Comments on: The DaVinci Code - Much Ado About Fiction

By: Cacciaguida

Cacciaguida — Sat, 20 May 2006 22:27:46 +0000

Carol: Great blog! Thanks for keeping the Pro-Victory flag flying in Tennessee, and thanks for the link!

On DVC — my only (and big) problem with the “it’s just fiction” argument is that this is precisely not the way Dan Brown presents it. His preface gives the reader the impression that the book is the result of serious research. And it works: without going out of my way to find such people, I have heard numerous remarks from intelligent-seeming people along the lines of “Well the Church teaches this but I’ve read this book that shows that” and “I used to be Catholic but then I read this novel….”

I’m against boycotting the movie, but I’m in favor of levelling intense scorn at both it and the book. As I frequently do on my blog.

Tootles.

By: Utenzi

Utenzi — Fri, 19 May 2006 21:05:24 +0000

Norma obviously hasn’t read the book since little of what she says is true. Brown, while a very poor author, did have a very interesting albeit quite preposterous idea behind his book. I certainly agree with you Carol that since it’s fiction people shouldn’t take offense at it. I’m just amazed it has sold so well.

By: Devilish Girl

Devilish Girl — Thu, 18 May 2006 04:11:02 +0000

I agree totally with you. It’s FICTION. Christian churches don’t want people (their congregations) to see this because it raises questions and when people have questions, they begin to have doubt and when you have doubt, it means you’re finally thinking for yourself. It’s the way life is. Had the book (still a work of FICTION) come out and confirmed everything the churches teach it would be the BEST thing ever to see.

*shrug* I honestly don’t think it’s going to hurt Christian churches if they would just let it pass by. But the more they protest, the more stock people put into the work. It’s a great story. Period. One of the best mysteries I’ve read in a long time. But there are plenty of non-fiction books he pulled his ideas from. Everyone just needs to make their own decision about how much they buy into the research and other books.

By: Norma

Norma — Wed, 17 May 2006 23:04:32 +0000

As a Christian, I see Dan Brown in a long line of deniers, attempting to destroy the faith. He builds a fictional story on a structure he says is fact, but it is all false. He denies the diety of Christ, denies the authority of Scripture, elevates gnosticism to the level of the Gospels, and denigrates women, whom Jesus elevated.

By: Ed Bacchus

Ed Bacchus — Wed, 17 May 2006 22:58:53 +0000

I agree, I can’t believe all the religious hype trying shut the movie down. It’s just a THEORY!!!!!

By: Ruth

Ruth — Wed, 17 May 2006 22:40:27 +0000

Thanks Carol for a good post. Yes, by taking the piece of gnostic fiction serious enough to protest is only giving it more free publicity.

By: Mary

Mary — Wed, 17 May 2006 12:15:42 +0000

Voted for you again.
Excellent post today! As a Christian I see both sides of your argument. The church tends to go overboard on some issues today and it seems we end up causing more attention to the ‘blasphemous’ things we are trying to steer people away from. I remember when Halloween was just a dress up holiday. Everyone in my church participated. Now all the parents my age throw harvest parties and won’t let little Timmy go trick-or-treating in public. At the same time we who believe in Biblical prophesy see the ever increasing ‘changes’and ’slanders’ to our Gospel as something to avoid and use as teaching moments.
I had the same feeling about the book. It is a novel. I’m not a big reader so I haven’t read it. I probably won’t see the movie, the theater is so expensive nowdays. But I’m not going to boycott or tell others not to see it.
Anyway. Good post! It will be interesting to see what you might have stirred up. )
~Mary