The DaVinci Code

[aerofan113]

Well, the new movie is out and the Catholic church is in an uproar. My question is simple. Why? Why does the church care. A persons faith is not swayed by a book or a movie. Plus when the over react like they do it makes me think they have something to hide. I myself am a Catholic and I have always had beliefs that differed from the tradition. My question is simple, do you think that it is odd that so many people are so upset about a movie for taking a creative spin on religion?

[D3adcell]

I dont know. I think it's stupid to get upset about it. It's a movie, its going to happen. They didn't seem so upset when the book was out. It's not a documentary or anything, its all a work of fiction. I did not see them getting pissed about the movie, end of days starring arnold.

I guess in a way it would be like cartoon about muhamad, it touches on religouse matters that are held sacred by many people.

[kaphwan]

Most people who hold faith do so because of their upbringing. That isn't the entirety of religious people (there are the pleasant individuals who are confident enough on their stance to make "comebacks" to other people's claims against their religion... I'm looking at you Mach), but there are alot of people who feel threatened by the "influence" this movie/book holds.

[Smad]

Catholics are waay too "religous" they give Christians a bad name...

[Sephiroth_VII]

I guess in a way it would be like cartoon about muhamad, it touches on religouse matters that are held sacred by many people.
Thank you very much, we've had enough of that over here:unsure:.

You're probably right though; the Vatican is very faithfull, and easy to anger. Heck, Catholic men can't even use protection or get an abort, without disobeying the Vatican.

[Tael]

Catholics are waay too "religous" they give Christians a bad name...

Yup, and when Jehovah's witnesses visit you they condemn you to hell for not believing in God. Those silly billies make me lol.

[The Dude]

People do not like to question their faith. I started to ask my parents logical critisizms about our faith and they got surprizingly defensive.

[anguslowe]

me too and it's pisses them off when I make a simple joke about their religon such as saying jesus is my favourite fictional character...

[Mathx]

This is all I can think of when I hear about the Da Vinci Code:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hp04ICgMghc&search=Das%20Vinci%20Code

IMO it's just a movie that touches on the aspect of using Relgion in it's plot to further the story, much like most movies have some "out of place event of item" that makes it exciting. I think the only thing that would make it annoying is when people go "OMG this is the twuth!"

Tael you're mistaken since it's known that the witnesses don't believe in Hell

[Coded-Dude]

A persons faith is not swayed by a book or a movie.
Thats why churches DIDN'T allow movie goers to step forward and accept Jesus Christ as their lord and personal svaior after watching "The Passion" /sarcasm

oh yeah.......i also forgot about the bible(omg a book!)

[=NukeBlaze=]

People do not like to question their faith. I started to ask my parents logical critisizms about our faith and they got surprizingly defensive.

I imgaine it is due to the fact that it is just a belief, and they have done little to convince themselves beyond writting a scribe in thier mind, and tucking it away never to be written to again, but always to be recited from. {No malus unto you, just an observation}


Etirely blind faith can be dangerious.


Like terrorist..Because everyone is a terrorist because they look diffrent.





Originally Posted by Smad
Catholics are waay too "religous" they give Christians a bad name...

Yup, and when Jehovah's witnesses visit you they condemn you to hell for not believing in God. Those silly billies make me lol.


Broad generalization can also be danerious, why do they think the world has all of the "isms " it does? Racism..etc?

[Ihsiin]

The movie (and indeed the book) portrays (to an extant) christianity as 'the bad guy'; if I was a christian, I'd be offended. On a side not, the movie sucks entirely.
What I don't like about the story is that it has that whole "I don't beleive in God because I'm more intelligent than someone who does" feel to it. That really pisses me off.

[Bloodman]

I bet it's real. Why else would the church be mad?

[Phoenix]

I'm a Christian and I too am confused why the Catholic church is up in arms about this book/movie. Maybe they should read the little word "fiction" on the book. I really don't care what a fiction book says is true, since it is all, of course, fiction. And it was intended to be.

[Bloodman]

I'm a Christian and I too am confused why the Catholic church is up in arms about this book/movie. Maybe they should read the little word "fiction" on the book. I really don't care what a fiction book says is true, since it is all, of course, fiction. And it was intended to be.

Well, I kinda understand why the church is angry. Since we live in a society where alot of information comes from movies and tv, the church is worried that when people see this they will think it's true. It will creat a genertion of people who will continue to question the church and ask why they kept info about Jesus like that. And when the church says they havn't, they will do useless research to find even the smallest trace of a royal bloodline. They will then keep making documentaries about Jesus having a wife and the evil decieving Church.

History Channel is having a big fetish about this too.

[speed stick]

Its better that the catholics are getting mad rather then the middle east religions.

[Sandman]

I'm a Catholic and I love the book and I saw the movie today. Its fiction.

Did astronauts get angry when Star Wars came out?

I think the main problem that people have with the book is that many statements in it make it seem like the Mary Magdelene thing is concrete fact that many people have explored in various books (it even names a bunch which are very real books), while saying nothing about works that have disproved the Mary Magdelene theory.

[Phoenix]

Did astronauts get angry when Star Wars came out?I am offended by fiery, loud explosions in space! I won't stand for this, someone call Dr. Phil!

[valiek]

I think that the more they protest it the more attention the movie will get. That is one of the main reasons why i have distanced myself from religion. It seems every religion has their things they love to cry about, and try to tell people what is wrong for them to do.

[Twilight Prince]

Did astronauts get angry when Star Wars came out?

no but tom cruise became angry when he DIDN'T come out (of the closet)

[SuperLuigiBros]

What about that South Park episode where all of the Christians are child molesters except the south park priest and all this wierd shit happens like they are in a video game.

Why doesnt anyone get pissed off about that?

[Bloodman]

What about that South Park episode where all of the Christians are child molesters except the south park priest and all this wierd shit happens like they are in a video game.

Why doesnt anyone get pissed off about that?

Because everyone loves south park.

[aerofan113]

I'm a Catholic and I love the book and I saw the movie today. Its fiction.

Did astronauts get angry when Star Wars came out?

I think the main problem that people have with the book is that many statements in it make it seem like the Mary Magdelene thing is concrete fact that many people have explored in various books (it even names a bunch which are very real books), while saying nothing about works that have disproved the Mary Magdelene theory.


Your absolutly right. I think this movie just needs to be taken for what is. I will say this, who ever said that Catholics give Christians a bad name are just ignorant.

[[[tavis]]]

Was It Any Good Is My Question

[Bryan]

What do I think?

It's fiction -- shut the fuck up.

[Mirai]

I'm amazed this has turned into a full on religious debate yet.

What? The Church is getting offended because there's a piece of literature that is the antithesis to their beliefs? Why would that be?

Of course their going to get upset about it, it's the fucking Church. If they weren't crying about this they'd have to go back to their greatest hits - no protection, no abortion and to wrap the show up, no gay marriage.

Let 'em cry, what the fuck do you care?

[Zeep]

I don't know if this is exactly the topic of discussion, but I saw the movie on friday. it was ok. it was a good adaptation of the book, except for the ending, which was pretty fucked up. i haven't read the book in like 10 months or so, but it seemed pretty close to it. it was also pretty predictable, though that may be from me subconciously remembering the book.

it was definitely a good movie, but not amazing.

[Orchid]

I saw the movie and it was alright. The main thing is it's an adaption from a book. As it was put in Dogma, no religion has it down perfect... the only thing that matters is that you have faith. Faith in something, nothing, everything, whatever. It is what aperson believes in and that's that. to each there own...

* Orchid watches as Onbake sacrifices a chocolate bunny to appease the Easter Bunny sitting on a basket shaped throne *

[Viper]

Too short. I'd sit through 4+ hours so long as it did right by the book but this did not in many respects. Then again, that goes for pretty much every book to movie adaptation. I could list what they missed but it's pointless as I expected, though still dissapointed with, many of the ommissions. Tom Hanks did better as Langdon than I expected but still not good enough. Remy looked less like a butler and more like a GQ runway model. Silas is supposed to be an albino so where is the pink eyes and alabaster skin tone?

[Phoenix]

I knew it was going to suck the minute I heard they were making it. The DaVinci Code is not a movie book. Lord of the Rings was, this isn't.

[diggal]

If you faith is strong and you know what you believe, then you will be able to tell fiction from reality when you read the book.

[Viper]

What gets me is people are raising a stink for completely unwarranted reasons. Movies make inferences that are obviously false all the time. How many times does another country get implicated for something bad? Our own government? Etc?

Same with books.

Just get over it. It's fiction and nothing more. At least it's not distributed as a documentary and blatantly false, right Moore?

[frosty]

I have to agree that the church should not make a stink about it. The simpsons mock Christ, Family Guy mocks Christ, South Park Mocks Christ, and people just get a kick out of it without any word from the church. Suddenly this comes around and they create an uproar, thus giving the movie more press and teasing people's curiosity with the movie. It's like when you were a kid, and you're parents said "don't go in there". Instantly you wonder why. Instantly you want to see more. This is just making more people want to see the movie, and making it look like they are covering something up (which they aren't, they're just a religious denominaiton, not the total authority on the Christian faith). This is only going to make those who see it out of curiosity even more likley to take it seriously.

[D3adcell]

Well from what I got from listening to the radio and such, apparently people are actually BELIEVING the book to be truth.

When that happens of course the church has to say something. Becuase its not true. I was with my dad today and he always listens to news radio and they had a teacher call in and say that kids actually believed that what was in the da vinci code was a true story, something that really happened with jesus being married and all. Someone has to say no, this is not true.

Of course those on this forum etc know better then that. But if you look at society it is full of gulliable people and miss information. How many times have you been in a videogame store or something and have a mom come in and ask for mario for the xbox? I know its not exactly the same thing, but it's another case of people not knowing the facts.

[=NukeBlaze=]

Quickly mac, step on the gas and follow that fiction!



Now, just to put Mel Gibbson and Tom Hanks in a room for a while.

[Omega]

Fiction or not, it introduces extremely absurd theories about Jesus Christ, who is Lord and Savior to a great number of people. The story was designed to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of the spiritually weak. It was designed to be extremely controversial and therefore potentially profitable.

For those of you who are not Christians, think about how you would feel if someone wrote a fictional book or movie with massive inaccuracies about someone you love and respect. Someone such as a mother or father. It doesn't matter if its fictional, it still hurts.

And btw, Aerofan, this belongs in the Entertainment board.

[Twilight Prince]

the difference between now living people and entire religions icons is that wh DO know what the people here and now are doing.

If you believe in a religion with a pure hreat then you wouldn't be upset just because some old fart starts guessing stuff in a book right?

Why would those christians be mad just because some guy writes fiction that implies that jesus was a "Normal" person?

Well that's because they mix up their beliefs with their hunger for power. They care just a little bit too much about "the minds of the spiritually weak". I think that they should trust their religion enough to be appealing to those who are in need of it.
IMO there's nothing as hypocritical as people who get so cunfused over expanding their "free" religon that they want to silence any other theories. That's not believing in something. That's not having faith. To me that seems pretty much like someone who's made up their mind that they're gonna be "playing for the christian team" beacause everyone else around them do. And that's like trying to make yourself believing that you believe and therefore trying to prove it by bitching about everything that seems like a threat.

Btw: The author of the book is not backtalking anyone but some parts of the church for acting like nazis. And IRL the extreme christian groups prove him right by reacting like they do.

[Omega]

One thing you don't seem to understand is that true believers love and respect Jesus Christ as much as, if not more than a parental figure. To portray the lifestyle of someone you love CONTRARY TO HISTORICAL FACT is offensive to us. In other words, we don't just believe Jesus was single we know that it is historically correct. There are many historical documents and records beyond the Bible that account for this, but for believers the Bible itself is more than enough.

[DLazare91]

im jewish so that doesnt bother me...

[Twilight Prince]

i can understand that the thought of jesusi having a gf is upsetting... but as it is fiction it's really odd that the christian community cant just respect that and ignore it if they dont like it. WHat bothers me about christianity (and other religions) is that they want everyone to join them so badly that they will condemn everything that might seem offensive to theim... it's lie they're afraid that ordinary people will go "well i was kind of getting into christianity and shit but then I saw that da vinici code movie and i was all like that jesus person is teh fake... it was close though....."
I think christians (AND islamists!) should be able to give the rest of the world enough space to write about, satireize and fictionally play with religions just like they're any myth or historic event or era.

I mean this is like the believers of greek mythology (yes there are still people in europe who worship the old Greek gods) would start a rant every time a hollywood production isnt accurate... that would be a lot of rants because hollywood and tv series seem to be pretty much remixing those myths into whatever fits their crappy action agenda.

What i mean is thatin this modern world you have to trust the average joe enough to be getting the whole picture... and as for your own feelings you just have to be able to deal with them. In a modern world you're damn right you're gonna be upset by some of the books, films, video games and other
stuff that comes your way. That's the whole point of democracy and freedom of speech.
Yeah you heard me: That includes the right to piss the christians of by suggesting the possibility that jesus might have had a gf. Without anyone shutting you up.

In the dark ages Dan Brown would have been chased down and stoned to death with big rocks. His book would be banned. I'm glad we don't live in such a world. That's why i cant't believe it when i hear some christian organisations actually wanna ban the movie...
it might seem harmless but for me it's the first step of becoming like those guys (about 100 million ghuys actually) in the middle east who think they're gonna start a third world war because of some danish moron drawing a picture of muhammed with a bomb on his head.

[Vishus]

I'm just happy that Dan Brown got some moolah and flying spaghetti monster enforcers didn't.

[Sandman]

Well from what I got from listening to the radio and such, apparently people are actually BELIEVING the book to be truth.

When that happens of course the church has to say something. Becuase its not true. I was with my dad today and he always listens to news radio and they had a teacher call in and say that kids actually believed that what was in the da vinci code was a true story, something that really happened with jesus being married and all. Someone has to say no, this is not true.

Of course those on this forum etc know better then that. But if you look at society it is full of gulliable people and miss information. How many times have you been in a videogame store or something and have a mom come in and ask for mario for the xbox? I know its not exactly the same thing, but it's another case of people not knowing the facts.Yeah, I agree completely with what you said. The problem is that the book promotes its ideas as facts, so I think the Church has a right to say something. However, I still don't think everyone should be that crazy about it and just watch the damn movie.

[disrupter006]

Seeing this movie didn't affect my faith at all but my father on the other hand doesn't quite know as much about Christianity and it was obvious that he really started to question things after seeing it. This is a prime example of why the church would be making an uproar. The whole point of them doing this is so that the people who may have been influenced by this film/book know that it is in fact fiction and meant to be entertainment.

[Viper]

It's not as if the Bible can't be read by the same people that are in doubt or that The Passion of The Christ was not available for comparison. This is but one film noted well as a work of fiction in the face of hundreds of millions of bibles, churches, other religious movies and books, etc... This film represents a needle of doubt in the haystack of Christianity.

I'm a very strong patriot but can sit through a movie bad mouthing the hell out of the US and have no issues with it None. Why? Because I look at it purely from a point of fiction and know that when I shut off my DVD player, reality hasn't changed one damn bit.

I love NASA and have read a book by Dan Brown that slams the hell out of NASA and the NSA but guess what, I love the book (Deception Point).

I understand the personal angle such as if the film were about your own mother or father but semi-biographical films are released often and at times with undesired results by the family. Are the events depticted in the semi-biographical films accurate? Not always nor do they need to be so long as it's listed as a work of fiction regardless of the character base. Our American freedoms grant this right. Defamation of character may be in the minds of some but that's viable only if both provable and is part of a work of non-fiction.

As for the weak minded theory. To be fair, many believe religion to be a cruch for the weak minded as well. Is it fair that many weak minded have turned to religion in similar fashion? Mind you I understand the weak minded are fooled into thousands of things and do not proclaim religion to be the sole harborer of
the weak minded.


PS: Had the book/movie not sounded convincing in it's theories, it wouldn't have been as good or a read/watch. If the book/movie doesn't sell it's premise, what good is it?

[BigfootGus]

I liked the beginning of the book, hated who the badguy was. Haven't seen the movie yet. It doesn't affect my opinions on religion in anyway. The guy is just trying to make some moola.