What's the big deal about reading a book? we read books filled with rubbish every dayy but that doesn't mean we believe everything they say.. what happend to our faith? can the faith planted it us by Christ himself through the Holy Spirit really be shaken by reading a fictional book ?? if it can that's really sad. I don't belive it's a big deal reading it.. as long as you treat it as a fictional book. +God Bless
Anything that demeans or slanders Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a big deal, and should not be taken lightly. What’s truly sad is that people are willing to read a fictional book that slanders our Savior for mere entertainment .
I just want to mention this, and some of you might think it's stupid but if you really think about it, it makes sense...
If you look at the movie The Matrix, the whole movie pretty much says that everything around you is fake and it's all in your head. This would imply that there is no such thing as a God, and would of course mean that Christianity and every other religion out there is false. However, no one was against it and there was no controversy surrounding it, and in fact, a lot of people loved the movie, although one could make the argument that it attacked the argument of the existence of God. The Da Vinci Code also says the same thing. It says that Christianity is false, and it has a bunch of stuff that goes against the Christian faith. So, why would people make a big deal about The Da Vinci Code and not on The Matrix when they say the same thing about religion? This is what I don't understand. The only difference between The Matrix and The Da Vinci Code is that The Matrix does not mention the name Jesus. However, it basically does say the same thing about Christianity as The Da Vinci Code.
What I'm basically trying to say is that it's a movie, and movies should not be taken seriously, unless its main purpose was to make people change their faith, then I would agree that this movie should be banned.
Any media that is widely broadcast is to be taken very seriously, and the more it directly attacks Our Lord Jesus Christ and our faith the more critical and dangerous it is.
Numerous "pleasing entertainment" fiction books, movies and games, some way indirectly attack our faith on different levels. Although not as acute and critical, they are no less important than this one, partly because they condition youth and adults to accept imaginary fictious facts as a replacement of the actual reality. They cause a mix-up of reality with science fiction, violence, war adventures and fantasy. With time and repetition, everything becomes blurred so deceipt is able to easily infiltrate the mind, and the mind's reaction to hardly acceptable situations, thoughts and teachings is much damped. This is against the broad but wise mind we should exercise.
I wonder: does the forename Dan actually relate to the tribe of Dan? because I read the antichrist will be from the tribe of Dan, and I think the DB book and movie are kind of intro.
I think people have over reacted to this movie/book. To a lot of people it comes off as a lack of faith if you can't entertain an idea. I could get into a big long discussion but I think that's what it comes down to.
Read all John:9. I am amazed by these great holy verses.
Quoting some verses: "22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." >>(pressure was officially exercised to deny Christ) "26Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?" >>(note how the ex-blind smartly criticises them) "35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" 36"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." 37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." 38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped Him. 39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." 40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" 41Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
People who "can see" (who read, write, understand and study) are guilty because they refuse the Lord's truth. Let us think seriously about it: would we consider this "fiction movie" made about our Lord Jesus Christ just as any other entertainment? If it were successful should they make part 2 or even part 3 sequels? a TV series? maybe it's a signed deal. God forbid: we would suffer long sad years, because what concerns the Lord is ours too, and it will reach you somehow.
If you read a fiction novel detailing people who are abused for example don't you get to think it is not a good book and it is unwise to further spoil your thoughts, or waste time reading on?
If one of our close relatives is wrongly attacked by bad gossip or any scandal wouldn't you rush to try as a good christian to remedy that situation or try to decrease its side effects? surely you would not make of it a public issue. While this is natural and expected of us sinners to behave likewise in society, how then should we react if the person wrongly under scandal is well-known to be a saint, an ascetic monk, a bishop or a holy pope? it becomes more touchy and critical.
How can you find it "entertaining", "normal", "a must read" or even acceptable to read a book or view a movie abusing the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the World? "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16)
I pray: Lord please forgive us and open our eyes some more.
look guys get ova it..u wanna watch it..ur only encouraging it..it is know to be a fictional book..but people may not take it that way..
but have u eva thought that the people that watch this movie may become closer to their religon because it will make them search for the truth in the bible...
HUH HUH ...i cant hear u..
and also.....however thinks that something ridiculous like this will threaten other peoples faith proabbly dont have enough faith in their own religon and its power and its liabiity...how can something this ridiculous souund more true than PERFECTLY expalained scripts in the bible..
but if ya wanna watch it..UR ONLY ENCOURAGING IT>>>>AND MAKING A MORE BIG FUSS (ThAN IT ALREADY IS) about the movie...something we donot WANT!!..
Well i didnt really have enough time to read all of the posts, but i saw this video yesterday that is really really good. Its made by a catholic guy/preist and it shows how totally false the divinci code is through history and biblical terms. The link is : http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6957514137139557953&q=coptic
you guys should watch it, and show it to all ur friends.
I don't know where you got your version of the Da Vinci code Maryann23, but I can assure you that Dan Brown in NO WAY has ever claimed that his book is "not historically accurate".
It actually does, i checked it out...its on the bottom left hand of the second page...i quote:
Both the Priory of Scion and Opus Dei are real organizations or sects. Beyond that, it's a book of FICTION. The contexts strictly reflects the imagination of the author. There is no bibliography of fact and places. There are no disclaimers about living or dead people, or anything that might remotely tie the book to specific facts and/or people.
so he does claim it is fictional... not that i think it justifies the movie...but theres too much contraversy over nothing. The problem is with society, everyone is so ignorant they cant distinguish fact from fiction!
Proves two things: the author deliberately meant to ignore the true fact that Our Lord Jesus Christ is God incarnate and wanted to undermine many of the fundamentals of christian faith among his readers. You should know his own statements about faith.
but theres too much contraversy over nothing
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Luke 16:10
about living or dead people
Do you believe names used in the story like: Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, and others found in history (including artists famous by their very well-known paintings) actually meant different persons? DB would have used other names.
The problem is with society, everyone is so ignorant they cant distinguish fact from fiction!
How true! But does this include churches? Since we cannot easily move mountains then I conclude we do not have enough faith, not even as big as a mustard seed.
so he does claim it is fictional... not that i think it justifies the movie
If it is fictional why then would it be unjustifiable?
Well depending on how you want to look at it, the movie can or cannot be justified. According to the constitution Dan Brown has every right to freedom of speech, he can freely express his opinion about this issue, even if it offends the minority of Christians.
For example: Even when the people in Denmark drew those cartoons with the "prophet mohammad", the muslims (according to the law) couldnt punish the people who drew/ published those caricatures because they are backed up by their constitution which enforces human rights (right to express opinion & thoughts)
If you want to look at the spiritual aspect, it is absolutely not justifiable because in a sense it’s blasphemous.
What im trying to get at here is that society doesnt look at it the way we do. All they see is a bunch of Christians getting worked up over a movie that everyone knows is fiction. Like come on ..Dan Brown think hes such a genius, by claiming to discover things about Jesus…a man who came 2000 years ago...by looking at some guys paintings..a man who came 500 years ago! It makes no sense. Any one with the least bit of logic can see that.
And if anyone is blinded by Browns claims they should read CRACKING the Da vinci code...it chews up ever single claim in that book..using historical event, the gospel, and church doctrines.
Dan Brown has quite an imagination and a talent in writing, thats it! We are the ones actually giving him all this attention and fame... by making it so contraversial we encourage everyone to go see "what all the fuss is about"
Your point is well conceited. However, isn’t the Constitution by its very framework an attempt to attribute morality girded by equity unto all men? Aren't the "unalienable rights" of every individual, rights that surpass the relativistic beliefs people may assign to each other? If freedom is truly an achievement for our nation because it expresses a moralistic value that every human should unsparingly be given (as the Constitution expounds), then it must, by definition, be founded on an Absolute Moral Law. This Moral Law must not only be immutable, but it must hold a characteristic of obligatory requirement for individuals. For if the Moral Law merely existed as independent ethereal force then one would have to construe reasons for why men should follow such a law. Yet if the Moral Law is truly dependent on a greater force that requires obligation on the part of men, then that greater force must be able to actuate justice by its own means. The only possible candidate could be an intelligent Mind and the only intelligent Mind that could exist beyond the physical dimensions and still effectuate them would necessarily be a transcendent Being (i.e.; God). Thus, without God there truly is no basis for morality, no basis for the Constitution, and no basis for the freedom to create a work like the Da Vinci Code.
Personally speaking, I'm reading the book because I need to know exactly what's in it to know how to fight against it. It's like the devil. He knows about God, he doesn't know God. He uses that info to be able to combat us in our faith. I'm doing the same thing. I'll read the book to know about it and then be able to fight against what it says and teaches.
ok, i have to clear something up, sorry if this seems harsh, it is not intended to be so. As christians we should be appalled at the theories dan brown offers, BUT we CAN NOT call him diabolical and call for the banning of the movie. We can not judge him. in the same way, we can not control the media. all we can do, as individuals, is to research the historical context of the book and understand how to disprove it. standing up for our faith does NOT in ANY way mean we are allowed to be judgmental, medieval, or blissfully ignorant as to our surroundings. we can not shut the world out, in fact to do so is unchristian. As vessels of the holy spirit, and as representatives of the church and our Lord Christ, there is a line we should not cross.
also, in regards to the so-called facts in the beginning of the book: as a student of Art History i can tell you that all "desciptions of art, architecture and organizations" is definitely not factual, neither is his chronology. 1. Council of Nicea did not debate the deity of christ, a fact long before then established by both christians and objective jewish scholars of the time. 2. Constantine did not convene the council to debate the deity of Christ 3. Da vinci was a devout catholic, he even asked for a proper christian burial in his will and offered his soul to Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. 4. Coptic scrolls were not found in the 50s, rather in 1947. 5. there are not 80+ gnostic gospels, there are only 52 6. Gnosticism was identified as heretical and wasnt taken seriously then 7. Gospel of Philip is fragmentary and when ol' Brown quotes it, he fills in words that arent there 8. Priory of Sion, did not originate in time he claims, in fact it is approximately a 100 yr difference (not sure) 9. theres more, but i have to go to sleep now ;D
Once again, Satan is launching one of his fiery darts at the core of our Christian belief. Through the Da Vinci Code novel, he is deploying his favorite cunning device that is instilling confusion and doubt in the minds of the believers.
In this paper, I will present a concise “synopsis” of the novel, followed by an outline of the false claims being asserted by the author with a response and refutation to these assertions.
II. Background
The Da Vinci Code has sold 40 million copies, and a motion picture version will hit theaters this month on May 19. The plot deals with surprising discoveries of the “true” facts about Jesus Christ and Christian history.
The story of the book which is a murder mystery novel that took place in Paris and London is built around certain “constructs” that assert the following:
Jesus was not the divine Son of God, but a mere man whose true mission and identity have been distorted.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child who escaped to France. Their descendants survive to this day.
Jesus then desired that Mary Magdalene become the leader of the church. The teachings of Christ throughout the years were revised by other men like Peter.
Jesus was turned into “God” in order to protect the Patriarchal system.
The Catholic Church along with the rest of Christianity has worked together to maintain this 2000 year cover up.
Millions throughout history have been misinformed about what Christianity truly is; and finally, these secrets have been known by a select few (such as Leonardo DaVinci, who attempted to present these facts to the world through “clues” incorporated into his paintings).
The secret of Jesus’ “True Identity” is maintained by a group known as the “Priory of Sion” that has existed since 1099. Documents found in Paris in 1975 confirm its existence.
Sir Isaac Newton and Leonardo Da Vinci were Grand Masters in this organization. III. Why is it Called Da Vinci Code? In this novel, Leonardo Da Vinci is portrayed as head of the conspiracy guarding the “truth” about Jesus Christ. He is said to have planted various codes (secret symbols) in his work, particularly in his famous painting of the Last Supper.
According to the novel, this painting depicts Jesus’ alleged wife, Mary Magdalene, next to him as a symbol of her knowledge of his true teaching.
In reality, the figure that Dan Brown identifies as Mary Magdalene is John the Evangelist, who traditionally has been regarded as the youngest of the apostles and so is often pictured in medieval art without a beard. IV. The Author
The author is Dan Brown. He is a former English teacher who has authored three previous books. Digital Fortress, Deception Point and Angels & Demons.
He claims to be a Christian-of a sort. A “Frequently Asked Questions” page on his web site www.danbrown.com contains the following exchange when asked if he is a “Christian”: "I am, although perhaps not in the most traditional sense of the word. If you ask three people what it means to be Christian, you will get three different answers. Some feel being baptized is sufficient. Others feel you must accept the Bible as immutable historical fact. Still others require a belief that all those who do not accept Christ as their personal savior are doomed to hell. We are all trying to decipher life’s big mysteries, and we’re each following our own paths of enlightenment. I consider myself a student of many religions. The more I learn, the more questions I have. For me, the spiritual quest will be a life-long work in progress." V. Why Is it So Popular? The novel has gained tremendous popularity once released because it addresses issues that feed into our culture:
Feminism Sexuality and Sexual Rituals Conspiracy Gnosticism New Age movement. Jesus is a great teacher. He is one among many this is very appealing to today’s culture. VI. Why Should We, Christians, be Concerned?
The writer goes in great lengths to convey the impression that it is based on fact. He even has a “FACT” page at the front of the book, one page ahead of his prologue, where he states, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate."
The book also states, “Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false” (p. 235).
Therefore, the concern stems from the author’s claim that the Da Vinci Code is based on “fact.” Though the book is a novel, its content distorts the core teachings of our Christian faith. For us, Christians, if the truth about our Savior isn’t worth defending, what is?
VII. Claims Attacking the Core of Our Christian Faith
Below are some of the claims promoted by the book that clearly attack the core of our Christian Faith: Jesus was viewed as man and not as God until the fourth century, when he was deified by the emperor Constantine. Until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet… a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal… By officially endorsing Jesus as the Son of God, Constantine turned Jesus into a deity (p.233).
Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and they both had a daughter. Mary Magdalene was pregnant at the time of the crucifixion. For the safety of Christ’s unborn child, she had no choice but to flee the Holy Land… It was there in France that she gave birth to a daughter. Her name was Sarah (p.255).
The Gospels as we know it today is based on false testimonies and fabrications.
The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God… The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great (p. 231).
The New Testament is false testimony (p 345).
The New Testament is based on fabrications (p 341). VIII. Response and Refutations
In summary, throughout his novel, Brown is attacking 2 core issues: a) The Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. b) The Authenticity of the Holy Bible. Below we will provide concise answers to the above mentioned allegations.
Christ is deified by Constantine in the 4th Century. Constantine had called the Council together to settle a dispute that had taken place when Arius, an Alexandrian priest, began to deny the divinity of Christ. It was the bishops of the Council of Nicea led by our 20th Pope, St Athanasius, who reaffirmed the historic Christian position against Arius and his followers.
Additionally, Christ’s divinity is stressed repeatedly in countless passages in the New Testament which precedes the time of Constantine the Great by more than 200 years. To name a few examples: Matthew 1:23, 28:18-20 Mark 2:5-7 and Isaiah 43:25 Luke 5:21, 22:70 John 1:1, 5:23, 17:5, 20:28 Philippians 2 Colossians 1:15, 2:9 Titus 2:13 Hebrews 1:8 Jude 25 Revelation 1:17-18
There are also affirmations of Jesus’ deity in the writings of the Ante Nicene church fathers. To cite few examples: Justin Martyr (100-165 AD): "...the Father of the universe has a Son; who being the logos and First-begotten is also God" (First Apology 63:15). Irenaeus (130-200 AD): (referencing Jesus) "...in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Savior, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, . . ." (Against Heresies I, x, 1) Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD): "Both as God and as man, the Lord renders us every kind of help and service. As God He forgives sin, as man He educates us to avoid sin completely" (Christ the Educator, chapter 3.1) Tertullian (150-225 AD): "...the only God has also a Son, his Word who has proceeded from himself, by whom all things were made and without whom nothing has been made: that this was sent by the Father into the virgin and was born of her both man and God. Son of Man, Son of God, ..." (Against Praxeas, 2).
Jesus Married Mary Magdalene and They Both Had a Daughter To support his claim, Brown appeals to two of the Gnostic (Apocryphal) Gospels: The Gospel of Philip and The Gospel of Mary. These 2 gospels, among many more, have been rejected by the early Church Fathers for their unorthodox content regarding the message of the “Good News”. They are considered non-canonical and heretical.
What is intriguing is that even these Apocryphal gospels do not claim that Christ was married to Mary Magdalene. This was a personal interpretation of the author to add some zest to his novel.
Once again Brown offers his own interpretation of the gospel of Philip. On page 246, the excerpt reads: “the companion of the Savior is Mary Magdalene”He claims that the Aramaic word for “companion” literally meant “spouse.” That is not true according to Aramaic scholars. And, even more importantly, the Gnostic gospel of Phillip was not written in Aramaic. It was written in Coptic!!!!!
Moreover, the authors of the New Testament regularly depict the Church as “the bride of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:21-33; Rev. 21:9-10). This metaphor would never have developed if a flesh-and-blood “Mrs. Jesus” was living down the street. Only if Christ was celibate would the Church have come to be depicted metaphorically as his bride.
The Gospel is Based on False Testimony and Fabrications The Bible is not the product of man but is rather God inspired. Biblical inspiration may be defined as God’s superintending of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities and writing styles under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the result being a perfect and errorless recording of the exact message God desired to give to man.
"For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
There are more than 5,000 different ancient Greek manuscripts containing all the New Testament that have survived to our time. These are written on different materials.
Chester Beatty Papyri contains most of the NT writings is dated AD 250.
Older Papyrii, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Siniaticus
The Bodmer Papyri contains most of John and dates AD 200.
Rylands Papyri found in Egypt, containing a fragment of John and dates AD 130. In 2 Peter 1:16 we read, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."
Additionally, the entire New Testament can be reconstructed from quotations in the writings of the Early (Ante – Nicene) Church Fathers (AD 95 – 400) * Writer Gospels Acts Pauline Catholic Revelation Totals Justin Martyr 268 10 43 6 3 330 Irenaeus 1,038 194 499 23 65 1,819 Clement of Alexandria 1,107 44 1,127 207 11 2,496 Origen 9,231 349 7,778 399 165 17,922 Terullian 3,822 502 2,609 120 205 7,258 Hippolytus 734 42 387 27 188 1,378 Eusebius 3,258 211 1,592 88 27 5,176 Grand Totals 19,368 1,352 14,035 870 664 36,289
Last Word...How Did We Obtain the Holy Bible as we know it today?
It was precisely when certain writings appeared claiming to be Apostolic, but were unrecognized by the Church as authentic, that efforts were made to make “an approval list” that is the “canon” of the New Testament.
Between 170 A.D. and 220 A.D. the four Gospels and Saint Paul’s epistles were formally recognized as “canonical”, and within a century after that, the New Testament as we know it today was formally recognized as the “canonical text”. It should be noted that what made the books canonical was their inspiration by the Holy Spirit and their use in the life of the early Church as “inspired text”.
This acknowledgement of an official “canon” might never had taken place if other writings had not appeared which claimed to be written by Apostles but were unknown to the Church in its worship and teaching. These false books are the books referred to by some as the “Lost Books of The Bible” or “Apocrypha”.
The majority of these Apocryphal books were intended to distort the message of the Christ. These deceptive writings were tainted by the heresy of “Gnosticism”.
In summary, the Holy Bible was written BY the Church and IN the Church and FOR the Church within the confinement of Holy Tradition. Consequently, it is the Church which recognizes what is canonical through its use in her worship and teaching. The Holy Bible and Church are inseparable. IX. Which Came First?
THIS CLASSIC RIDDLE (“which came first: the chicken or the egg?”) is very much to the point here.
It should be apparent that the Church long precedes the Bible as an integral collection of books.
Thus, it is quite certain that the Church founded by Our Lord was not “based on the Bible.” The Church created by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost had no Bible as we know it… and didn’t have to have it to be truly the Church.
We can say if every single copy of the Bible in existence were destroyed, the effect upon the Church would be minimal (although the context in which such an event could occur might not be!).
But the converse is not true. If there were no Church [but we are assured this will never come to pass… “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her” (Matt 16:18)], the Bible would not be sufficient to provide what is needed for our salvation.
If we doubt the truth of this, consider what happens when people attempt to create their own “churches” based upon their own, private interpretations of the Holy Scriptures. X. Conclusion
Let’s accept the challenge that this book / movie presents to us. Let’s take what could be a detriment to the church, and turn it around to become an opportunity to share the Truth about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
These attacks and allegations concerning the divinity of Our Lord and the authenticity of the Holy Scriptures are not foreign to the Church. It is just another fiery dart from Satan (Eph 6:16) attacking the Bride of Christ (Rev 21:9) However, we, Her beloved children, should not be “ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor 2:11) but instead we should “resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Pet 5:9) by putting on the full armor of God (Eph 6:11) knowing that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her (Mat 16:18)
My beloved brothers and sisters, let us “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Cor 16:13). Let us transform this fiery dart into a blessing in disguise by becoming well grounded in “the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation” (Eph 1:13). As it is inspired by The Holy Spirit, canonized by the Church, lived by the saints and interpreted by the fathers.
It's sort of like how Christians read the Koran. They read the Koran so they know what kind of things people are reading out there, and so they would be more knowledgable of this world and research some things more, and it will make you a better Christian and even strengthen your faith. Also, for a sunday school teacher, it is really important to read these kinds of books, because I'm sure that one of your kids will read the book and will come up to you and ask you about it. The most knowledgable servants in the church research everything, including every kind of faith out there so they know more about this world. Similarily, we should read this book so we can research it and learn more about our faith.
A book this popular should be read so that we know what we are up against and so we don't look ignorant when approached by someone with some questions. We Christians should read this book so we can tell the world how the things that are written in this book is simply wrong. End Of Esakls23's post
Start Of PopeKyrillos's Post
Ok i definately have to say your convincing. I think ure right about a couple of things. Yes, Christians do read the koran because they want to know waht it says. I kno Abouna Antonious from Texas has a degree in the theology of Islam, like he took a class on islam and read the entire koran. So wahts the difference between reading the koran and reading the Da Vinci code/ or watching the movie? I think by reading this book, we as christians become more knowledgable about the world. I personally haven't read the book or watched the movie, but right off waht i heard i don't believe in waht it says, i believe the book is fiction. Say a random person like american or something came up to you and said waht do you think about This book? And then we start saying it's dumb, it's so not true, it's blaspheming the holy spirit etc..... So then the guy asks you, have you read the book? And you say no i haven't, now imagine how bad were gonna look. So ya i'm not saying don't judge a book by it's cover because i already kno this book is bad. but i think that we should read the book thinking it's bad so then if someone asks us if we've read the book we can respond and say yes i've read the book and i think it's all nonsense. What do you guys think?
[quote author=PopeKyrillos link=board=12;threadid=3752;start=75#msg57187 date=1151947860] Ok i definately have to say your convincing. I think ure right about a couple of things. Yes, Christians do read the koran because they want to know waht it says. I kno Abouna Antonious from Texas has a degree in the theology of Islam, like he took a class on islam and read the entire koran. So wahts the difference between reading the koran and reading the Da Vinci code/ or watching the movie? I think by reading this book, we as christians become more knowledgable about the world. I personally haven't read the book or watched the movie, but right off waht i heard i don't believe in waht it says, i believe the book is fiction. Say a random person like american or something came up to you and said waht do you think about This book? And then we start saying it's dumb, it's so not true, it's blaspheming the holy spirit etc..... So then the guy asks you, have you read the book? And you say no i haven't, now imagine how bad were gonna look. So ya i'm not saying don't judge a book by it's cover because i already kno this book is bad. but i think that we should read the book thinking it's bad so then if someone asks us if we've read the book we can respond and say yes i've read the book and i think it's all nonsense. What do you guys think?
I agree, but I think one has to be careful at the same time. A person who is strong in his faith and is well educated in matters of theology can read the Qur'an and Islamic books without any problems - if anything it will be to their benefit since they can defend the Christian faith against Muslim missionaries.
However, a person who is not strong in the faith might start reading the Qur'an simply because they want to learn about Islam, but ,because they're ignorant about doctrinal issues, they will get affected by the what the Qur'an says about Christianity and begin to have serious doubts. And once those doubts are there, they do not go away easily - even after you are able to explain things.
Doubt is like fear - irrational. People often feel scared when they're in a dark room, but fine when the light's on. In reality, if there really were monsters under their bed, they would be no safer if the light was on - and no matter how many times they check every inch of the room and make sure no one's there, they're still scared when the light goes out.
In the same way, no matter how well someone answers your questions, the doubts you have in your mind often stay there regardlessly. And so its important that people are not subjected to things which will cause such doubts.
I've seen the movie of the Da Vinci Code. Blasphemy aside, its not a bad story. The way Dan Brown manages to use artworks, historic buildings, etc. is actually quite impressive.
Personally, I know enough about the Council of Nicea, St Constantine, Opus Dei, etc. to watch this movie without it doing me any harm so to speak. But I think there are many aspects of the film that would bring doubts to the minds of those who did not know much about such issues - especially young audiences. And so I would recommend that they stay away from this film until they have read about the subjects involved.
Luke 17 1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
[quote author=PopeKyrillos link=board=12;threadid=3752;start=75#msg57187 date=1151947860] It's sort of like how Christians read the Koran. They read the Koran so they know what kind of things people are reading out there, and so they would be more knowledgable of this world and research some things more, and it will make you a better Christian and even strengthen your faith.
That's exactly what I mean. We might not agree with what we read there, but it gives us the facts we need to be able to defend our faith against anyone who challenges it.
you guys have got to be kidding me!!! watching and reading a book/movie that our church totally doesnt want us even talking about!!! i dont mean to sound harsh, but seriously why would you support people who are messing around with our religion and beliefs?!?!?! please message me if you think im crazy, but our preist at my church had mannnyy lectures about this topic and doesnt want us supporting it at alllllllll.
Bishop Serapion and Orthodox 11 have really said all that anyone needs to know about this rather silly book and the rather poor film made from it.
Anyone notice it now? No, I thought not, gone away - another sensationalist book. But isn't it odd how these books seek to exploit Christianity; when did you last read a similar take on the Koran?
It is a sign of the vitality and centrality of Christianity that authors out to make a quick buck do it on the back of the world's most widespread religion; moreover, Brown and co. know we are not going to take out a fatwa against him or try to blow him up or something. We don't do that; we know that in two thousand years (unless He comes again before then) Christians will still be reading the Bible and finding in it the means of their salvation. No one will be reading Mr. Brown. Indeed, even a few months on, one wonders if anyone much is bothering.
Should you read it? Well, if you have time to waste, do something more useful with it. The film, which I have seen on DVD is so truly dreadful and tedious that I could not get to the end of it. Tom Hanks is a good actor, but the script and the lines are so bad that not even he could bring it to life. Watch that film or watch pain drying? Well, paint dries more speedily and won't send you to sleep; and you can pray whilst you do it; that will be the paint for me then.
Comments
I don't belive it's a big deal reading it.. as long as you treat it as a fictional book.
+God Bless
In His Name
If you look at the movie The Matrix, the whole movie pretty much says that everything around you is fake and it's all in your head. This would imply that there is no such thing as a God, and would of course mean that Christianity and every other religion out there is false. However, no one was against it and there was no controversy surrounding it, and in fact, a lot of people loved the movie, although one could make the argument that it attacked the argument of the existence of God.
The Da Vinci Code also says the same thing. It says that Christianity is false, and it has a bunch of stuff that goes against the Christian faith. So, why would people make a big deal about The Da Vinci Code and not on The Matrix when they say the same thing about religion? This is what I don't understand.
The only difference between The Matrix and The Da Vinci Code is that The Matrix does not mention the name Jesus. However, it basically does say the same thing about Christianity as The Da Vinci Code.
What I'm basically trying to say is that it's a movie, and movies should not be taken seriously, unless its main purpose was to make people change their faith, then I would agree that this movie should be banned.
Numerous "pleasing entertainment" fiction books, movies and games, some way indirectly attack our faith on different levels. Although not as acute and critical, they are no less important than this one, partly because they condition youth and adults to accept imaginary fictious facts as a replacement of the actual reality. They cause a mix-up of reality with science fiction, violence, war adventures and fantasy. With time and repetition, everything becomes blurred so deceipt is able to easily infiltrate the mind, and the mind's reaction to hardly acceptable situations, thoughts and teachings is much damped. This is against the broad but wise mind we should exercise.
I wonder: does the forename Dan actually relate to the tribe of Dan? because I read the antichrist will be from the tribe of Dan, and I think the DB book and movie are kind of intro.
Quoting some verses:
"22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
>>(pressure was officially exercised to deny Christ)
"26Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?"
>>(note how the ex-blind smartly criticises them)
"35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
36"Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him."
37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you."
38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped Him.
39Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
40Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?"
41Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
People who "can see" (who read, write, understand and study) are guilty because they refuse the Lord's truth. Let us think seriously about it: would we consider this "fiction movie" made about our Lord Jesus Christ just as any other entertainment? If it were successful should they make part 2 or even part 3 sequels? a TV series? maybe it's a signed deal. God forbid: we would suffer long sad years, because what concerns the Lord is ours too, and it will reach you somehow.
If you read a fiction novel detailing people who are abused for example don't you get to think it is not a good book and it is unwise to further spoil your thoughts, or waste time reading on?
If one of our close relatives is wrongly attacked by bad gossip or any scandal wouldn't you rush to try as a good christian to remedy that situation or try to decrease its side effects? surely you would not make of it a public issue. While this is natural and expected of us sinners to behave likewise in society, how then should we react if the person wrongly under scandal is well-known to be a saint, an ascetic monk, a bishop or a holy pope? it becomes more touchy and critical.
How can you find it "entertaining", "normal", "a must read" or even acceptable to read a book or view a movie abusing the Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the World? "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." (John 1:16)
I pray: Lord please forgive us and open our eyes some more.
but have u eva thought that the people that watch this movie may become closer to their religon because it will make them search for the truth in the bible...
HUH HUH ...i cant hear u..
and also.....however thinks that something ridiculous like this will threaten other peoples faith proabbly dont have enough faith in their own religon and its power and its liabiity...how can something this ridiculous souund more true than PERFECTLY expalained scripts in the bible..
but if ya wanna watch it..UR ONLY ENCOURAGING IT>>>>AND MAKING A MORE BIG FUSS (ThAN IT ALREADY IS) about the movie...something we donot WANT!!..
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6957514137139557953&q=coptic
you guys should watch it, and show it to all ur friends.
[quote author=Maryann23_©oP† link=board=12;threadid=3752;start=15#msg53726 date=1146447845]
I dont get the big deal with this dumb book, its FULLY under fictional. Dan Brown himself said what's written is not historically accurate. Its a book for amusement, nothing else. If people are gunna bother to read the ENTIRE book, I hope they dont miss the first page in which it CLEARLY states, its all fiction (ie. a load of pooop)
I don't know where you got your version of the Da Vinci code Maryann23, but I can assure you that Dan Brown in NO WAY has ever claimed that his book is "not historically accurate".
It actually does, i checked it out...its on the bottom left hand of the second page...i quote:
Both the Priory of Scion and Opus Dei are real organizations or sects. Beyond that, it's a book of FICTION. The contexts strictly reflects the imagination of the author. There is no bibliography of fact and places. There are no disclaimers about living or dead people, or anything that might remotely tie the book to specific facts and/or people.
so he does claim it is fictional... not that i think it justifies the movie...but theres too much contraversy over nothing. The problem is with society, everyone is so ignorant they cant distinguish fact from fiction!
Since we cannot easily move mountains then I conclude we do not have enough faith, not even as big as a mustard seed. If it is fictional why then would it be unjustifiable?
For example: Even when the people in Denmark drew those cartoons with the "prophet mohammad", the muslims (according to the law) couldnt punish the people who drew/ published those caricatures because they are backed up by their constitution which enforces human rights (right to express opinion & thoughts)
If you want to look at the spiritual aspect, it is absolutely not justifiable because in a sense it’s blasphemous.
What im trying to get at here is that society doesnt look at it the way we do. All they see is a bunch of Christians getting worked up over a movie that everyone knows is fiction. Like come on ..Dan Brown think hes such a genius, by claiming to discover things about Jesus…a man who came 2000 years ago...by looking at some guys paintings..a man who came 500 years ago! It makes no sense. Any one with the least bit of logic can see that.
And if anyone is blinded by Browns claims they should read CRACKING the Da vinci code...it chews up ever single claim in that book..using historical event, the gospel, and church doctrines.
Dan Brown has quite an imagination and a talent in writing, thats it! We are the ones actually giving him all this attention and fame... by making it so contraversial we encourage everyone to go see "what all the fuss is about"
This Moral Law must not only be immutable, but it must hold a characteristic of obligatory requirement for individuals. For if the Moral Law merely existed as independent ethereal force then one would have to construe reasons for why men should follow such a law. Yet if the Moral Law is truly dependent on a greater force that requires obligation on the part of men, then that greater force must be able to actuate justice by its own means. The only possible candidate could be an intelligent Mind and the only intelligent Mind that could exist beyond the physical dimensions and still effectuate them would necessarily be a transcendent Being (i.e.; God). Thus, without God there truly is no basis for morality, no basis for the Constitution, and no basis for the freedom to create a work like the Da Vinci Code.
God Bless.
Sleepy
As christians we should be appalled at the theories dan brown offers, BUT we CAN NOT call him diabolical and call for the banning of the movie. We can not judge him. in the same way, we can not control the media. all we can do, as individuals, is to research the historical context of the book and understand how to disprove it. standing up for our faith does NOT in ANY way mean we are allowed to be judgmental, medieval, or blissfully ignorant as to our surroundings. we can not shut the world out, in fact to do so is unchristian. As vessels of the holy spirit, and as representatives of the church and our Lord Christ, there is a line we should not cross.
also, in regards to the so-called facts in the beginning of the book: as a student of Art History i can tell you that all "desciptions of art, architecture and organizations" is definitely not factual, neither is his chronology.
1. Council of Nicea did not debate the deity of christ, a fact long before then established by both christians and objective jewish scholars of the time.
2. Constantine did not convene the council to debate the deity of Christ
3. Da vinci was a devout catholic, he even asked for a proper christian burial in his will and offered his soul to Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.
4. Coptic scrolls were not found in the 50s, rather in 1947.
5. there are not 80+ gnostic gospels, there are only 52
6. Gnosticism was identified as heretical and wasnt taken seriously then
7. Gospel of Philip is fragmentary and when ol' Brown quotes it, he fills in words that arent there
8. Priory of Sion, did not originate in time he claims, in fact it is approximately a 100 yr difference (not sure)
9. theres more, but i have to go to sleep now ;D
by Bishop Serapion
I. Introduction
Once again, Satan is launching one of his fiery darts at the core of our Christian belief. Through the Da Vinci Code novel, he is deploying his favorite cunning device that is instilling confusion and doubt in the minds of the believers.
In this paper, I will present a concise “synopsis” of the novel, followed by an outline of the false claims being asserted by the author with a response and refutation to these assertions.
II. Background
The Da Vinci Code has sold 40 million copies, and a motion picture version will hit theaters this month on May 19. The plot deals with surprising discoveries of the “true” facts about Jesus Christ and Christian history.
The story of the book which is a murder mystery novel that took place in Paris and London is built around certain “constructs” that assert the following:
Jesus was not the divine Son of God, but a mere man whose true mission and identity have been distorted.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had a child who escaped to France. Their descendants survive to this day.
Jesus then desired that Mary Magdalene become the leader of the church. The teachings of Christ throughout the years were revised by other men like Peter.
Jesus was turned into “God” in order to protect the Patriarchal system.
The Catholic Church along with the rest of Christianity has worked together to maintain this 2000 year cover up.
Millions throughout history have been misinformed about what Christianity truly is; and finally, these secrets have been known by a select few (such as Leonardo DaVinci, who attempted to present these facts to the world through “clues” incorporated into his paintings).
The secret of Jesus’ “True Identity” is maintained by a group known as the “Priory of Sion” that has existed since 1099. Documents found in Paris in 1975 confirm its existence.
Sir Isaac Newton and Leonardo Da Vinci were Grand Masters in this organization.
III. Why is it Called Da Vinci Code?
In this novel, Leonardo Da Vinci is portrayed as head of the conspiracy guarding the “truth” about Jesus Christ. He is said to have planted various codes (secret symbols) in his work, particularly in his famous painting of the Last Supper.
According to the novel, this painting depicts Jesus’ alleged wife, Mary Magdalene, next to him as a symbol of her knowledge of his true teaching.
In reality, the figure that Dan Brown identifies as Mary Magdalene is John the Evangelist, who traditionally has been regarded as the youngest of the apostles and so is often pictured in medieval art without a beard.
IV. The Author
The author is Dan Brown. He is a former English teacher who has authored three previous books. Digital Fortress, Deception Point and Angels & Demons.
He claims to be a Christian-of a sort. A “Frequently Asked Questions” page on his web site www.danbrown.com contains the following exchange when asked if he is a “Christian”:
"I am, although perhaps not in the most traditional sense of the word. If you ask three people what it means to be Christian, you will get three different answers. Some feel being baptized is sufficient. Others feel you must accept the Bible as immutable historical fact. Still others require a belief that all those who do not accept Christ as their personal savior are doomed to hell. We are all trying to decipher life’s big mysteries, and we’re each following our own paths of enlightenment. I consider myself a student of many religions. The more I learn, the more questions I have. For me, the spiritual quest will be a life-long work in progress."
V. Why Is it So Popular?
The novel has gained tremendous popularity once released because it addresses issues that feed into our culture:
Feminism
Sexuality and Sexual Rituals
Conspiracy
Gnosticism
New Age movement. Jesus is a great teacher. He is one among many this is very appealing to today’s culture.
VI. Why Should We, Christians, be Concerned?
The writer goes in great lengths to convey the impression that it is based on fact. He even has a “FACT” page at the front of the book, one page ahead of his prologue, where he states, “All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate."
The book also states, “Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false” (p. 235).
Therefore, the concern stems from the author’s claim that the Da Vinci Code is based on “fact.” Though the book is a novel, its content distorts the core teachings of our Christian faith. For us, Christians, if the truth about our Savior isn’t worth defending, what is?
VII. Claims Attacking the Core of Our Christian Faith
Below are some of the claims promoted by the book that clearly attack the core of our Christian Faith:
Jesus was viewed as man and not as God until the fourth century, when he was deified by the emperor Constantine.
Until that moment in history, Jesus was viewed by His followers as a mortal prophet… a great and powerful man, but a man nonetheless. A mortal… By officially endorsing Jesus as the Son of God, Constantine turned Jesus into a deity (p.233).
Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene and they both had a daughter.
Mary Magdalene was pregnant at the time of the crucifixion. For the safety of Christ’s unborn child, she had no choice but to flee the Holy Land… It was there in France that she gave birth to a daughter. Her name was Sarah (p.255).
The Gospels as we know it today is based on false testimonies and fabrications.
The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God… The Bible, as we know it today, was collated by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great (p. 231).
The New Testament is false testimony (p 345).
The New Testament is based on fabrications (p 341).
VIII. Response and Refutations
In summary, throughout his novel, Brown is attacking 2 core issues:
a) The Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
b) The Authenticity of the Holy Bible.
Below we will provide concise answers to the above mentioned allegations.
Christ is deified by Constantine in the 4th Century.
Constantine had called the Council together to settle a dispute that had taken place when Arius, an Alexandrian priest, began to deny the divinity of Christ. It was the bishops of the Council of Nicea led by our 20th Pope, St Athanasius, who reaffirmed the historic Christian position against Arius and his followers.
Additionally, Christ’s divinity is stressed repeatedly in countless passages in the New Testament which precedes the time of Constantine the Great by more than 200 years. To name a few examples:
Matthew 1:23, 28:18-20
Mark 2:5-7 and Isaiah 43:25
Luke 5:21, 22:70
John 1:1, 5:23, 17:5, 20:28
Philippians 2
Colossians 1:15, 2:9
Titus 2:13
Hebrews 1:8
Jude 25
Revelation 1:17-18
There are also affirmations of Jesus’ deity in the writings of the Ante Nicene church fathers. To cite few examples:
Justin Martyr (100-165 AD): "...the Father of the universe has a Son; who being the logos and First-begotten is also God" (First Apology 63:15).
Irenaeus (130-200 AD): (referencing Jesus) "...in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Savior, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, . . ." (Against Heresies I, x, 1)
Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD): "Both as God and as man, the Lord renders us every kind of help and service. As God He forgives sin, as man He educates us to avoid sin completely" (Christ the Educator, chapter 3.1)
Tertullian (150-225 AD): "...the only God has also a Son, his Word who has proceeded from himself, by whom all things were made and without whom nothing has been made: that this was sent by the Father into the virgin and was born of her both man and God. Son of Man, Son of God, ..." (Against Praxeas, 2).
Jesus Married Mary Magdalene and They Both Had a Daughter
To support his claim, Brown appeals to two of the Gnostic (Apocryphal) Gospels: The Gospel of Philip and The Gospel of Mary. These 2 gospels, among many more, have been rejected by the early Church Fathers for their unorthodox content regarding the message of the “Good News”. They are considered non-canonical and heretical.
What is intriguing is that even these Apocryphal gospels do not claim that Christ was married to Mary Magdalene. This was a personal interpretation of the author to add some zest to his novel.
Once again Brown offers his own interpretation of the gospel of Philip. On page 246, the excerpt reads: “the companion of the Savior is Mary Magdalene”He claims that the Aramaic word for “companion” literally meant “spouse.” That is not true according to Aramaic scholars. And, even more importantly, the Gnostic gospel of Phillip was not written in Aramaic. It was written in Coptic!!!!!
Moreover, the authors of the New Testament regularly depict the Church as “the bride of Christ” (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:21-33; Rev. 21:9-10). This metaphor would never have developed if a flesh-and-blood “Mrs. Jesus” was living down the street. Only if Christ was celibate would the Church have come to be depicted metaphorically as his bride.
The Gospel is Based on False Testimony and Fabrications
The Bible is not the product of man but is rather God inspired. Biblical inspiration may be defined as God’s superintending of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities and writing styles under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the result being a perfect and errorless recording of the exact message God desired to give to man.
"For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
There are more than 5,000 different ancient Greek manuscripts containing all the New Testament that have survived to our time. These are written on different materials.
Chester Beatty Papyri contains most of the NT writings is dated AD 250.
Older Papyrii, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Siniaticus
The Bodmer Papyri contains most of John and dates AD 200.
Rylands Papyri found in Egypt, containing a fragment of John and dates AD 130.
In 2 Peter 1:16 we read, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."
Additionally, the entire New Testament can be reconstructed from quotations in the writings of the Early (Ante – Nicene) Church Fathers (AD 95 – 400) *
Writer Gospels Acts Pauline Catholic Revelation Totals
Justin Martyr 268 10 43 6 3 330
Irenaeus 1,038 194 499 23 65 1,819
Clement of Alexandria 1,107 44 1,127 207 11 2,496
Origen 9,231 349 7,778 399 165 17,922
Terullian 3,822 502 2,609 120 205 7,258
Hippolytus 734 42 387 27 188 1,378
Eusebius 3,258 211 1,592 88 27 5,176
Grand Totals 19,368 1,352 14,035 870 664 36,289
Last Word...How Did We Obtain the Holy Bible as we know it today?
It was precisely when certain writings appeared claiming to be Apostolic, but were unrecognized by the Church as authentic, that efforts were made to make “an approval list” that is the “canon” of the New Testament.
Between 170 A.D. and 220 A.D. the four Gospels and Saint Paul’s epistles were formally recognized as “canonical”, and within a century after that, the New Testament as we know it today was formally recognized as the “canonical text”. It should be noted that what made the books canonical was their inspiration by the Holy Spirit and their use in the life of the early Church as “inspired text”.
This acknowledgement of an official “canon” might never had taken place if other writings had not appeared which claimed to be written by Apostles but were unknown to the Church in its worship and teaching. These false books are the books referred to by some as the “Lost Books of The Bible” or “Apocrypha”.
The majority of these Apocryphal books were intended to distort the message of the Christ. These deceptive writings were tainted by the heresy of “Gnosticism”.
In summary, the Holy Bible was written BY the Church and IN the Church and FOR the Church within the confinement of Holy Tradition. Consequently, it is the Church which recognizes what is canonical through its use in her worship and teaching. The Holy Bible and Church are inseparable.
IX. Which Came First?
THIS CLASSIC RIDDLE (“which came first: the chicken or the egg?”) is very much to the point here.
It should be apparent that the Church long precedes the Bible as an integral collection of books.
Thus, it is quite certain that the Church founded by Our Lord was not “based on the Bible.” The Church created by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost had no Bible as we know it… and didn’t have to have it to be truly the Church.
We can say if every single copy of the Bible in existence were destroyed, the effect upon the Church would be minimal (although the context in which such an event could occur might not be!).
But the converse is not true. If there were no Church [but we are assured this will never come to pass… “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her” (Matt 16:18)], the Bible would not be sufficient to provide what is needed for our salvation.
If we doubt the truth of this, consider what happens when people attempt to create their own “churches” based upon their own, private interpretations of the Holy Scriptures.
X. Conclusion
Let’s accept the challenge that this book / movie presents to us. Let’s take what could be a detriment to the church, and turn it around to become an opportunity to share the Truth about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
These attacks and allegations concerning the divinity of Our Lord and the authenticity of the Holy Scriptures are not foreign to the Church. It is just another fiery dart from Satan (Eph 6:16) attacking the Bride of Christ (Rev 21:9) However, we, Her beloved children, should not be “ignorant of his devices” (2 Cor 2:11) but instead we should “resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Pet 5:9) by putting on the full armor of God (Eph 6:11) knowing that the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her (Mat 16:18)
My beloved brothers and sisters, let us “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” (1 Cor 16:13). Let us transform this fiery dart into a blessing in disguise by becoming well grounded in “the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation” (Eph 1:13).
As it is inspired by The Holy Spirit, canonized by the Church, lived by the saints and interpreted by the fathers.
sorry if it was long,pray for me,
mary
Sleepy
A book this popular should be read so that we know what we are up against and so we don't look ignorant when approached by someone with some questions. We Christians should read this book so we can tell the world how the things that are written in this book is simply wrong. End Of Esakls23's post
Start Of PopeKyrillos's Post
Ok i definately have to say your convincing. I think ure right about a couple of things. Yes, Christians do read the koran because they want to know waht it says. I kno Abouna Antonious from Texas has a degree in the theology of Islam, like he took a class on islam and read the entire koran. So wahts the difference between reading the koran and reading the Da Vinci code/ or watching the movie? I think by reading this book, we as christians become more knowledgable about the world. I personally haven't read the book or watched the movie, but right off waht i heard i don't believe in waht it says, i believe the book is fiction. Say a random person like american or something came up to you and said waht do you think about This book? And then we start saying it's dumb, it's so not true, it's blaspheming the holy spirit etc..... So then the guy asks you, have you read the book? And you say no i haven't, now imagine how bad were gonna look. So ya i'm not saying don't judge a book by it's cover because i already kno this book is bad. but i think that we should read the book thinking it's bad so then if someone asks us if we've read the book we can respond and say yes i've read the book and i think it's all nonsense. What do you guys think?
Ok i definately have to say your convincing. I think ure right about a couple of things. Yes, Christians do read the koran because they want to know waht it says. I kno Abouna Antonious from Texas has a degree in the theology of Islam, like he took a class on islam and read the entire koran. So wahts the difference between reading the koran and reading the Da Vinci code/ or watching the movie? I think by reading this book, we as christians become more knowledgable about the world. I personally haven't read the book or watched the movie, but right off waht i heard i don't believe in waht it says, i believe the book is fiction. Say a random person like american or something came up to you and said waht do you think about This book? And then we start saying it's dumb, it's so not true, it's blaspheming the holy spirit etc..... So then the guy asks you, have you read the book? And you say no i haven't, now imagine how bad were gonna look. So ya i'm not saying don't judge a book by it's cover because i already kno this book is bad. but i think that we should read the book thinking it's bad so then if someone asks us if we've read the book we can respond and say yes i've read the book and i think it's all nonsense. What do you guys think?
I agree, but I think one has to be careful at the same time. A person who is strong in his faith and is well educated in matters of theology can read the Qur'an and Islamic books without any problems - if anything it will be to their benefit since they can defend the Christian faith against Muslim missionaries.
However, a person who is not strong in the faith might start reading the Qur'an simply because they want to learn about Islam, but ,because they're ignorant about doctrinal issues, they will get affected by the what the Qur'an says about Christianity and begin to have serious doubts. And once those doubts are there, they do not go away easily - even after you are able to explain things.
Doubt is like fear - irrational. People often feel scared when they're in a dark room, but fine when the light's on. In reality, if there really were monsters under their bed, they would be no safer if the light was on - and no matter how many times they check every inch of the room and make sure no one's there, they're still scared when the light goes out.
In the same way, no matter how well someone answers your questions, the doubts you have in your mind often stay there regardlessly. And so its important that people are not subjected to things which will cause such doubts.
I've seen the movie of the Da Vinci Code. Blasphemy aside, its not a bad story. The way Dan Brown manages to use artworks, historic buildings, etc. is actually quite impressive.
Personally, I know enough about the Council of Nicea, St Constantine, Opus Dei, etc. to watch this movie without it doing me any harm so to speak. But I think there are many aspects of the film that would bring doubts to the minds of those who did not know much about such issues - especially young audiences. And so I would recommend that they stay away from this film until they have read about the subjects involved.
Luke 17
1 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
It's sort of like how Christians read the Koran. They read the Koran so they know what kind of things people are reading out there, and so they would be more knowledgable of this world and research some things more, and it will make you a better Christian and even strengthen your faith.
That's exactly what I mean. We might not agree with what we read there, but it gives us the facts we need to be able to defend our faith against anyone who challenges it.
Sleepy
Bishop Serapion and Orthodox 11 have really said all that anyone needs to know about this rather silly book and the rather poor film made from it.
Anyone notice it now? No, I thought not, gone away - another sensationalist book. But isn't it odd how these books seek to exploit Christianity; when did you last read a similar take on the Koran?
It is a sign of the vitality and centrality of Christianity that authors out to make a quick buck do it on the back of the world's most widespread religion; moreover, Brown and co. know we are not going to take out a fatwa against him or try to blow him up or something. We don't do that; we know that in two thousand years (unless He comes again before then) Christians will still be reading the Bible and finding in it the means of their salvation. No one will be reading Mr. Brown. Indeed, even a few months on, one wonders if anyone much is bothering.
Should you read it? Well, if you have time to waste, do something more useful with it. The film, which I have seen on DVD is so truly dreadful and tedious that I could not get to the end of it. Tom Hanks is a good actor, but the script and the lines are so bad that not even he could bring it to life. Watch that film or watch pain drying? Well, paint dries more speedily and won't send you to sleep; and you can pray whilst you do it; that will be the paint for me then.
In Christ,
John