having intelligent conversations about da vinci code

On May 19 the wildly successful book "The Da Vinci Code" will be translated into film. The book is a variation of the old Lilith myth. Historian and archeologist Dr. Scott Caroll will be in our church this weekend to lead a number of seminars related to this subject. Here are some examples from Mark D. Roberts of how this movie runs amok:

Whereas orthodox (traditional belief) Christians believe that the kingship of Jesus was not about royal blood and earthly government, in The Da Vinci Code the ultimate significance of Jesus is precisely about these things.

Whereas orthodox Christians believe that Jesus remained single throughout his life, The Da Vinci Code reveals that He was in fact married to Mary Magdalene.

Whereas orthodox Christians believe that Jesus's death and resurrection were the center of His earthly mission, The Da Vinci Code sees His chief contribution as fathering a child by His wife, Mary.

Whereas orthodox Christians believe that the Bible, though written by human beings, is divinely inspired, The Da Vinci Code reveals that it is merely a human invention.

Whereas orthodox Christians believe that the New Testament gospels are reliable sources of information about Jesus, in The Da Vinci Code, the trustworthy gospels come from other collections, like The Dead Sea Scrolls or the Gnostic library from Nag Hammadi.

Whereas orthodox Christians believe that Jesus was fully God and fully human, The Da Vinci Code shows that Jesus was in fact a mere mortal, and that His deity was invented in order to augment the power of the fourth-century Roman emperor Constantine.

Keep in mind that Gnostic heresy is nothing new in Christianity. It raises up in consistent regularity only to be squashed like a bug by the force of accurate history and scholarship. The church has long been inoculated by these kinds of rants. Brown has found the ultimate money maker- but his book will not move history one iota. There will be some no doubt who will buy his logic hook line and sinker (according to belief.net, 27% of the people who watch the movie believe Jesus married Mary Magdalene!)

As the movies creators Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are two of the most powerful and popular icons in Hollywood, the film will likely be very successful. The result is that this book and film will explode into the lives of our children, our friends and our church.

What is our reponse?

1. Get informed. This is a great reminder that we must KNOW what we believe and WHY. There are good resources here and here. There are also many good books out there such as James L. Garlow’s The Da Vinci CodeBreaker.

2. Have good informed respectful conversations. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15). Believe me, A LOT of people will see this movie. (If you don't know people who see and like and maybe even believe this movie, you don't have enough people in your life who don't think like you!) Christians who act defensive and ugly without entering into intelligent logical discussions come across as whiny and shallow. Informed people come across as gentle and respectful. I see this as a great opportunity to talk to others about Jesus. After all, we have the TRUTH. People will respect our conviction and understanding of history. They will not respect insults and pettiness.

3. If you read the book, check it out from a library, if you see the movie, rent it. I wouldn't want to vote for Dan Brown or Ron Howard. The movie is a fantastic lie and is insulting to Christianity. They don't need my vote. But at the same time, if you are to enter into conversations, people will not listen if you don't know what you are talking about.

4. Come to the seminar this weekend. This is a great opportunity for us to learn about early Christianity and the great story of how we got our scriptures. The true account may not be a scandalous as Dan Browns fiction, but it is an incredible one nonetheless.

5. Invite your friends. Say to them, "Hey, before you see the movie, come and learn about Christian history!