The Da Vinci Goad
Nothing will send a novel to the top of the best seller list faster than a controversy. Tell the masses not to buy a book and they will immediately wipe out the inventory of every major bookseller outlet. So I am sure nothing made The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown more happy than when he read the latest criticism of his novel on the news wire:
The Greek Orthodox Church reportedly criticized the best selling Da Vinci Code thriller, the film of which comes out in the coming days, as offensive and mistaken.
-SNIP-
“The work attacks and undermines in a treacherous manner religious knowledge,” said the leaflet, produced by the church’s supreme body, the holy synod.(Breitbart.com)
Who are they kidding? Does this organization or the Catholic Church in general really believe that their calls for boycotts and legal action will sway followers from reading the book or seeing the film? If anything the opposite is most likely to occur:
Commentators say such pronouncements, and the stories they generate, are bound to backfire by generating extra interest in the film and lending weight to the argument that the church has something to hide.(Scotsman.com)
Brown’s novel is now being credited as one of the most popular books of all time with 40 million copies sold worldwide. My bet is that with each demand made by church leaders, Brown’s book sales get a nice little boost.
I thought The Da Vinci Code was a good read (Angels & Demons was better in my opinion) and it obviously presents an interesting perspective on the history of the Christian faith. But I think the church leaders protesting this publication failed to recognize a very important detail. The Da Vinci Code is sold as… FICTION!
Fiction is defined as “an imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented.”
It almost seems that church leaders are afraid that large numbers of people will unquestionably believe the premise of The Da Vinci Code and see its popularity as a confirmation of its validity. Nah… What historical evidence do they have to believe that?
Ignorant Electorate + Arrogant Politicians = Our Current Situation
With President Bush’s approval ratings hovering in the low 30s right now you would think that along with the disapproval would come some introspection by the electorate who voted him into office… Twice. But it seems that the ignorance and arrogance permeating the Executive branch is simply a reflection of the people who assisted in creating it.
The American public’s ignorance is demonstrated by its lack of knowledge of the Constitution, public policy and basic government. We laugh whenever President Bush stumbles over his words or improvises new ones, but is it funny when the following comes to light?
Americans know more about The Simpsons TV show than the US Constitution’s First Amendment, an opinion poll says.
Only one in four could name more than one of the five freedoms it upholds but more than half could name at least two members of the cartoon family.
About one in five thought the right to own a pet was one of the freedoms.(BBC)
We fail to learn, understand and put into practice the “supreme law of the land” while simultaneously scoffing our representatives, stereotyping them as “corrupt” and giving them even LESS approval than the President! And here is the best part, we will vote them back into office! As Benjamin Franklin once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Personally, I believe that an educated electorate will recognize that we are given a “Hobson’s Choice” every presidential election. Remember, choosing the lesser of two evils still gives you evil. Learn your rights. Know your government. Express your opinion!
Word of the week
Shoulder Surfing: To look over the shoulder(s) of a person with whom you are currently engaged in conversation to see if you can find someone ‘better’ to talk to.
Quote of the Week
War does not determine who is right – only who is left. — Bertrand Russell
UPDATE: Oscar winner and star of “The Da Vinci Code” movie Tom Hanks came out with a statement responding to Catholic critics:
“We always knew there would be a segment of society that would not want this movie to be shown.
“But the story we tell is loaded with all sorts of hooey and fun kind of scavenger-hunt-type nonsense.
“If you are going to take any sort of movie at face value, particularly a huge-budget motion picture like this, you’d be making a very big mistake.
“It’s a damn good story and a lot of fun… all it is is dialogue. That never hurts.” (ThisIsLondon.com)
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