Should I stop my friend from reading The Da Vinci Code?

[trnsvrsprocess]

Hello,

My friend was looking for mystery novels to read. She was choosing between two authors, and one of them was Dan Brown. Suddenly I subconsciously suggested to her to read a Dan Brown book. Then all was too late when I decide to slowly relent by warning her that it’s all just fiction. (telling her not to believe anything from the book) Then again I guess she’s a mature reader and she knows that fact. But that does not mean she might not be committing a sin. Should I stop her? Thank you very much and include us in your prayers.

God bless!

 

[MJE]

No, don’t attempt to stop her from reading The Da Vinci Code. But do get her a copy of Carl Olson & Sandra Miesel’s book The Da Vinci Hoax to read after she has read Dan Brown’s book.
Uncovering the lies of a mystery is good detective work.
ignatius.com/Products/DVH-P/the-da-vinci-hoax.aspx

(notice the $3 price)

 

[runningdude]

Hello,

My friend was looking for mystery novels to read. She was choosing between two authors, and one of them was Dan Brown. Suddenly I subconsciously suggested to her to read a Dan Brown book. Then all was too late when I decide to slowly relent by warning her that it’s all just fiction. (telling her not to believe anything from the book) Then again I guess she’s a mature reader and she knows that fact. But that does not mean she might not be committing a sin. Should I stop her? Thank you very much and include us in your prayers.

God bless!

There are real and serious sins that need to be addressed; scolding someone for reading pulp fiction will not win them over for Christ.

 

[marlap2]

Perhaps do your own research, and enjoy an afternoon coffee with your friend on a Saturday afternoon, discussing the different aspects of the book, their fallacies, and if possible (probably not) some of the positive aspects. Then segway into any choice of further interesting Catholic discussions … the historic/actual scriptural descriptions of Mary Magdalene, Catholic teachings, or the teachings of Saint Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, and how the positive aspects of his spirituality could change the world in a positive way?

After arguing with many people about how “I don’t have to read this book to know it’s wrong”, I did read it and used the book as an opener for an honest discussion of our faith. But honestly, have to say, it’s been quite a while. The book wasn’t memorable enough to remember much

 

[Viewer]

I’ve read two of Dan Browns books, the Da Vinci code and perhaps the even more inflammatory Angels and Demons.

I fail to see the sin in reading it, it’s called fiction for a reason and anyone with half a brain would see through it as fanciful nonsense.

For thrillers I didn’t think the plots were even that good, but perhaps that’s just me .

 

[Deltadeliquent]

For me, that book was a real page turner. I loved it, althought I did think it went on a bit too long.

The idea is not original with Dan Brown.

Let her read it. It’s great candy for the brain.

I would also say, recommend The Last Temptation of Christ. It’s written by a real literary genius and raises some of the same core questions.

If Jesus wasnt fully man, with all the temptations and desires as you and I, the sacrifice is null. If he had no desires, or if it didnt hurt to not have them fulfilled…there was no sacrifice. If those nails weren’t painful as they were hammered in, there was no atonement.
How he responded to those temptations, THAT story is in the Gospels.

Look at those sorts of stories this way, and your gratitude and faith will not only deepen, but it will mature as well.

 

[Book_Worm]

All other considerations aside, it was one of the most poorly written books I’ve ever read. And I found the plot transparent and boring. (Leonardo wrote upside down and backward? Who knew? Just about everyone with more than a ninth - grade education.)

If it didn’t have an anti - Catholic slant, I doubt we’d ever have heard of it

 

[pianistclare]

I’ve read two of Dan Browns books, the Da Vinci code and perhaps the even more inflammatory Angels and Demons.

I fail to see the sin in reading it, it’s called fiction for a reason and anyone with half a brain would see through it as fanciful nonsense.

For thrillers I didn’t think the plots were even that good, but perhaps that’s just me .

“half a brain”…LOL
For what it’s worth, I had a friend who is a cradle Catholic, regular Mass goer, calls herself “devout” who came up to me and said “omg Clare, I didn’t know all the stuff!” (in the Da Vinci code. She went on to ask me why she had never been taught all that stuff.
I had to break the “news” to her, that it was all a fabrication.

I had students ask me if they could read it. I said, yeah sure, as fiction. But don’t go buy a copy. It just encourages the spread of more fallacy. If you can borrow one from the library, fair enough. But come back to class and tell me about the parts that you KNOW are false.
Turned it into a game…they had a good time in the subsequent class comparing what they had uncovered.

 

[Cricket2]

I don’t see any need to stop her. I know that we must be aware of what we might read or involve ourselves in, but we also need to make allowance that someone like your friend does know fact from fiction and make their own assessment about something they read.

I think we are getting too overprotective when we have to start policing every book that may be in a library, on the shelf or what may be assigned by an instructor. Certainly a sound Faith life and prayer makes us better prepared to read all sorts of materials with better understanding and discernment. Banning books or not allowing others to read them is not the answer to keeping people pure, safe or unaffected by the materials that are out there.

Let you friend read the book in peace, and if she asks questions or you feel like discussing the text from a spiritual context give it a whirl. You both stand to learn something new.

 

[Cricket2]

I don’t see any need to stop her. I know that we must be aware of what we might read or involve ourselves in, but we also need to make allowance that someone like your friend does know fact from fiction and make their own assessment about something they read.

I think we are getting too overprotective when we have to start policing every book that may be in a library, on the shelf or what may be assigned by an instructor. Certainly a sound Faith life and prayer makes us better prepared to read all sorts of materials with better understanding and discernment. Banning books or not allowing others to read them is not the answer to keeping people pure, safe or unaffected by the materials that are out there.

Let you friend read the book in peace, and if she asks questions or you feel like discussing the text from a spiritual context give it a whirl. You both stand to learn something new.

An added note to the above: I had a seminarian suggest a book to me that was a very difficult text to handle. He advised me to go to confession first, and if at any point I felt too disturbed by the book to stop and seek spiritual direction.

It was a true story telling about a young girls abduction and imprisonment by a satanic cult. It was a terrifying read, and certainly required daily prayer and constant spiritual direction on my part. I seldom recommend this book due to the disturbing nature of the story, but if I know someone well enough I will suggest it.

My point is, not everyone is well suited to read some materials and we should try to warn folks if we think something may disturb them, but we can’t tell them not to read it or remove that opportunity from them because of our own agendas or fears.

 

[pianistclare]

An added note to the above: I had a seminarian suggest a book to me that was a very difficult text to handle. He advised me to go to confession first, and if at any point I felt too disturbed by the book to stop and seek spiritual direction.

It was a true story telling about a young girls abduction and imprisonment by a satanic cult. It was a terrifying read, and certainly required daily prayer and constant spiritual direction on my part. I seldom recommend this book due to the disturbing nature of the story, but if I know someone well enough I will suggest it.

My point is, not everyone is well suited to read some materials and we should try to warn folks if we think something may disturb them, but we can’t tell them not to read it or remove that opportunity from them because of our own agendas or fears.

None of my business, but why did he suggest it to you?
Do you work with girls at risk?
If you’d rather not say, that’s cool.
Peace,
pianist

 

[Viewer]

It was a true story telling about a young girls abduction and imprisonment by a satanic cult. It was a terrifying read, and certainly required daily prayer and constant spiritual direction on my part. I seldom recommend this book due to the disturbing nature of the story, but if I know someone well enough I will suggest it.

I know we don’t know one another, but I’m currently writing a thesis on malevolent spirituality for a journal. Would you consider telling me (In PM of course) the name of this book please? I could use any confirmed cases of encounters with these movements in my research.

Thanks

 

[Viewer]

“half a brain”…LOL
For what it’s worth, I had a friend who is a cradle Catholic, regular Mass goer, calls herself “devout” who came up to me and said “omg Clare, I didn’t know all the stuff!” (in the Da Vinci code. She went on to ask me why she had never been taught all that stuff.
I had to break the “news” to her, that it was all a fabrication.

I had students ask me if they could read it. I said, yeah sure, as fiction. But don’t go buy a copy. It just encourages the spread of more fallacy. If you can borrow one from the library, fair enough. But come back to class and tell me about the parts that you KNOW are false.
Turned it into a game…they had a good time in the subsequent class comparing what they had uncovered.

Facepalm

You should have offered to sell them some gold mines in Uganda or something, the amount of naivety in some people is outstanding

I bought both of mine from a second hand book store for 50 pence

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

I’ve read two of Dan Browns books, the Da Vinci code and perhaps the even more inflammatory Angels and Demons.

I fail to see the sin in reading it, it’s called fiction for a reason and anyone with half a brain would see through it as fanciful nonsense.

For thrillers I didn’t think the plots were even that good, but perhaps that’s just me .

The problem is that while it was theoretically “fiction,” it was in fact marketed and reviewed as a collection of at least half-truths that had a level of plausibility, and fed directly into so many widely-believed, of at least half-believed, things about the Church.

 

[DMC12]

i would say from what i’ve heard, that it would be good if you could stop her, but not because of what is says about the Church but because it is a patethic book.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Hello,

My friend was looking for mystery novels to read. She was choosing between two authors, and one of them was Dan Brown. Suddenly I subconsciously suggested to her to read a Dan Brown book. Then all was too late when I decide to slowly relent by warning her that it’s all just fiction. (telling her not to believe anything from the book) Then again I guess she’s a mature reader and she knows that fact. But that does not mean she might not be committing a sin. Should I stop her? Thank you very much and include us in your prayers.

God bless!

You don’t need to tell her not to read it. You could tell her you didn’t mention some of your concerns about the novel and then ask her to let you know what she thinks.