Comments on: Churches Respond to The DaVinci Code

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 23 May 2006 13:09:26 +0000

I had been ignoring the book for the past three years because, after all, it is just a novel. But many people see it as more than that, so I decided to preach a four week series themed around the DVC. I had a few detractors but the majority of the people loved it. I even had people coming up to me thanking me for doing it and sharing their stories of how they talked to classmates and co-workers about the DVC when the topic came up. I’m glad I did it. Now I am DVC’d out.

By: kevin

kevin — Mon, 22 May 2006 19:42:57 +0000

Gene, considering the millions the movie made worldwide (second largest worldwide opening in history, if I remember correctly), I don’t think bad reviews are going to be a problem.
Of course this is the problem of playing off pop culture, especially before you know what you’re getting. Sometimes it sucks.

By: Gene Mason

Gene Mason — Mon, 22 May 2006 15:03:13 +0000

We’re doing a “Da Vinci Revealed” teaching time on Wednesday night this week, but here’s the weird thing…
This movie is getting really BAD reviews. I mean really bad, all around. Some folks I know saw it over the weekend and said it’s confusing, hard to follow, boring. Truthfully I think most folks I know are more excited about X-Men or Break Up.
Soooo… do I get happy because it might not be the over-the-top blockbuster of pop-culture heresy everyone thinks it is, or do I get sad because here we are spending a great deal of energy responding to a mediocre film that might have more people questioning why they spent $7 to see it versus the authenticity of the Bible and the divinity of Christ?
You see my dilemma?
Planning on seeing it tomorrow night anyway, so I can discuss it with some degree of confidence…

By: Jeff Austin

Jeff Austin — Sat, 20 May 2006 23:51:23 +0000

I am so happy to have visited this site today and read the highly intelligent and holy Spirit lead comments of most of you all. I agree with the DaVinci code being entertainment. It is entertaining. It is entertaining the notion that Christ is not what He claims to be. To me the point about 2 miliion people changing their minds and joining the ranks of the disobedient…well I say this, they were never true believers in the first place. I believe that when you believe in Christ and you read the Word of God on a consistant basis that your Faith in Him will only grow stronger and the possibility of falling for the deceiver is a lot less. I agree totally that our pastor’s should not open the door for possible strongholds to take place in our young peoples minds about this work of fiction. I think we should spend more time on the truth than a lie. Who after all is the father of all lies? We overcome the evil one by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony not by the drawing of battle lines over a movie based on inaccurate assumptions and flat out lies. Let us examine what we present to the body. Make definitely sure that it will be encouraging and strengthening vs. adverserial and fear producing. This subject has already brought some division in our congregation and it saddens me to see that such a thing can happen at this stage of Christianity. My call would be to stick as close to the manual for living life as we can and do not compromise it by giving any time to the evil one….

By: Test User

Test User — Fri, 19 May 2006 14:17:00 +0000

A bit academic, but free.
http://www.teach12.com/ttc/davincicode.asp

By: Roby Davis

Roby Davis — Fri, 19 May 2006 05:01:25 +0000

OK. I guess I’m the only one here that agrees with the other side. I haven’t read the book while the story line sounds awesome and intriguing I can’t pitch my tent towards that Sodom. I realize we each have our own idea of a “higher standard” so I won’t get into right or wrong.
From all the reviews of the book I’ve heard it’s funny to those Christians that are strong in their faith and who have read and know enough of the Bible to see that Brown mixes truth with lies. But lets be honest not all Christians have the Word in their heart like others.
This is not to say run from the movie and act like it doesn’t exist but seriously do you have to go to a strip joint so you can see how bad it is so you can relate to the lost there? No. Nor do you have to go to a bar or get drunk so you can know that that life doesn’t compare to one in Christ.
*Watch your toes* If you want to go to the movie because you want to be entertained and loved the book don’t cover it up by saying you are doing it so you can reach the lost. C’mon 2 million people have changed there faith because of this book, but many more are now questioning the authentic of the word of God. The numbers will only grow. What’s next?

By: Becky

Becky — Fri, 19 May 2006 04:19:19 +0000

I would like to thank you for all your comments regarding The Da Vinci Code as I am planning to see the movie today with two non -christian friends who I know probably can’t wait to question the bible and my faith after seeing the movie. This is my first time ever visiting this site and I have found your comments strenghtening and encouraging. I for one am going to stand strong and use the release of the Da Vinci Code as the pefect oppertunity to witness for God. God bless you all.

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 18 May 2006 21:37:30 +0000

I’ve been lurking, reading, and learning for six months now and have loved the discussion and thought provoking posts, but this will be my first comment.
My church would fall on the side with the overly negative view of the movie. Our senior pastor said at on point in a sermon, that, “Opie was dead to him”. Now I love and respect my senior pastor, but comments like that don’t hold water. Ron Howard in comparison to the majority of people in Hollywood is a standup guy! Suddenly he directs a fictional movie that conflicts the perspective of the church and it’s like him and Satan had a big powwow on this one. The whole dead to him thing became the overwhelming view of the congregation, but it really bugged me. Instead of facing the questions this movie/book poses, we choose to lash out against it and once again hide away behind our big words and heavy books.
I plan on seeing the movie as a movie that is FICTION just like I have and will continue to watch movies, because I enjoy movies. Hollywood is far from “Christian” and no movie produced by Hollywood in my lifetime has ever really promoted a biblical worldview correctly. The fact that this challenges the church doesn’t strike me as any worse than a movie filled with profanity and pre-marital sex, or drugs or all that crap that’s out there. So yes, I will go see it, and I will prepare myself for discussions about it, and be more than willing to stand up and say that the message is one of fiction and have an intelligent discussion as a person that HAS seen the movie.
So label me a heretic or a sell out or whatever else, but I do see this as an opportunity that I’m not willing to pass up. I want to know what the people in the cubicle next to me are wondering about, and be able to say that as a Christian, saw the movie just the same as them, my thoughts are… People are going to go see this movie whether we want them to or not, and we can either attempt to know what they’re arguments are based upon, or we can lock ourselves away and tell them that they’re wrong for seeing the movie in the first place.
I think the arguments in the “Offcott” article are for the most part invalid. Rob Bell mentions in his book “Velvet Elvis” that all questions are rooted in humility, meaning they all center around an admission that, “I don’t have it all figured out”. I think that automatically assuming that every person that sees the movie is going to go into blitzkrieg conversation mode, and use this as an opportunity to run one past us, is plain ignorant. I believe the majority of people will gladly engage in an intelligent conversation about it, and being able to enter into that conversation and know what the heck I’m talking about is worth the $9 I’ll spend on a movie ticket.
Sorry for such a long post, but you guys hit a sore spot in me on this one…Oh and for the record, I wish that my church had done a series on the DaVinci Code, unfortunately the church only complained about the trailer coming out during the Easter season, said that Opie was dead to them, and that the movie wasn’t worth your time or money. If I weren’t so busy, I’d read the darn book too!

By: /Karen/

/Karen/ — Thu, 18 May 2006 20:46:09 +0000

Here’s something the Sydney Anglican Diocese has been doing:
http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/mission/resources/challengingdavincicom/

By: John

John — Thu, 18 May 2006 18:16:25 +0000

We are giving two weeks in June to address the two key issues I believe are central. Looks like the movie is getting horrible reviews, but we will use the apparent buzz to teach on critical doctrine.
We created a web site for this series http://www.mysteryofthecode.com