)
82 posted on 04/11/2006 5:52:06 PM PDT by birbear (I took an IQ test and I flunked it of course. I can't spell VW, but I drive a Porsche.)
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To: Lakeshark

So the dumb people are those who don't blindly trust in the world they are presented? I didn't know intellectual curiosity was the new dumb, and that mental indolence was the surest sign of smarts.


83 posted on 04/11/2006 5:58:56 PM PDT by Cyclopean Squid (History is a work in progress)
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To: Lakeshark
Could it be that everything written about him by the people who knew him, every historical reference about him says he wasn't married

Not precisely correct. None of these things say he was married, but none specifically say he was unmarried either. The fact that the Bible does not say he was married is not proof he wasn't. And btw, historical references about him, outside of the Bible, are virtually non-existant.

84 posted on 04/11/2006 5:59:23 PM PDT by AnnoyedOne
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To: Sam Gamgee

Their writings are.


85 posted on 04/11/2006 6:02:22 PM PDT by RightWhale (Off touch and out of base)
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To: Cyclopean Squid
You can ask if submarines fly, and then claim they do.

Doesn't make you intellectual or intellectually curious.

Just dumb.

86 posted on 04/11/2006 6:02:24 PM PDT by Lakeshark (Thank a member of the US armed forces for their sacrifice)
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To: Lakeshark

That's a complete non sequitur and you know it. I don't appreciate your feeble insults, they are rather unbecoming for a God-fearing person.


87 posted on 04/11/2006 6:04:52 PM PDT by Cyclopean Squid (History is a work in progress)
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To: Rockitz
I'll probably see the movie. It was a good, if only passably written yarn based on an old, old story.

No one owns Christianity. Anyone can believe and write what he or she wants. If you don't like the story, don't buy the book and don't see the movie. Otherwise see post # 3

88 posted on 04/11/2006 6:06:29 PM PDT by muir_redwoods (Free Sirhan Sirhan, after all, the bastard who killed Mary Jo Kopechne is walking around free)
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To: Revolting cat!
No kidding, Captain Obvious! So were The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, or weren't they?!

Just don't call me late for dinner. Never heard of the afore mentioned book.

89 posted on 04/11/2006 6:06:29 PM PDT by LifeOrGoods? (God is not a God of fear, but of power, love and a sane mind.)
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To: Radix
The movie will do well, and I'll never understand exactly why.

Hehehehe...In my own little humble opinion, the book was popular because it treated a controversial subject in such a "matter of fact" way.

Dan Brown doesn't bop you over the head with the idea that Christ was married. He broaches the subject with an unassuming subtlety. When the Langdon character first mentions it to Sophie, it's kinda like, "Pssst...this is a little secret that only educated people know." And Sophie, thinking she's as educated as Langdon, bites on it. The reader then feels like they are educated because now they know the secret. But it's not super-secret. It's just something that the "better off" know. And they take it as, (excuse the pun) gospel.

A work like "The Last Temptation of Christ" beat you over the head with its "scandalous" tale. Reviewer and reviewer, churches, the main stream media, pounded into the public the crux of "The Last Temptation of Christ". "The Da Vinci Code" touching on a very similar doctrine, used subtlety very well. Now I don't know if that was ever planned from the PR dept. of the publisher, or if it just happened. Seeing the posters and trailers for the movie, it looks like it was well planned.

And the book is a quick read. It's not hard to get into. It's very linear. Actually the producers of "24" wanted the TV rights to the book because they thought they could do a real-time mini-series a la "24". Dan Brown wanted a major motion picture, not TV series so he didn't sell to that producer (I believe it was Brian Grazer). Ironic thing -- Ron Howard bought the movie rights, he's an executive producer of "24", and Brian Grazer works closely with Ron Howard on a lot of Ron Howard's productions.

So you combine this subtlety of being "let it on a secret", a fast read, a "scandalous tale", and the fact that people created a fascination by being against it, you've got a best seller. Which created more people saying that it should be burned. Which increases the fascination. Voila. A best seller for three years.

Sprinkle in Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, some snazzy special effects. Poof -- $300 million movie.
90 posted on 04/11/2006 6:09:31 PM PDT by birbear (I took an IQ test and I flunked it of course. I can't spell VW, but I drive a Porsche.)
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To: LifeOrGoods?

He was making reference to an old book that was purportedly the blueprint of the Jews to rule the world, or some such.. and turned out to be completely fraudulent. Hitler and Stalin made great propaganda use of the book.


91 posted on 04/11/2006 6:10:46 PM PDT by AnnoyedOne
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To: birbear

LOL. excellent post, and I think you mailed it dead on the money.


92 posted on 04/11/2006 6:12:45 PM PDT by AnnoyedOne
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To: birbear

I'm in a union.idiocy is 'in the contract'.


93 posted on 04/11/2006 6:12:55 PM PDT by Rakkasan1 (they love you in Mexico until you pay in pesos.)
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To: AnnoyedOne
It is based upon a theory about Mary Magdalene being the bride of Christ, and that she bore offspring..
..he DOES touch on some interesting history.


Thanks for the explanation.

I can see why alternative biblical histories in general would be controversial. Still, I don't agree with those who want to shelter the rest of us from heretical ideas.

Where is the problem, other than the OP doesn't agree with these ideas?
94 posted on 04/11/2006 6:37:46 PM PDT by Connie Cardullo
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To: truth_seeker

Agreed, every religion has it's kooks, look at the godhatesfags people who go to soldiers funerals and protest gays, they say the soldiers death is Gods punishment for our "acceptance" of homo-sexuals.


95 posted on 04/11/2006 6:59:03 PM PDT by Blue Scourge (C-17, anywhere, anything, anytime.)
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To: Lakeshark
Could it be that everything written about him by the people who knew him, every historical reference about him says he wasn't married.......

Sources?

96 posted on 04/11/2006 6:59:56 PM PDT by Hodar (With Rights, come Responsibilities. Don't assume one, without assuming the other.)
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To: Rockitz

As was mentioned, none of those things in the story at all.

Nothing personal, but this illustrates how these things get blown out of proportion. People who have not read a book listen to others who may not have read it, who may be getting their information from someone with an agenda. Instead of finding out for themselves, they freak out, protest, etc.

I am constantly remined of Emily Litella when I hear this sort of thing...

"Oh, that's different! Never Mind!"


97 posted on 04/11/2006 7:44:56 PM PDT by 2nsdammit (By definition it's hard to get suicide bombers with experience.)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
IT'S FICTION! And of no importance.

So was Fahrenheit 9/11 yet that didn't keep the media from inundating us with updates about how "important" this film was and the "controversies" about its message.

98 posted on 04/11/2006 7:54:44 PM PDT by weegee ("CBS NEWS? Is that show still on?" - freedomson)
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To: birbear
I enjoyed your post.
 
Pardon me for getting distracted....but can you explain to me how Tom Hanks and Ron Howard ever came to be such geniuses?  I'm really dying to know. Well, almost, but not quite. I mean it can't be just the acting or directing. Can it? I doubt that, but I cannot figure out  why else it is so. Call me naive.
 
Honestly, I was sure was surprised to see that Da Vinci book under my Christmas tree...so to speak. Gosh, somebody really likes me I thought at the time. It was my second favorite gift just behind my Gortex® U S Army field jacket, and just ahead of the three feet of snow on that early Winter day. Gosh I use to just love White Christmases.
 
I actually watched the "Last Temptation" on VHS back in the day after the (years after actually) protests ended. I think that it was exactly one day after actually. Coincidence I am sure. Gee, the Man ....was actually interested in a life human? That seems hard to believe considering what we all know in these days. You know, we are all mortal, there is no God, and the Cubs will never win the Series. If there was really a God, then the Cubs would lose in the 7th game. Every thinking person knows that. How could a man destined to save the world ever even for an instant be even remotely interested in those matters which have driven lesser men to acts which have lead to wars and upheaval among societies? 
 
It is not that I am a fan of the likes of Scorsese, but he has made me think at times. Mostly I think that I  despise his ass because (among other things) of his rebuke and pronouncements against our sitting president while he was wining and dining on foreign terrain.  He was dissing our Troops while my son and his comrades were putting their collective asses on the line in order to protect his reprobate self and those of his ilk as well as the rest of us here in the shittiest place on Earth that we can't seem to keep people out of. Still, I did like Temptation, and I liked "Gangs" a whole lot.  Call me a cynic.
 
I suppose that I should simply be understanding and forgiving of those folks who certainly have great need to know just what it was that was going on between Mary Magdalene and Yeshua ben Yoseph..... Clearly something or it would never have been mentioned by  Q, and J, and those other myriad gospel writers.
 
Jack Bauer, that guy is a wimp. He hasn't shot any women in the leg for at least 2 hours. That is three weeks, or 9 months in dog years. 
 
I look forward to future posts from you.

99 posted on 04/11/2006 8:02:38 PM PDT by Radix (Stop domestic violence. Beat abroad!)
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To: Radix

.....The book has been on the best seller list for years in hardcover.......
...................
The movie will do well, and I'll never understand exactly why................

I think that the book was shallow, and the chapter layout and tension, was written to be sold to a movie studio.

The film will do extremely well

I'm not sure why there's so much debate from the Catholic masses about this novel..

Surely, Catholics must know that the local church officials- and the Vatican - was sucking wealth out of every hamlet for the benefit of the Pope, etc., all in the name of Christ, so why the current outrage about a novel mentioning Mary Magdelene????



100 posted on 04/11/2006 8:09:59 PM PDT by aShepard
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