L
Les_Richardson
Guest
Here’s a thought, just a thought.
In a round-about way perhaps we as Catholics (I’m speaking from the Catholic perspective here) are indebted to Dan Brown in that we may find some more Protestants coming home to the Catholic Church.
How so? Well, it hit me yesterday, flipping around the radio dial I came across a broadcast coming from the Calvary Satellite Network. I forget the name of the speaker, someone here might know, but what I was hearing was a refutation of the Da Vinci Code by a Protestant using references to the Early Fathers and scholarship on the time of writing of the Gospels, etc.
What caught my ear specifically were references to Tertullian and St. Irenaeus. Now, if one reads enough of the works of either of those he/she will come across some serious Catholic doctrine, like the Real Presence, the Sacrifice of the Mass, etc. Moreover, reading these tends to lead to reading of the other Church Fathers and for a Protestant it is very difficult to look seriously at that early Church history and writings without becoming Catholic.
A lot of regular Protestants (I know because I was raised one) have been taught to read the Scripture, and have the habit of looking up and verifying anything they are told by teachers and preachers of the gospel. I just know that there will be many, when they hear the arguments against the Da Vinci Code, that will start looking up the references to the Early Church Fathers (most available on the internet, by the way), and that is a good thing. IMHO.
In a round-about way perhaps we as Catholics (I’m speaking from the Catholic perspective here) are indebted to Dan Brown in that we may find some more Protestants coming home to the Catholic Church.
How so? Well, it hit me yesterday, flipping around the radio dial I came across a broadcast coming from the Calvary Satellite Network. I forget the name of the speaker, someone here might know, but what I was hearing was a refutation of the Da Vinci Code by a Protestant using references to the Early Fathers and scholarship on the time of writing of the Gospels, etc.
What caught my ear specifically were references to Tertullian and St. Irenaeus. Now, if one reads enough of the works of either of those he/she will come across some serious Catholic doctrine, like the Real Presence, the Sacrifice of the Mass, etc. Moreover, reading these tends to lead to reading of the other Church Fathers and for a Protestant it is very difficult to look seriously at that early Church history and writings without becoming Catholic.
A lot of regular Protestants (I know because I was raised one) have been taught to read the Scripture, and have the habit of looking up and verifying anything they are told by teachers and preachers of the gospel. I just know that there will be many, when they hear the arguments against the Da Vinci Code, that will start looking up the references to the Early Church Fathers (most available on the internet, by the way), and that is a good thing. IMHO.
It’s time for me to come out officially, to confess. I came/am coming to the Catholic Church because of Dan Brown! :bigyikes: I read Angels and Demons and didn’t really take it seriously. Then I read The Da Vinci Code and even though I was an Atheist at that point, I simply could not believe the claims about Jesus being married etc. I believe that I was never really a ‘convinced Atheist’, I think it was more your typical teenage rebellion type thing going on.
). Obviously, I researched into the other side of the story (Jesus was married, Jesus had children, etc.) but could really find no evidence whatsoever to support the ludcrious claims in the books. And, of course, it’s great being able to refute those kinds of claims.
I’m so glad, firstly that it has brought me to the Church, and also simply that it lead me to find this site and forum. I’ve learnt so much and got to know so many people thanks to Dan Brown …even if he didn’t intend it!