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

[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...