Vatican calling for Boycott of Da Vinci Code

[Jeana (DP)]

About as well as people staying away from the Passion of the Christ, lol! We'll see how the movie does the next couple of weeks. It wasn't like it was a Papal Encyclical to stay away from it, lol.

Are you planning on seeing it DK?? I haven't read the book and don't plan on seeing the movie, but my husband read it and probably will once he's back from his business trip.

 

[Dark Knight]

I'm sure you're right, DK. (About losing members. Obviously you are right about your own motivations.)

I've seen the constant upheavals of local community churches due to members voting this way and that way and subsequently pastors coming and going and eventually the members also coming and going after getting tired of all the changes. It gets crazy!

 

[Dark Knight]

Are you planning on seeing it DK?? I haven't read the book and don't plan on seeing the movie, but my husband read it and probably will once he's back from his business trip.

I don't plan on seeing it or reading it, no.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I don't plan on seeing it or reading it, no.

:chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :chicken: :blowkiss:

 

[Nova]

I've seen the constant upheavals of local community churches due to members voting this way and that way and subsequently pastors coming and going and eventually the members also coming and going after getting tired of all the changes. It gets crazy!

Democracy is messy, no doubt about it.

 

[Amraann]

Dan Brown is not claiming it is Fact. IMO its litterary license to have that little excerpt in the beginning of the book.


http://www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/faqs.html


HOW MUCH OF THIS NOVEL IS TRUE?
The Da Vinci Code is a novel and therefore a work of fiction. While the book's characters and their actions are obviously not real, the artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals depicted in this novel all exist (for example, Leonardo Da Vinci's paintings, the Gnostic Gospels, Hieros Gamos, etc.). These real elements are interpreted and debated by fictional characters.

*snip
PARTS OF THE DA VINCI CODE DESCRIBE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RELIGIOUS GROUP OPUS DEI. HOW DOES OPUS DEI FEEL ABOUT YOUR NOVEL?
I worked very hard to create a fair and balanced depiction of Opus Dei. Even so, there may be those who are offended by the portrayal. While Opus Dei is a very positive force in the lives of many people, for others, affiliation with Opus Dei has been a profoundly negative experience. Their portrayal in the novel is based on numerous books written about Opus Dei as well as on my own personal interviews with current and former members.

 

[cappuccina]

....ya need to read it....For example, I've read the entire Bible, even though I believe must of it to be illustrative allegory combined with some historical reporting, which while useful, certainly is not something that should be taken literally, IMO... But, I took the time to read it...to educate myself, n'est-ce pas?

Nova, I understand what you are trying to say...

I do think there are some churchs who do try the approach I'm talking about, Unitarian Universalists, for example...

Again, it's not the fact that the Vatican or the Catholic Church has money or holdings, it's the "balls out" hypocrisy concerning how some large amounts of money has been used that fries my brain... (...for legal defense of priests who have committed crimes, for example, for hiding priests that have committed crimes, for another example, untold corruption surrounding the Vatican Bank, the list goes on and on...)

 

[windovervocalcords]

Here's the problem: There are unwritten rules for how you treat history in fiction, and our boy Dan broke them.

In the 1981 book "How to Write Best-Selling Fiction," novelist Dean R. Koontz says that authors can't afford to make up or be careless about background details: "No matter how esoteric the subject about which you make a false statement ... a small but significant percentage of your readership will be aware of your goof. ... Every time a reader knows that you are faking a bit of background, your credibility slips a notch; when it slips two or three or four notches, you will lose that reader."

If you like to jerk chains when it comes to history and religion, at least use your literary turn signal. People might be less likely to lean on the horn when your book suddenly takes a corner on two wheels.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060518/OPINION03/605180324/1350

 

[cappuccina]

....that is going nutz about the DVC also went apesh*t about Harry Potter....I mean they literally flipped out about a children's fairy tale...

These aren't people with the finesse to see patterns of literary form....these are the people that believe that "Jews have horns because the Bible says they do"...

 

[Dark Knight]

....that is going nutz about the DVC also went apesh*t about Harry Potter....I mean they literally flipped out about a children's fairy tale...

These aren't people with the finesse to see patterns of literary form....these are the people that believe that "Jews have horns because the Bible says they do"...

I have little problem with Harry Potter nor do I believe Jews have horns, thank you very much. Please retract that comment.

 

[windovervocalcords]

....that is going nutz about the DVC also went apesh*t about Harry Potter....I mean they literally flipped out about a children's fairy tale...

These aren't people with the finesse to see patterns of literary form....these are the people that believe that "Jews have horns because the Bible says they do"...

Capp

Don't think it was Catholics who had the Harry Potter phobia. There were other Christian groups. Can't remember for certain but it sure sounds like it could have been Dobson or Robertson or Falwell to me.

Regardless, they would all probably object to being called "fringe" groups.

Everyone with hepatitis thinks the world looks yellow. From their perspective, its so.

Perhaps, some of the Christians consider literary scholars and intellectuals the "elite fringe".

What color are your glasses? lol

 

[Amraann]

Although I like Deen Koontz .... He does write about Aliens among other things..

Not exactly IMO the lead all know all about what is off limits and what is not.
That is just his opinion that he applies to his own writings.

 

[windovervocalcords]

Although I like Deen Koontz .... He does write about Aliens among other things..

Not exactly IMO the lead all know all about what is off limits and what is not.
That is just his opinion that he applies to his own writings.

If I understood your earlier point about literary or poetic license. (I am not much of a writer I had to look up the definition)

Then you are saying that Dan Brown by saying his work was based on fact has used a writing device acceptable in fiction to draw the reader in...?

Was that what you meant?

If so, it was an effective device for building interest in the novel.

For Catholics, it sounds as though the distinction was sufficiently blurred in their eyes as to make Da Vinci Code unwise reading or viewing for Catholics.

 

[Maral]

As far as the CC's money connections vis a vis the DaVinci Code....It is very cultlike, IMO, for a supposedly mainstream church to pressure its members to not see a film, read a book, or enjoy some other type of art piece because of the Church's particular view on that subject...

It the Church were proverbially "comfortable with itself", which it obviously is NOT, it would not mind what it's members saw or read, and would view such experiences as "educational". The only other groups I know that are heavily into censorship, banning art and freedom of speech/expression are the Nazis, white supremacist-types of organizations, and fundamentalist Christian, Jewish and Islamic groups....See my point?

One of the most valuable ways for people to form educated and informed opinions about something is to read/watch/see all sides of an issue in order to make an informed decision for themselves. This is why I read all kinds of things, even political columns, etc. by those diametrically opposed to my viewpoints.

Any group trying to censor education is very dangerous indeed....

Truthfully, I don't think it's just the protrayal of Jesus that is upsetting the Church. I'll bet you they are equally upset about the portral of Opus Dei, and the Church's dalliances with corrpution, which probably make them extremely uncomfortable due to the amount of accuracy, JMO...

The Vatican hasn't released any official statement about The Da Vinci Code.
Yes, some local Catholic Churches are calling for a boycott, but there are just as many other local Catholic Churches that are using the release of the movie as an educational tool.

I can understand the concern of some people and churches. Even though the movie is fiction, there are many people that don't understand early Christian history and will believe that this movie is based on solid scholarship. We saw the same thing happen when the fictional Left Behind books were so popular. An awful lot of people believed the bad theology of those books because they were presented as factual.

 

[sandraladeda]

....that is going nutz about the DVC also went apesh*t about Harry Potter....I mean they literally flipped out about a children's fairy tale...

These aren't people with the finesse to see patterns of literary form....these are the people that believe that "Jews have horns because the Bible says they do"...

Cappucina, you have taken some cracks at the Catholic Church, but this post takes the cake for offensiveness. I don't know where all this animosity towards the Catholic church is coming from, but you have stated you are Eastern Orthodox. I challenge you to print off your past few comments here, and read them to the person (priest? pastor?) in your church that you trust as a spiritual advisor, to get their perspective on the appropriateness of your comments.

In recent posts, you have characterized Catholics as unethical, cult-like, controlling of the "education" of its members (laughable that your are suggesting that reading Dan Brown is "educational, lol), you have likened Catholics to nazis and white-supremacists.

Why do you care so much if Catholics see this movie? As many have pointed out, it's fiction. Go ahead, see it. Read the book. Why does my staying away from the DVC bring out such wrath towards Catholicism from you?

Your last comment that these are the people that believe that "Jews have horns because the Bible says they do"... is offensive beyond belief. Up to now, the discussion has been a healthy sharing of opinions and views. This last comment does not fall into that category, and again, I wonder what would drive you to make such inflammatory comments? I do not for a second believe that you consider your comments true.

If you are ever in Calgary, I would be pleased to welcome you to attend my church with me. There, you will be embraced by such a loving Catholic community, you will never want to leave.

imho

 

[windovervocalcords]

Cappucina, you have taken some cracks at the Catholic Church, but this post takes the cake for offensiveness. I don't know where all this animosity towards the Catholic church is coming from, but you have stated you are Eastern Orthodox. I challenge you to print off your past few comments here, and read them to the person (priest? pastor?) in your church that you trust as a spiritual advisor, to get their perspective on the appropriateness of your comments.

In recent posts, you have characterized Catholics as unethical, cult-like, controlling of the "education" of its members (laughable that your are suggesting that reading Dan Brown is "educational, lol), you have likened Catholics to nazis and white-supremacists.

Why do you care so much if Catholics see this movie? As many have pointed out, it's fiction. Go ahead, see it. Read the book. Why does my staying away from the DVC bring out such wrath towards Catholicism from you?

Your last comment that these are the people that believe that "Jews have horns because the Bible says they do"... is offensive beyond belief. Up to now, the discussion has been a healthy sharing of opinions and views. This last comment does not fall into that category, and again, I wonder what would drive you to make such inflammatory comments? I do not for a second believe that you consider your comments true.

If you are ever in Calgary, I would be pleased to welcome you to attend my church with me. There, you will be embraced by such a loving Catholic community, you will never want to leave.

imho

I read the same posts by Cappucina and found a few points worth thinking about, especially the ones about cults.

I understood the point was that if any Church is controlling their members by telling them not to use their own minds to discern the truth about something that in itself is cultlike...

Its an interesting viewpoint. I think Capp makes a point, that if you, yourself do not read the book or see the movie to have your own opinion, than from her value system you have no cause to feel afraid or offended.

Unfortunately for all of us, there is so much hurtful Christian rhetoric out in the world, in the media, that some feel buffeted about by alot of it and may lose patience.

Much harm is done by ordinary people in the name of Christ. It may not be fair for the diverse larger community of Christians to get lumped together with the most unskillful representatives. Its not fair to have your Church confused with all other Christians, but this is the world we live in. There is unfortunately, more than enough offense on all sides to go around.

This is not a defense of Capp's remarks nor a negative judgement toward you Sandra.

Just an observation of how misunderstanding occur on these threads.

Its quite a wonder we all keep going.

 

[ellen13]

I appreciate all of the open-minded people who have responded to my initial thread posting regarding this topic. A lot of what you had to say, I found very refreshing!

 

[BhamMama]

I have little problem with Harry Potter nor do I believe Jews have horns, thank you very much. Please retract that comment.

No doubt! I've never been treated anything but nicely by anyone of another religion, esp when I tell them I'm interested in how they believe and want to learn.

<snip>The only other groups I know that are heavily into censorship, banning art and freedom of speech/expression are the Nazis, white supremacist-types of organizations, and fundamentalist Christian, Jewish and Islamic groups....See my point?</snip>

So anyone who isn't Eastern Orthodox in other words? You seem to have included most religions but your own up there. You actually put Jews and Nazi's together in the same catagory? That's low.

May I ask when was the last time you were invited into synagogue? Did you know that one teaching in the Jewish faith is I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows the very deed of the children of men, and all their thoughts, as it is said. It is He that fashioned the hearts of them all, that gives heed to all their works. In other words, be a guiding light of peace, love, trust, worthy of HIS love, to attain that we have to be kind and love each other.

I assure you, no where in the Jewish teachings does it tell us to not do something, or make hasty judgements about something. The Jewish faith differs from many religions in that its central authority is not vested in any person or group but rather in its writings and traditions. Not one person has the right, nor the need, to tell all of us how to practice our faith, that includes Rabbi's! To assume otherwise so is wrong, to go about touting it as fact is even more wrong!

Maybe instead of trying to prove how big and bad a religion is, you should take the advice you so freely give and educate yourself. There are many, many kind people who teach and preach in the Catholic faith. What's that line in the Bible? Do unto others?

Personally, I like diversity and love the fact that I can learn from everyone, it need not change the way I feel about my own faith.

 

[Amraann]

If I understood your earlier point about literary or poetic license. (I am not much of a writer I had to look up the definition)

Then you are saying that Dan Brown by saying his work was based on fact has used a writing device acceptable in fiction to draw the reader in...?

Was that what you meant?

If so, it was an effective device for building interest in the novel.

For Catholics, it sounds as though the distinction was sufficiently blurred in their eyes as to make Da Vinci Code unwise reading or viewing for Catholics.

Correct Wovc. It was to draw the reader in..
Some of the information and places and even historical events were real but woven into fiction.
That is the element of truth that weaves a good fiction story .. something real to make the story familair to the reader.

 

[sandraladeda]

I'm sorry, Amraann, I can't agree that it is literary or poetic licence to state something as "fact" when it is not, in FACT, so. I call it lying.

Example - DVC Page 1. "FACT"

[font=Verdana, Arial] "The Priory of Sion – a secret European society founded in 1099– is a real organization. In 1975 Paris's Bibliotheqe Nationale discovered parchments known as Les Dossiers Secrets, identifying numerous members of the Priory of Sion, including Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Leonardo da Vinci."

It's easy to check this info at wikipedia.com:
[/font]The Prieuré de Sion, usually rendered in English translation as Priory of Sion or Priory of Zion, has, since the 1970s, been an elusive protagonist in many conspiratorial works of pseudohistory. It has been characterized as anything from the most influential secret society in Western history to a modern Rosicrucian-esque ludibrium, but, ultimately, has been proven to be a hoax created by Pierre Plantard. Most of the evidence presented in support of claims pertaining to its historical existence, let alone significance, has not been considered authentic or persuasive by established historians, academics and universities.

Now if Mr. Brown had, on the preceding page, stated that "this novel is a work of fiction" and then on the next page stated "FACT", and gone on to state the so-called facts, I would call that laying the groundwork for the taking of poetic or literary licence. He did not do that. imho, Dan Brown knew exactly what he was representing (or should I say "misrepresenting") as truth. He is not a stupid man...

imho