I don't have a whole lot to say in response to this article, but here's a few thoughts (well, maybe it turned out to be more thoughts than I thought).
Bradley O'Leary contrasts the reaction to a series of political cartoons depicting Mohammad with the lack of one over The DaVinci Code.
1. What cave has he been in?
2. To the disappointment of some, a Christian ministry would never be described with these words, "Property was destroyed. Flags were burned. People were killed." I said a Christian ministry, not everyone who says Lord, Lord.
The author compares the hate crime against Mohammad in the cartoons with the hate crime against the Bible.
1. This just continues to fascinate me. People continue to try and replace the centerpiece of our religion (Jesus Christ) with a book (the bible).
2. And how do you commit a crime against a book? Against leather-bound paper and ink? With study helps and cross-index and a concordance? The point is not the truth or falsehood of the Bible or even what has been omitted. I find the Bible to be true and beautiful and am happy with the final result of the canonization. I found the DaVinci code, even though quite a page turner, to be fanciful and spurious. But I never thought about the Bible being victimized. That's not the point, is it? The point might be whether Jesus (a person, our Prophet) is being victimized. But there is this huge reluctance to talk about Jesus anymore. Some people want Christians to get red-faced and defend their poor, victimized bible, which again is weird.
The author proclaims irony that something attacking the Christian faith would use the tag line, "Seek the truth".
1. I think it's a good tag line. I wish more people would actually adopt it for their life.
2. I actually think it would be better than "Defend the truth" as if truth needed defending.
3. In fact, after I read the book I had this huge craving to go back and read the Gospels again. I started in Matthew.
The author is incredulous that Sony Pictures would spent $75 million "to promote the success of this outrageous fiction".
1. Again, if this is an assault on truth, which you are afraid will buckle under the weight of the false evidence, then how sure are you really of your truth?
2. On the other hand, if it's outrageous fiction, then why wouldn't they spend a lot of money to get people to go see their outrageous fiction? People like outrageous fiction. And advertising pays.
The author asks where there American Christians are and why they aren't doing everything possible to "defend the faith" and "fight this crass commercial hate crime".
1. Maybe it's because Jesus never told us to defend the faith or fight crass commercial hate crime? He wasted all His time telling us to love our neighbors and do good to those who persecute us and things like that. Seems like he had different ideas on how to walk humbly with His God.
2. And then the apostles wasted their time telling us to keep the faith and to "fight the good fight of the faith" by "pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness."
Finally the author goes ad hominem, with a full-blown gossipesque character assault of implicating questions on Dan Brown. I have no idea how to answer his questions or if they are rhetorical. I don't see how the accusations of plagiarism would change the issues raised by the book/movie, so I assume this is just good old fashioned mud slinging.
What I do know is that the author brings up some very interesting doubts, concerns, and challenges about the Church and the compilation of her Holy Book that an intelligent person would want to research and know the truth. Is that a good thing? Is that a good thing even if some of the fiction is outrageous? What if it is distasteful?
What I do know is that I had virtually no interest in reading this book or seeing the movie until I started getting mail from red-faced Christian Political Action Committees and Evangelio-activist Organizations. Maybe I could send this author their phone number so he can find the outrage.
6 comments:
I celebrate the opportunity for Jesus dialogue. He's my favorite subject.
Me, too.
And have you noticed how few of the people on the talk shows talk about Jesus, and how much they talk about God or principles or laws of nature or something?
It seems like the early followers, the ones who had Jesus in the flesh, the ones who gave it a shot to walk out their faith didn't necessarily get Him at first, but when it finally clicked for them, Jesus was all they could talk about.
I just looked and every New Testament book mentions Jesus Christ over and over, even James' wisdom book. Every writer does and even every book except (ironically) one--only 3 John doesn't, but it is after all a very short follow up letter.
Those guys were eat up with Jesus. But for Christians today, Jesus Christ seems almost insufficient, weaker somehow because He's only a Person, not something codified in black and white that can be counted on, stood upon, articulated, argued, defended...
Many it seems would rather follow the Bible than Jesus. It seems to me that following Jesus is a whole lot scarier and less reasonable than following the Bible.
Excellent post! Actually I thought Brown's book was OK--and the movie was a good movie (not a great movie, but a good one). The challenge for me is to suspend belief during this piece of fiction because my field involves New Testament backgrounds! (I found myself cringing reading the book and watching the movie over the obvious gaffes).
But back to the topic. You are right: Jesus is the issue. And yes, Christ followers sometimes have a hard time distinguishing between God and the writings about God.
Don't want to ramble too much. Again, thanks for a great post.
I stumbled across that site as well today, and my thoughts were identical:
• this guy implies that Christians should riot, destroy property and kill people? Okay, let me tell my boss I'm taking the day off. I need to find a stick--got some woods nearby, no problem. Oh, and I need to go buy some lighter fluid.
• same as you. This guy must have weak faith, that he senses is being crushed (or in jeopardy of being crushed). Or, if his faith is strong and he's concerned about baby Followers' faith being shaken, why not go disciple some of these Followers you are so concerned about. Oh, and don't even mention the book. Disciple them on Jesus, since you know His character so well, that we are to be outraged.
• I red-flagged on his mudslinging as well. Has Dan Brown claimed to be "of high moral character"? I doubt it. I couldn't care less about anyone claim of character, high or low. Big f***ing deal.
I have the same opinion of the book, Darryl. I thought it had an all-star beginning, a head-scratching (and sometimes lip-curling) middle, and a let-down ending. It was like he couldn't figure out how to let off all the pressure he'd built up in the first few chapters. I liked it nonetheless.
Honestly, I thought that if he would have left his suggested version of history a little more shrouded he could probably have birthed a cult following for his Sangreal. I kind of felt like I had been barfed on. Too much. And as for my unbelieving friends, they got lost in all the "theology".
The movie. Sigh. I am saddled with friends who are dying to see it with me...in June. I finally put my foot down, and we're going to see it Monday.
I've spent a lot of time in the New Testament as well. For me just because I love it and taught adult Sunday school for years. Maybe if this "outrageous fiction" is shaking the faith of so many it is a good thing. Maybe it will be a good dry run for when God "once more shakes the heavens and the earth...so that what cannot be shaken may remain."
Steve, your last paragraph pricked some thinking about shaking the faith.
We're familiar with when Jesus said "unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no part of Me", and after He said this many turned back from following Him.
Maybe this DaVinci thing will shake some (many?) and cause them to abandon the faith.
Is a pruning of Christian bandwagoners, posers and country-clubbers a BAD thing?
Not in the least. Make it so, Lord.
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