So Jesus went to Heaven
and He went there awful quick.
All them people killed Him
and He wasn’t even sick.
So come and gather round me
my contemporary peers.
I’ll tell y’all the story
of Jesus: the missing years.
— John Prine, 1991
The DaVinci Code movie comes to theatres this week, and it promises to be a boon to the media and right-wing pundits. This will translate into box office success, regardless of how good the movie is.
The wingnuts have been jumping on the DaVinci Code with both feet for the past couple of years, ensuring that the book stayed on the New York Times bestseller list the whole time. Not only did this give an average book (by Dan Brown standards) unprecedented success, but it made me wait what seemed like forever until it was published in paperback so I could read it.
I’m a huge Dan Brown fan, and have been since long before The DaVinci Code. I think Deception Point was the first Dan Brown novel I read. The story was well written, intriquing, and had me reading well into the night to find out what happens in the next chapter. This is a sign of a good commercial writer, and what made Stephen King such a success.
I eagerly awaited Mr. Brown’s next novel, and each one after that. The best one, in my opinion, was Angels and Demons, which also slammed the Catholic Church yet avoided controversy. It wasnt until Dan floated the idea in The DaVinci Code that the Jesus, of the House of David, passed on his bloodline with Mary Magdalene, who was also of royal lineage, that the wingnuts took umbrage.
Therein lies the rub. Christians dont mind if we diss the Catholics. After all, we know about Priests’ private lives. But to suggest that Jesus had sex - that’s the ultimate sacrelige.
Never mind that the concept was critical to the story line, or that the author stated up front that this is a fictional story, and reminded us several times throughout the story that it’s speculation. Right-wing pundits pounced on this book as an abomination, and claimed it was attempting to usurp the Christian belief system as we know it.
To this day, the lemmings are complaining about people believing what’s written in this book, as if it’s being viewed as the new Bible, when everyone who’s read it realizes it’s fiction. Anyone who doesn’t understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction should probably read more fiction.
I’ve read books that question beliefs before, and I most likely will again. The DaVinci Code made me think, but it was far from the best Dan Brown book, and it in no way devalued my belief in God. It prompted me to question what’s preached in churches, but not what was taught by Jesus - love one another, don’t judge one another, and spread the word. Lately, the only one of these mandates that organized religion seems to follow is to spread the word.
The DavVinci Code is not a threat to religion. It’s a threat to those who don’t want you to think for yourself. If you haven’t read the book, there’s no reason why you should fear it. If you have read the book, you’ll know that there’s no reason why you should fear it. You’d be better served to fear Jason and the Argonauts or King Solomon’s Mine.
Get over it, y’all. People will read what they want to read, and see movies that they want to see. The hubbub over this new movie will cause more people to see it than if you had just shut up about it, and the movie studio will make a pile of money from it because of your whining and griping.
Me, I’ll see the movie if it’s convenient, otherwise ‘Ill wait ‘till it comes out on DVD. Either way, your rightous indignation doesn’t mean squat to me, or to others who think for themselves. Except maybe to entice us to see the movie just to see what all the fuss is about.
Well, it’s been fun here in Seabrook. Aside from the occasional thunderstorm, the weather has been beautiful and the people great. But Jack will be back soon, and we have to clean up the mess before he gets here. Then I’ll head back to my side of town. Y’all come visit, y’hear? I can usually be found at wyldcard.blogpot.com. If I’m not there, leave a message.
