I Don't Get It.

[badstar]

The Da Vinci Code.

What's the big deal.

Why is it any worse than any other piece of badly-researched fiction?

Disclaimer: I have not read the book. By saying "why is it any worse than any other piece of badly-reasearched fiction?", I mean "Why do you (you being those who decry it so loudly as The Sum Of All Evil) consider it any worse than any other piece of fiction that you would call badly-researched?"

Comments

[nofate301.livejournal.com]

first i have to say, it's fiction. You can't have badly researched fiction. This isn't a response to you, just a general statement.

However, the disclaim in the front says that the book isn't based on any facts however the names, placement, and objects referenced do exist. Meaning paintings and interesting characteristics of things. Also theories that have been held in regard for quite some time are used. Like men who had been rumored to be members of Priory of Scion or Masons, or whatever.

[fuzzyr.livejournal.com]

Sure you can. A science fiction book that is supposed to obey the laws of this Universe but breaks them (such as Digital Fortress by Dan Brown) is poorly-researched. Same for historical fiction that gets widely accepted facts wrong.

[nofate301.livejournal.com]

what was up with Digital Fortress?

[fuzzyr.livejournal.com]

Huge amounts of the "facts" presented were completely silly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Fortress#Artistic_license

[nofate301.livejournal.com]

well, the first paragraph is the premise of the book, it's not supposed to be fact.

The rest, yea that's true. I wasn't trying to debate what you were saying, i was just curious. I'm in the secuirty field so, I was reading the book going..."is that right? I don't think so"

[fuzzyr.livejournal.com]

I am in the security field myself, specifically cryptography.

[nofate301.livejournal.com]

*bats eyes lashes*can you get me a job in the IT field? Or possibly security?! I'm just out of college with a BS in IT. PURTY PLEASE! With sugar on top?

*bats eye lashes more*

[fuzzyr.livejournal.com]

Reply to the entry in my LJ with your email address and I will write back to you so you can send me your resume. I'll see what I can do.

[fuego.livejournal.com]

Awwwww isn't that cuuuuuute?

[nofate301.livejournal.com]

i hope so

[marilyth.livejournal.com]

I think some of the fictional pieces hit too close to home, and the "church" or whatever, is not happy with it. Too bad it's so popular. No stopping it. Kinda like the Bible ;)

Churches and sensitivites

[saratoga80.livejournal.com]

First of all, i read both "Angels & Demons" and "The DaVinci Code". I'm a Christian, and I highly reccomend reading both.

A better way to think about both books is to ascribe every plausible Conspiracy Theory about the origin of Christianity and out it together to create a brilliant story. In America, imagine if every painting and fable we had about the American Revolution were true: George Washington standing in a boat, crossing the Delaware (soldier's accounts at the time insist he was sitting). Or all of the Arthurian legends?

Imagine if all of the legends of any national uprising and things we ascribe to our Heroes were 100% true? Or, in the DaVinci code's case, 100% false? But that's the assumption, and it makes for a wonderful work of fiction, but shouldn't be subsitituted for a theological work.

Religion is, after money, the world's most sensitive topic, and an offense against a religion is to tell someone that their chosen path to Heaven/Transcendence is patently false. Well, this is *going* to offend a lot of people, even from a work entirely fictional in nature. It's the nature of the beast, not eveyrone can laugh at themselves or their own religion. What Would Jesus Think? ;-)

[thedalikiss.livejournal.com]

do you at least know the basic idea of what it is about? if not, that could be part of why you don't get. then again, i don't understand why it's reached the extent it has.

the church claims that it takes away from the divinity of Christ, among other things. and they seem to forget that that divinity was decided by a council in the third century.

and the fact that the bible is the result of massive editing and censorship over the course of centuries. and that it never says the the Magdalen was a whore. and the fact the jesus was a jew, and a liberal rabbi and that in the jewish community, rabbis, in fact all men were expected to marry and have families. and he probably would have never gained any respect if he wasn't.

but i wax passionate about it, because the roman catholic church is the bigest hypocrite there has ever been. i enjoyed the book. i've read a number of books on the subject. lots of similar conclusions, and more excluded gospels are being found.

every empires falls. perhaps its their turn?

[saratoga80.livejournal.com]

The Roman Catholic Church (of which I am not a member) is no more or less hypocritical than any other religious institution. They have a set of beliefs. Their membership strives to maintain them. What men created 1700 years ago, in order to understand something that had happened 300 years earlier is no more hypocritical than any other religion using the mysical to explain what they believe happened.

"The Church", and by this I assume you mean Catholic Church, has a had a number of Bishops and priests condemn the message of the DaVinci Code. However, the Divinity of Christ was not decided by a 3rd Century council, called the Niceaen Council - it was codified and defined there. The belief itself was held by St. Peter and a number of other early Christians, and this belief spread.

The Bible is a result of editing, translation, and a bunch of other changes, it is true, but censorship is less a cause than simple human error. Over 2,000 years, every religion waxes, wanes and changes. People, efforting their best, simply misunderstood the original teachings. Why did St. Jerome contend that Jews have horns? A mistranslation of the Greek word "eminations" [resulting from Moses trip to the Mountain to go fetch the 15... 10 commandments], itself a rough translation from the original Aramaic. Later on, this became a 'demonic' feature, and caused a great deal of strife.

By all documented accounts, Jesus never actually married. As to whether or not he ever had relations with Mary Magadelene, we'll never know the truth. Might they have married quietly, had children, and otherwise had such a life? It's possible, but can you imagine the scrutiny of that child? Hidden? With the 12, many of whom died defending the faith? The Romans were not known as mericful to the Christian faithful [something about gladiatorial fights with Lions], and a son of their 'Chosen One' probably would have met a swift death.

There are many excluded 'gospels', and works purporting to be them. Who knows that they are any more the truth than what is in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John? As to the Catholic Church, for all of their meddling, religious intolerance, and turning an unseeing eye to crimes, the Church has also inspired many more to do humble good works throughout the last 2,000 years. I'm fairly certain, that just like humanity in general, the bad apples are far fewer, but because they are bad, they draw the more historical 'ink'.

I think you are angry at the Catholic Curch, and that's all well and good, but I think you misdirect your fire. There is no religion which is pure or unblemished, and unless you can somehow claim moral superiority, then you're as guilty as they you accuse of hypocrisy...

[tantric-pixie.livejournal.com]

DaVinci Code is a good book, and it's not poorly researched... it's fiction based on a lot of well done research. You should really look into these things before getting your foot in your mouth ;P

[ranger-hotsauce.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's well researched. Brown only missed or left out one thing. The secret organization to which DaVinci et. al. supposedly belonged never existed. It was all a big hoax.

[tantric-pixie.livejournal.com]

No, it existed. However there is no evidence that DaVinci was ever a member.

The beek was well researched. But it's also a work of fiction. Brown used artistic license to create an intriguing story.

[tantric-pixie.livejournal.com]

*book

Sun is in my eyes...