On the DaVinci code

[Henrico]

Lectori Salutem,

It is with great interest that I read the catholic review of the book.
I had no idea that we felt it neccesary to go on the defense to this extent, regarding a sensationalist American work of fiction.
As an avid and indiscriminate reader, I buy my books by the pound from a cheap second hand store, I gobbled up the sequel a while ago ( forgot the title ), the one where the camerlengo goes nuts, and allthough I found it highly amusing, I decided that this was it for this author. ( Read one of the ‘left behind’ series and had a sufficient picture of the rest of it. )

I also forgot the title of the Robert Ludlum appr. 20 years ago, wherein one discovers a document ( written by St. Peter if memory serves me right ) that Jesus had committed suicide, because he was too scared to face what awaited him.

The latter being at least as shocking, in essence even worse,
didn’t generate a puff out of anybody.
Have we gotten more sensitive about our religious identity, or what would scare me, is there presently a bigger and more organized attack on Catholicism ongoing,

Is it because most of us are aware that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, or maybe because during the 80’s mankind ( those in charge ) have placed themselves above religion alltogether, and use it as a political and economical stick, to hit the poor dog with.

For now I just take DaVinci’s Code ‘cum grano salis’ and but a ‘flatus vocis’

In Jesus

Henrico

 

[FightingFat]

I think this is a great post.

I was approached by two or three friends and/ or family members convinced by this book that there is more to the institution of the Church than meets the eye.

Young people have a tendency to rebel, and this sort of popular fiction, fuels the fire of that rebellion.

How many threads have been posted here about the book? How many questions asked? The problem is, when someone attacks our faith, very few of us every day Catholics have the tools to refute the claims, especially without at least a little research!

I had a conversation with a particularly intelligent friend who was sure there was something in it- a shame, because I feel the book is poorly written as well as being fiction. He went from hypothesis to hypothesis and quoted things that I would have have no idea about had I not kept up with the discussion on the subject here.

To conclude; I feel these things are not just an attack to be refuted, but moreover, an opportunity to explain, in some depth, Catholic beliefs, and talk with passion about Catholicism. In short, an opportunity to evangelise.

 

[Fortiterinre]

Excellent comments, and I will remember the Robert Ludlum comparison. The scariest thing to me is how many educated Catholics are saying it’s their favorite book, how it makes good points, etc. This doesn’t fall along the usual liberal/conservative divide either–I know some very moderate, smart people who are taken in by this.

 

[leonardoboff]

Irrespective of its content, the book is very very poor quality.

It is truly pulp and the extent to which readers sing its praises reflects their lack of taste and discernment when it comes to literature. There are many other examples of this at present; the whole Pullman thing is a case in point. Its just rubbish. Talk about the emperors new clothes!

The merging of childrens fiction into adult fashions is indicative to what extent the culture has generally become a slum. I believe if Dickens were alive today no publishing house would give him even the smallest chance. Why? Well, you couldn’t just"gobble it up" on the tube, thats for sure.

 

[garfield]

I believe some of Dickens’ novels were published as series in a magazine (possibly ‘The Strand’) and crowds clamoured for the next installment waiting to hear if Little Nell lived or died

I read ‘The Da Vinci code’ recently and while not a ‘great’ novel it was a page turner and I had to read it to the end and find out whodunnit. I then read ‘Angels and Demons’ and ‘Deception Point’ by the same author (it was a slow week on the TV)
They were good too but none of them worth reading more than once. They are throwaway fiction and in a year or two’s time they will probably be forgotten but maybe they will stimulate a few people to look into the real Catholic church who might not have otherwise thought of it which could be a good thing.

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

Fortiterinre:

Excellent comments, and I will remember the Robert Ludlum comparison. The scariest thing to me is how many educated Catholics are saying it’s their favorite book, how it makes good points, etc. This doesn’t fall along the usual liberal/conservative divide either–I know some very moderate, smart people who are taken in by this.

Almost a contradiction in terms. Smart people are supposed to question the veracity of anything before they take it as fact. The fact that Dan Browns shoddy research has bene shot full of holes by no less than a dozen Christian apologist should give pause to any accepting this steaming pile of fecal matter as anything other than a piece of fiction, plain and simple. People accept it because they WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH IS CORRUPT. It gives them license to disobey it.