{Sunday, July 16, 2006
. The Da Vinci Code}
As a Christian, the book "The Da Vinci Code" will surely come into mention when friends discuss the book or religion itself. So I though I'd just post my thoughts here and clear up this issue for those who have not really researched into the matter. I do hope it will give more insight to those who have read the book and question if the Church has really pulled the wool over the eyes of the world for millennia.
As the book claims, it has been compiled through careful research of facts and that the book is accurate historically. Although Dan Brown admitted it was false a while ago, I doubt everyone has heard him, so they may assume the book is true. Not even close. If you notice the bibliography and references, many sources are of the Gnostic gospels. The word was derived from the Greek word "gnosis" which meant knowledge, as the Gnostics believed their doctrines were true knowledge. The Gnostic gospels were books written by heretical people, trying to change Christianity to fit their own point of view. A few examples include: you can sin as much as you want because your spirit will live and go to heaven while your sinful body dies, going to a "holy war" earned your salvation, that Jesus had married Mary Magdalene and that she was the chosen apostle to be a goddess (main story for the Da Vinci Code), that Judas was the chosen disciple and that he had never killed himself among countless others. Now there is no doubt he researched thoroughly, but he had taken false information that had been heretical and untrue for millennia; it wouldn't prove true after thousands of years.
The list reveals Brown's lack of scholarly research since it does not contain competent research material from proper sources. Unfortunately, there is little fact in the book and far too much conjecture. To the untrained, the presentation of Brown's theory can be compelling and misguiding.
There have been many articles exposing the errors of the Da Vinci Code book so we will not going to too many details but we will provide several quotes from characters in the book followed by commentary demonstrating their inaccuracy.
1. Quote: "The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. 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 ... more than 80 gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few are chosen for inclusion--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John among them ... the Bible, as we know it today, was collected by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great." p. 231
A. Response: This is a very gross error. The Bible is not the product of "countless translation, additions, and revisions." The Bible is translated from copies of original documents, and has been static since before the council of Nicea.
B. Response: The Bible was not produced at the Council of Nicea by Constantine. The Old Testament documents were collected and known as an inspired work long before the Christian church was ever on the scene. The New Testament documents were written by the eyewitnesses of Jesus' Ministry or under the direction of those who were. The Christian Church knew which documents were authentic and which were not with only a few books in dispute. At the initial formation of the Christian Church, the Christians were under Roman rule and did not have the freedom (due to initial persecution) to produce an "official" Bible. But that did not prevent them from knowing which documents were penned by the apostles themselves and which were spurious forgeries, of which many were in existence and are undoubtedly included in the "80 gospels" that Brown mentions. Not to mention Constantine was not a pagan emperor but an extremely faithful Christian, mainly due to a sign from God which enabled him to win against a force ten times larger than his and get the throne. Can't be coincidence, miracle sums it up better.
2. Quote: "With the help of Jesus' trusted uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdalene secretly traveled to France, then known as Gaul. There she found safe refuge in the Jewish community. It was here in France that she gave birth to a daughter. Her name was Sarah." p. 255
Response: There is no evidence for this whatsoever. This was taken from a play written by a French play writer who liked the idea of a reformed prostitute so much that he decided to make her French. In actuality the Bible gives no indication she was ever a sensuous woman in the first place. Over the ages, it seems that people have loved to make Mary Magdalene something she wasn't. First a prostitute, and now Jesus' wife; they fail to see her for what she is: a faithful follower of Jesus.
3. Quote: "... the Piscean ideal believes that man must be told what to do by higher powers because man is incapable of thinking for himself. Hence it has been a time of fervent religion. Now, however, we are entering the age of Aquarius-the water bearer-whose ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself." p. 268
Response: It is interesting that Brown inserts pagan ideas and pagan concepts into the dialogue among his characters in an attempt to support the storyline. His comment is interesting in that it leaves a person with the impression that religion, in particular Christianity, does not want people to learn the truth or think for themselves. This cannot be further from fact. The Scriptures teach us to learn the facts and to be very responsible in our decisions and to think critically. Brown misrepresents, at the very least, the Christian faith.
Response: Following are scriptures telling us to think, to use our minds.
i. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 14:5).
4. Quote: "Admittedly, the concept of sex as a pathway to God was mind-boggling at first. Langdon's Jewish students always looked flabbergasted when he first told them that the early Jewish tradition involved ritualistic sex. In the temple, no less. Early Jews believed that the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple housed not only God but also his powerful female equal, Shekinah. Men seeking spiritual wholeness came to the temple to visit priestesses-or hierodules-with whom they made love and experienced the divine through physical union. The Jewish tetragrammaton YHWH-the sacred name of God-in fact derived from Jehovah, an androgynous physical union between the masculine Jah and the pre-Hebraic name for Eve, Havah." p. 309
A. Response: We know of absolutely no documentation whatsoever supporting the idea that the early Jews considered the holy of holies a place where a female deity would dwell. Such an idea is in direct contradiction to the historic/biblical account for the purpose of the Holy of Holies. Plus Shekinah has to do with God's glory, not a female deity. No proof at all for a female deity.
B. Response: Brown makes a very fundamental error in his research regarding the Tetragrammaton YHWH. It is not derived from a masculine and feminine set of words. Instead, YHWH is the English four letters that most closely represent the four Hebrew characters that designate the name of God which is derived from the verb "to be." Essentially, when God gives his own name he says, "I AM that I AM". The "I AM" is from the verb "to be" which is where we get YHWH. Brown is completely off on this.
5. Quote: "the next time you find yourself with a woman, look in your heart and see if you cannot approach sex as a mystical, spiritual act. Challenge yourself to find that spark of divinity that man can only achieve through union with the sacred feminine." p. 310
Response: This is a very subjective statement. Of course, it is just a fictional character giving a fictional opinion. But, the problem is that with the overall context of undermining biblical truth and historical fact, this comment takes on a more distracting meaning as it moves a person to think emotionally instead of using the mind ... the very thing Brown, via his characters, accuses the church of not wanting. See point 3 above.
6. Quote: "... every faith in the world is based on fabrication. As the definition of faith-acceptance of that which we imagined to be true, that which we can prove." p. 341
Response: No, this is not true. Christianity is based on fact: the reality of the nation of Israel, archaeological verification, eyewitness accounts recorded in written form regarding the birth of Christ, his ministry, his miracles, his teaching, his death, his burial, and his resurrection. Brown could not be further from the truth.
7. Quote: "those who truly understand their faiths understand the stories [i.e., Virgin birth of Jesus] are metaphorical." p. 342
Response: This is not true. Christianity is not based on metaphorical stories with hidden meanings. It is based on historical facts, i.e., the actual life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The witnesses recorded what they actually saw and wrote down actual events. Brown's character's assertion is (admittedly fictional) and completely erroneous.
Following is a brief and partial list of some of the many errors found in the Da Vinci Code.
A partial list of errors in the Da Vinci Code
A. The Bible is the product of "countless translations, additions, and revisions." The biblical documents are static, unchanging, and we have multitudinous copies of them from the first, second, and third centuries.
B. The Bible was assembled by Emperor Constantine. The Bible was assembled before Constantine.
C. There were 80 additional gospels. Though there were a few gospels circulating which claimed to be authentic but the early Christians knew were not, there is no where close to 80.
D. Opus Dei members have monks. They do not.
E. The deity of Christ was invented by the Council of Nicea. The deity of Christ is found in the scriptures Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33; 28:9; John 9:35-38; and Heb. 1:6.
F. Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene who is to be worshipped as a goddess. There is absolutely no historical evidence for this.
G. Early "Christians" practiced goddess worship. There is absolutely no historical evidence for this.
H. YHWH is derived from two Hebrew words, one masculine and the other feminine. No, it is derived from the single Hebrew word "to be."
I. The Dead Sea Scrolls contained the earliest Christian writings. This cannot be true since the DSS's were written before Christianity existed.
J. Christianity borrowed its ideas from pagan sources. Similarities between Christianity and other religions does not mean Christianity borrowed from them or they borrowed from Christianity. Similarities exist in all religions. The assertion is a common one that has no basis.
So what will I reply if someone tries to question my faith with The Da Vinci Code? Big deal, I know the truth, which has been proven over and over again not just by Christians, but skeptics alike. Which is why I can't believe how scared the Vatican is because of this book. Whatever the Vatican Church is against, they will boycott and condemn. It really seems pathetic to me that an organization upholding faith and truth would condemn it and boycott it. For me? I read the book, it's great, since I know it is fiction. Great storyline and suspense, added with the fact that through this book, people will be more curious on Christianity and it's a good starting point to teach them about true doctrines of Christianity, saving them in the end. I've watched the movie and have taught countless about the truth of the issue. I'm not scared and try to get the whole world to boycott it. Goes to show how disappointed I am in an organization with huge influence, being scared because of a book. Plus it makes people suspicious that they would try and get rid of the book instead of teaching others about the true facts behind it. Though I doubt that Vatican will read this, just take note I'm not condemning them, nor picking them in particular since many other churches have followed in their footsteps. Just trust in God won't you?
† P§¥KØ †™ testifying at 6:42 PM
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As a Christian, the book "The Da Vinci Code" will surely come into mention when friends discuss the book or religion itself. So I though I'd just post my thoughts here and clear up this issue for those who have not really researched into the matter. I do hope it will give more insight to those who have read the book and question if the Church has really pulled the wool over the eyes of the world for millennia.
As the book claims, it has been compiled through careful research of facts and that the book is accurate historically. Although Dan Brown admitted it was false a while ago, I doubt everyone has heard him, so they may assume the book is true. Not even close. If you notice the bibliography and references, many sources are of the Gnostic gospels. The word was derived from the Greek word "gnosis" which meant knowledge, as the Gnostics believed their doctrines were true knowledge. The Gnostic gospels were books written by heretical people, trying to change Christianity to fit their own point of view. A few examples include: you can sin as much as you want because your spirit will live and go to heaven while your sinful body dies, going to a "holy war" earned your salvation, that Jesus had married Mary Magdalene and that she was the chosen apostle to be a goddess (main story for the Da Vinci Code), that Judas was the chosen disciple and that he had never killed himself among countless others. Now there is no doubt he researched thoroughly, but he had taken false information that had been heretical and untrue for millennia; it wouldn't prove true after thousands of years.
The list reveals Brown's lack of scholarly research since it does not contain competent research material from proper sources. Unfortunately, there is little fact in the book and far too much conjecture. To the untrained, the presentation of Brown's theory can be compelling and misguiding.
There have been many articles exposing the errors of the Da Vinci Code book so we will not going to too many details but we will provide several quotes from characters in the book followed by commentary demonstrating their inaccuracy.
1. Quote: "The Bible is a product of man, my dear. Not of God. The Bible did not fall magically from the clouds. 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 ... more than 80 gospels were considered for the New Testament, and yet only a relative few are chosen for inclusion--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John among them ... the Bible, as we know it today, was collected by the pagan Roman emperor Constantine the Great." p. 231
A. Response: This is a very gross error. The Bible is not the product of "countless translation, additions, and revisions." The Bible is translated from copies of original documents, and has been static since before the council of Nicea.
B. Response: The Bible was not produced at the Council of Nicea by Constantine. The Old Testament documents were collected and known as an inspired work long before the Christian church was ever on the scene. The New Testament documents were written by the eyewitnesses of Jesus' Ministry or under the direction of those who were. The Christian Church knew which documents were authentic and which were not with only a few books in dispute. At the initial formation of the Christian Church, the Christians were under Roman rule and did not have the freedom (due to initial persecution) to produce an "official" Bible. But that did not prevent them from knowing which documents were penned by the apostles themselves and which were spurious forgeries, of which many were in existence and are undoubtedly included in the "80 gospels" that Brown mentions. Not to mention Constantine was not a pagan emperor but an extremely faithful Christian, mainly due to a sign from God which enabled him to win against a force ten times larger than his and get the throne. Can't be coincidence, miracle sums it up better.
2. Quote: "With the help of Jesus' trusted uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdalene secretly traveled to France, then known as Gaul. There she found safe refuge in the Jewish community. It was here in France that she gave birth to a daughter. Her name was Sarah." p. 255
Response: There is no evidence for this whatsoever. This was taken from a play written by a French play writer who liked the idea of a reformed prostitute so much that he decided to make her French. In actuality the Bible gives no indication she was ever a sensuous woman in the first place. Over the ages, it seems that people have loved to make Mary Magdalene something she wasn't. First a prostitute, and now Jesus' wife; they fail to see her for what she is: a faithful follower of Jesus.
3. Quote: "... the Piscean ideal believes that man must be told what to do by higher powers because man is incapable of thinking for himself. Hence it has been a time of fervent religion. Now, however, we are entering the age of Aquarius-the water bearer-whose ideals claim that man will learn the truth and be able to think for himself." p. 268
Response: It is interesting that Brown inserts pagan ideas and pagan concepts into the dialogue among his characters in an attempt to support the storyline. His comment is interesting in that it leaves a person with the impression that religion, in particular Christianity, does not want people to learn the truth or think for themselves. This cannot be further from fact. The Scriptures teach us to learn the facts and to be very responsible in our decisions and to think critically. Brown misrepresents, at the very least, the Christian faith.
Response: Following are scriptures telling us to think, to use our minds.
i. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (Romans 14:5).
4. Quote: "Admittedly, the concept of sex as a pathway to God was mind-boggling at first. Langdon's Jewish students always looked flabbergasted when he first told them that the early Jewish tradition involved ritualistic sex. In the temple, no less. Early Jews believed that the Holy of Holies in Solomon's Temple housed not only God but also his powerful female equal, Shekinah. Men seeking spiritual wholeness came to the temple to visit priestesses-or hierodules-with whom they made love and experienced the divine through physical union. The Jewish tetragrammaton YHWH-the sacred name of God-in fact derived from Jehovah, an androgynous physical union between the masculine Jah and the pre-Hebraic name for Eve, Havah." p. 309
A. Response: We know of absolutely no documentation whatsoever supporting the idea that the early Jews considered the holy of holies a place where a female deity would dwell. Such an idea is in direct contradiction to the historic/biblical account for the purpose of the Holy of Holies. Plus Shekinah has to do with God's glory, not a female deity. No proof at all for a female deity.
B. Response: Brown makes a very fundamental error in his research regarding the Tetragrammaton YHWH. It is not derived from a masculine and feminine set of words. Instead, YHWH is the English four letters that most closely represent the four Hebrew characters that designate the name of God which is derived from the verb "to be." Essentially, when God gives his own name he says, "I AM that I AM". The "I AM" is from the verb "to be" which is where we get YHWH. Brown is completely off on this.
5. Quote: "the next time you find yourself with a woman, look in your heart and see if you cannot approach sex as a mystical, spiritual act. Challenge yourself to find that spark of divinity that man can only achieve through union with the sacred feminine." p. 310
Response: This is a very subjective statement. Of course, it is just a fictional character giving a fictional opinion. But, the problem is that with the overall context of undermining biblical truth and historical fact, this comment takes on a more distracting meaning as it moves a person to think emotionally instead of using the mind ... the very thing Brown, via his characters, accuses the church of not wanting. See point 3 above.
6. Quote: "... every faith in the world is based on fabrication. As the definition of faith-acceptance of that which we imagined to be true, that which we can prove." p. 341
Response: No, this is not true. Christianity is based on fact: the reality of the nation of Israel, archaeological verification, eyewitness accounts recorded in written form regarding the birth of Christ, his ministry, his miracles, his teaching, his death, his burial, and his resurrection. Brown could not be further from the truth.
7. Quote: "those who truly understand their faiths understand the stories [i.e., Virgin birth of Jesus] are metaphorical." p. 342
Response: This is not true. Christianity is not based on metaphorical stories with hidden meanings. It is based on historical facts, i.e., the actual life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The witnesses recorded what they actually saw and wrote down actual events. Brown's character's assertion is (admittedly fictional) and completely erroneous.
Following is a brief and partial list of some of the many errors found in the Da Vinci Code.
A partial list of errors in the Da Vinci Code
A. The Bible is the product of "countless translations, additions, and revisions." The biblical documents are static, unchanging, and we have multitudinous copies of them from the first, second, and third centuries.
B. The Bible was assembled by Emperor Constantine. The Bible was assembled before Constantine.
C. There were 80 additional gospels. Though there were a few gospels circulating which claimed to be authentic but the early Christians knew were not, there is no where close to 80.
D. Opus Dei members have monks. They do not.
E. The deity of Christ was invented by the Council of Nicea. The deity of Christ is found in the scriptures Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33; 28:9; John 9:35-38; and Heb. 1:6.
F. Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene who is to be worshipped as a goddess. There is absolutely no historical evidence for this.
G. Early "Christians" practiced goddess worship. There is absolutely no historical evidence for this.
H. YHWH is derived from two Hebrew words, one masculine and the other feminine. No, it is derived from the single Hebrew word "to be."
I. The Dead Sea Scrolls contained the earliest Christian writings. This cannot be true since the DSS's were written before Christianity existed.
J. Christianity borrowed its ideas from pagan sources. Similarities between Christianity and other religions does not mean Christianity borrowed from them or they borrowed from Christianity. Similarities exist in all religions. The assertion is a common one that has no basis.
So what will I reply if someone tries to question my faith with The Da Vinci Code? Big deal, I know the truth, which has been proven over and over again not just by Christians, but skeptics alike. Which is why I can't believe how scared the Vatican is because of this book. Whatever the Vatican Church is against, they will boycott and condemn. It really seems pathetic to me that an organization upholding faith and truth would condemn it and boycott it. For me? I read the book, it's great, since I know it is fiction. Great storyline and suspense, added with the fact that through this book, people will be more curious on Christianity and it's a good starting point to teach them about true doctrines of Christianity, saving them in the end. I've watched the movie and have taught countless about the truth of the issue. I'm not scared and try to get the whole world to boycott it. Goes to show how disappointed I am in an organization with huge influence, being scared because of a book. Plus it makes people suspicious that they would try and get rid of the book instead of teaching others about the true facts behind it. Though I doubt that Vatican will read this, just take note I'm not condemning them, nor picking them in particular since many other churches have followed in their footsteps. Just trust in God won't you?
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