The Da Vinci Code

Unless you have been living in a cave, you should have heard of The Da Vinci Code and the controversies surrounding it. The movie version of the book opens worldwide this Friday, May 19.

I am at a point where I am over-dosing on The Da Vinci Code. I can't turn on the radio or the TV without hearing the topic of The Da Vinci Code being discussed. Publicity and discussion on the book and movie, both positive and negative, are most certainly fueling the sales of the book and the tickets for the movie.

My church is even doing a 5-week series called Uncovering the Truth: The Da Vinci Code. The book blends fact and fiction so well that most people who do not know their theology and church history are inclined to believe the "facts" as claimed in the book.

"The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds," says Teabing in "The Da Vinci Code." "Man created it as a historical record of tumultuous times, and it has evolved through countless translations, additions, and revisions. History has never had a definitive version of the book."

For anyone who does not know his church history, that can be accepted as fact.

According to Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor at The Moody Church in Chicago, "People want to believe the Da Vinci Code so badly because they want a Christ who is manageable, a Jesus that is not going to challenge you or threaten your lifestyle."

I think Dr. Lutzer is right about that. It is easy to accept a Jesus who was just an ordinary man and not divine, had a wife and had a child with her.

I don't agree with the calls for a boycott of the film. I agree with Hank Hanegraaff of the Bible Answer Man, "Its the last thing anyone intended, but Hollywood just handed believers like you and me a significant opportunity to share the gospel with the world."

The tagline for the movie is "Seek the Truth", and this is what the evangelicals are advocating we all do - get the seekers out there to really seek the truth as found in the bible.

I read Marina Mahathir's commentary recently and she mentioned how the daughter of a friend wanted to read the Bible after reading the book. That is the kind of reaction I hope people would get out of the book or movie. And also to further learn about church history.

There are many books out there debunking some of the claims made in the book. One I find most helpful is Cracking Da Vinci's Code by James L. Garlow and Peter Jones. If you have questions after reading the book or seeing the the movie, do yourself a favor and find the answers to those questions. Dan Brown's claim that "all the art, architecture, secret rituals, secret societies - all of that is historical fact" can easily be refuted if you want to know the truth.

The Da Vinci Code's Top Ten Errors can be found here. The Da Vinci Code faith sharing strategies can be be found here, and The Da Vinci Code: A Biblical Response can be found here.