Monday, May 22, 2006

Demystifying The Da Vinci Code "Controversy"

A ficition writer named Dan Brown wrote a novel about an utter fantasy written by a whole bunch of authors, and told his story differently than the believers of the fable like to tell it.

Now it's a movie so the fantasy crowd is REALLY stirred up because those who are most likely to believe their myth don't read many books but they DO go to movies. Because of all the commotion, many more people will see the movie than would have if the the defenders of the faith hadn't said a word but that's ok because, as Buridan's Ass aptly points out, it's really just another chance for the fable-disabled folks to discuss their god and show "moral outrage"; meanwhile ignoring the really pressing moral issues of our time - like always.

Isn't that simple? Now, go enjoy a good action/thriller at your local theatre or just wait for the DVD like me. If you need to engage your moral sensitivities on an issue, allow me to assist you.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder sometimes if there isn't some sort of defect in the brain that makes it difficult for religious believers to distinguish between fiction and reality. Of course in this case, it's an issue of competing fictions and bad fiction at that.

epikles said...

i've heard it said (because i've said so myself) that the cause of most of our problems is our inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality - whether we are religious believers or not.

Anonymous said...

That's cool Tom,

You might note that EM himself tells us that Dan Brown wrote an utter fantasy of a novel. The suggestion that it might just interfere with someone's orthodox teachings in that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, an ex prostitute then moved to England via a ship of his uncle, Joseph of Aramathea who was in the olive oil business then he settled in Glastonbury, UK, had kids only to find out several thousand years later that Tom Hanks would be Demystifying the so called DaVinci Code at the expense of a treacherous thug-o-cracy in Darfur challenges the imagination not to mention of course that the protestors in San Francisco yesterday had signs indicating ya'll are going to hell.

Perhaps EM man can tell us what the point of his post really meant.

Decode this: WWJD

McK

John Evo said...

Buridan - I think there may be a connection between what you are suggesting and my earlier post
Is Belief an Evolved Characteristic?

McK, a lot of people think most of the earth is going to hell. what are you going to do?

Anonymous said...

Don’t know for sure,John, probably stick to the local news. The simple answer is everyone marches to the beat of his own drummer and has to play the cards one has been dealt.

Sometimes it seems ignorance is genuinely bliss. How does one correlate Save Darfur Now, with The Sad Story of Africa, and Madonna's Confessions Tour in which she will be delighting her audiences while hanging from a mirrored cross, a crown of thorns on her head singing ‘Like a Virgin’ or some such nonsense and showing pictures of starving children on the side screens. And her audiences will love it. A world tour to boot.

It slightly boggles the mind as we sit in front of the computer while waiting for the next NHL hockey game or finding out who will win American Idol not to mention of course a few day to day real responsibilities cluttering up the calendar.

McK

John Evo said...

McK -

Something wrong with your link to the Madonna Tour. Can you repost it? Thanks.

John

Anonymous said...

Madonna prays for publicity

Madonna kicks off world tour

McK

Impatient Patient said...

John

I work with people who have gotten their knickers in a knot over the DVC. It is ridiculous. The book certainly did nothing to inspire me to want to dig up a grave, nor visit the Louvre or anyhing else. It did not make me think worse or less of Opus Dei- I think that they are a bit strange if they choose to wear poky things in their legs and flagellate themselves, but whatever. I just won't be joining. The amount of paper and ink spent on debunking Davinci has been mind boggling. If anyone honestly believes a book or a movie will cause more to leave the catholic church than say the catholic priest molestations-----well, then the world really is all fucked up with no place to go.

Honestly- did the Catholics come out en masse judging priests when all that happened? No. They tried to hide it. That was REAL shit that they covered up for years. Now, something so silly- a FICTION book- has caused people to lose their perspective.


Why?

As for Darfur, have worked with a family from there. Not a good place and they are lucky to be out. It is so sad what war and poverty and disease do to families. My sister is going to Rwanda this summer to do something for a school there in a displaced persons camp. I am sure her eyes will be opened more than I can ever imagine.

I shudder at our capacity for stupidity as a race. We are so so so dumb sometimes, it even surprises me. Africa and its problems are just plain evil.

Is there a place for evil in athiesm/agnosticism? I am curious as to how it is approached.

John Evo said...

Impatient Patient asked - "Is there a place for evil in athiesm/agnosticism? I am curious as to how it is approached."

I guess each and every atheist and agnostic would have to speak for themselves on it since we are not a type of religion and therefore don't have a "code" that we all live by.

For me - sure there is evil. I just don't see it as a power or entity unto itself. It comes in the form of human actions and I define it through common sense.

I feel happiness when I do things that benefit others. I feel ashamed when I do things that are not so. I know that when I do positive acts, it helps people I love and, thus, helps everyone. I know that through our collective wisdom, we have the ability to define these things and make laws concerning them. That's what the Constitution does; and while it pays some minor lip-service to a "higher power", even if you left those words out completely you would have a precious document well worth us living our lives according to.

John Evo said...

"2 Thumbs Up"! I guess everyone sees it differently. I know it also had a ton of bad reviews.