Yes, it is all Da Vinci Code all the time. My blog (partially) – my topics. Just kidding (partially).
I thought I had sufficiently answered the questions of Christians motives in responding to DVC in my two previous posts on the topic, but apparently not. So I hope this will clear up any lingering misconceptions.
While many Christians are somewhat afraid of The Da Vinci Code, I am not one of them. I am excited about the opportunities this presents to Christians. It is a great thing when the culture is already taking and asking questions about Jesus.
The reason why I have been writing on it so much lately, is that the topic interests me and judging by the sales of pro and con DVC books, millions of others. The movie is sure to be a hit and expose millions more to the theories Dan Brown promotes in the novel. I want to be ready with an answer for those who go searching for the Truth.
While it may seem like the regular commenters are the only ones who read this blog, that is not the case. Many other people stop by and simply read the posts without commenting. Some may be regular readers, while others may have stumbled on to the site through a search engine or any of the myriad of ways someone finds a website. With that in mind, I cannot simply write for those who comment (most of which are atheists, agnostics, questioners or Sams-who-don’t-care).
I write my posts about DVC to inform all the readers, regular or not, about the information in the book. I encourage everyone to go out and investigate the claims made by the book and the Bible. If Dan Brown’s version of Jesus is true, I want to know about him and possibly follow him. But if that Jesus is a made-up Jesus, then I want to challenge that concept.
Christians have found themselves between a rock and a hard place with this issue and how to respond. Among the non-Christians, many ridicule Christians for spending so much energy responding to a fiction novel. However, early on many were taking the lack of an assualt on the novel as a type of silent agreement. They claimed we didn’t respond because we knew DVC made legitimate claims.
Regardless of how we respond a group of non-Christians will complain. I have decided that I will let those complain about responding to much, instead of too little. It may be overkill, but no one should be under the impression that Christianity cannot respond to the novel’s claims.
Even among Christians, a debate is raging. Many Christians would rather not discuss this, not “dignify it with a response” or support the blasphemy. Others are encouraging people to see the movie, buy the book, wear the t-shirt, etc. I would fall somewhere in between. I think it is up to the individual Christian and the Holy Spirit’s guidance as to how best to react.
I feel I have been called to interact with this. I most likely will not go see the movie, only because having two little boys and living in the country I only get to go to the movies on rare occassions. I have read the book and I want to challenge the ideas presented, to point people to the Truth.
I am not frightened by it or worried that Christianity will crumble at the feet of Dan Brown’s rehashed, tailor-made Gnosticism. But I do not want to give anyone, Christian or not, the impression that the possibility for the collapse exists. I want to crush the false ideas, with facts and move on to the next challenge, whatever that may be.
So please understand that I am not writing about DVC because I am scared or because I think Jesus needs me to defend Him. I view it as a golden opportunity to point a world fascinated about Jesus away from the silly imposters and to the real thing.
