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March 19, 2006
The Da Vinci Code: Preparing for the Confusion
The movie The Da Vinci Code is on its way and will hit theaters around mid-May. As Christians we should be ready for it, since the movie is likely to be seen by even more people than have read the book.
Studies have suggested that 32% or more of those who have read the book believe it's true. This shows not only an ignorance of history, but also an inability to look into a claim and decide whether it's true or not. I actually have dialogue with a guy who believes much of Dan Brown's claims in the book are true. He's reading other similar books, including Holy Blood, Holy Grail, which is the title whose authors are suing Dan Brown for copywright infringement. And your friends or family are likely to be sucked in.
There is hope (and some time). The US Catholic Bishops have jumped on this quickly and created a website to counter the claims: Jesus Decoded. One of the better sections on the site is Amy Welborn's What do you say to a Da Vinci Code Believer?. Overall the site does a good job of covering the big problems with the movie - kudos to the Bishops.
Another good resource is the recent book The Da Vinci Deception, which is 100 questions and answers about The Da Vinci Code. I like this one because it's very easy to read and provides plain straightforward arguments that show the deception of Dan Brown's book. It's only $6.95, so it is cheap enough to give out to family or friends.
Throughout the internet there's a great deal of information refuting the silly claims of Dan Brown (or whomever he took it from) in The Da Vinci Code, so I think the key thing to keep in mind is that most of the book is inaccurate. If someone asks and you can't immediately respond, just tell them you'll get back with them. You can also email me, I'll be glad to point out the problems of any particular claim of Mr. Brown.
As Christians, this is just another attack on the historical claims of our position. We can be confident that the attack is full of lies, but for the sake of our friends and family we should be ready to counter when they see the movie. I personally know a girl whose faith was severely shaken by the book, but she is much better now. Had there been no one to clarify things for her, she might have lost her faith. This, in essence, is our responsibility.
God bless,
Jay
Posted by jay at March 19, 2006 3:07 PM
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Comments
Buying tickets to the Da Vinci Code movie is like donating money to the anti-christ. Will somebody please stand up and lead a campaign to boycott this film?
Posted by: Paul Martinez at April 21, 2006 12:05 AM
