The Da Vinci Code controversy

[Bree]

Da Vinci Code movie a target for US evangelicals

Sunday May 14 8:54 AM ET

America's evangelical Christians who see "The Da Vinci Code" as Bible bashing at its worst are taking a cue from Hollywood to attack the story as well as capitalize on the hit novel's impending movie version.

Largely forgoing boycotts or protests, leaders of Christians who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible are turning out professional videos with titles such as "The Da Vinci Delusion" and "The Da Vinci Deception Experience."

They are designed to show the perils of blurring fact and fiction in Dan Brown's bestseller and take advantage of the reawakening of interest in the Bible it and the upcoming movie have caused among faith seekers.

"A boycott at this point would not do any good. When you have a tsunami coming it doesn't help to build a wall," said Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Bible Church in Chicago.

"I have never in my 30 years of ministry had a time when so many people are interested ... We as evangelicals welcome the debate," added Lutzer, who wrote "The Da Vinci Deception" which has been turned into a video teaching kit on the subject.

He and other experts will appear in a closed-circuit broadcast this month that will be aired to around 700 churches, to inform congregations about the book's faults and take advantage of the debate to promote church attendance.

"This is the engagement option," says Darrell Bock, professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.

It provides an opportunity for people "to become familiar with the content of the book and the claims it's making and then being prepared to respond, by pointing out the numerous factual errors it contains," he added.

This has become the favored approach among evangelicals, instead of boycotting the movie, said Bock, author of "Breaking the Da Vinci Code: Answers to the Questions Everyone is Asking."

By contrast cardinals at the Vatican, who consider the book blasphemous, have called for a boycott and unspecified legal action to be taken against the novel and film.

DA VINCI "DECEPTION"

Across the United States on Saturday and Sunday, television viewers were to be offered "The Da Vinci Deception," an hour-long program produced by Dr. D. James Kennedy and his Florida-based Coral Ridge Ministries.

The video, also being offered for sale, exposes "how a best-selling book threatens to undermine the faith of millions," its promotional trailer states.

Donald Wildmon, founder of the Mississippi-based American Family Association which has organized boycotts against TV shows and companies it considers morally offensive, says the video "should be viewed by every Christian and shown in every church."

The book, and the film opening May 19, contain the idea that Jesus sired a child by Mary Magdalene, leading to a clandestine society that has for centuries protected the identity of their descendants from agents of the Catholic Church.

Dr. Robert Hodgson, dean of the American Bible Society's Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship, says many Christians see the debate as a great time to promote the Bible.

But there are others who "see a more sinister hand at work in the movie and want to correct the record and get the voice of orthodox Christianity out there."

The New York-based society produced a show called "Debunking the Da Vinci Code" which aired earlier this year on about 300 cable TV channels.

"Not only do we have the voice of Dan Brown telling us his reconstruction, (but) we have an increasing Bible illiteracy here in North America," Hodgson said.

Adds Lutzer of Chicago's Moody Church: "There is a huge battle going on today on who has the best telling of the Christian story.

"People want to believe the Da Vinci Code so badly because they want a Christ who is manageable, a Jesus that is not going to challenge you or threaten your lifestyle."

Once again we have a group of individuals who believe people shouldn't be allowed to see a piece of fiction because it clashes with their beliefs. When will these groups let others think for themselves?

While I don't believe that Jesus did have a child with Mary Magadelene, I think I should have the option of seeing a movie on my own without people in my face railing against it for whatever reason. These groups need to stop worrying about ecapist films and deal with the real problems in our society.

Is anyone going to see The Da Vinci Code? Like I always do, I'll catch it on DVD---it'll probably be released by Christmas anyway.

[Rebecca]

Those groups are a such a hoot!

Gonna watch it Friday!

[Ms. Walsh]

I loved the book. It made me want to be an Art Historian for a long time!

A few years ago (when it first came out), I bought my mom the Da Vinci Code for Christmas, and some nun came over our house and saw the book on our coffee table and told us to burn it!!

Needless to say, my mom read the book and really enjoyed it. She's a devout Catholic, but says that it's FICTION and that the church shouldn't tell people what they can and can't read.

I might go see the movie on Friday, but we'll see...

[Ms. Tee 7]

I agree that is does the churches no good to tell people to boycott! All they are doing is making more people want to see it. The book is fiction, the movie is fiction. I don't go to the movies to get facts on religion, and I don't go to church to get movie reviews. I will see this movie this weekend, I can't wait!

[DevotedToAMC]

I am seeing the movie this Friday night! And to whoever thinks I should not-in the words of Bart Simpson-

Eat my shorts!

[Roman]

This the same thing that happened with United 93. People made such a big deal out of it that it was #2 at the B.O. the week it came out. maybe because that story is true and this is fiction, but the boycotts add to a movie's returns. People want to see what all the fuss is about.

[SpiritualJunkie]

My mom's strictly religious and is disgusted with the book and movie...she doesn't give a crap that it's fiction but that they're using Jesus's name to make money. She has a point...it does say in the ten commandments "Thou shalt not take God's name in vain". But we could say the same thing about "The Passion of the Christ". People claim that those are the exact events that happened but how is anyone to know?

I think it's amazing how any religious film can garner so much interest (whether positive or negative). Especially North America..who is trying to stray away from religion...even if people themselves say they don't believe in God or whatever and don't follow a religion, they are still drawn to anything that talks about religion or contradicts a religion.

[WTGH]

It's a NOVEL, a work of FICTION with the sole purpose to entertain and take us on an adventure.

Kudos to Dan Brown for writing a good plot with historical background.

The book doesn't try to convince anyone that Jesus was married, had kids or that Opus Dei is evil.

IT's NOT REAL.