DaVinci

The DaVinci Code film comes out in a few weeks. While it is fiction, there is enough believable material here to "fool" well meaning but uninformed religious individuals. And that's why we should not see it, for by so doing we'll support the film's premise and encourage the studio to produce more films like it.

Here's a typical - and disturbing - response to the book, as noted by our CR folks:

To my amazement, yesterday morning after church, I heard one of our older ladies talking about a “Christian” book she was reading, and being an avid reader, I stopped to listen. She was telling two of our younger church members that she’d been reading the Da Vinci Code and how she doesn’t agree with everything in the book, but once she picked it up, she couldn’t put it down. It had captivated her and she was hooked on it.

This illustrates the problems with the movie and book - even mature Christians are falling for its "truth claims." It is one thing to know DaVinci is fiction, and to enjoy it on a somewhat artistic level. There is good writing, and no doubt the film is well made. It is another thing altogether, however, to read the book or see the film and buy it's propositions. That is, as the individual above noted, dangerous!

The trailers are impressively taut and the plotline is intriguing. The Christian community is torn - some are calling for boycotts, others are suggesting that this is a perfect opportunity to talk spiritually with the culture. That good people disagree is nothing new, nor is it alarming. This is not a biblical right/wrong matter, it is a matter of preference and strategy.

Still, I believe that we probably ought to stay away from this film. Still, we can - and should - engage others in about the movie. We have a responsibility to take advantage of a cultural discussion. Good suggestions for doing that are here.