Coded
Sheesh, the things we Christians have to put up with. From the letters page of today's 'Australian', a missive from Mr Alexander Holt of Wyoming, New South Wales:
Why is the Christian community so upset about the imminent release of the Da Vinci Code?
I don't know, Al. It may have something to do with the fact that a trashy novel with delusions of grandeur claims that the foundational beliefs of our religion are a lie, and millions are basing their opinions of our religion on that. But, you know, I could be wrong.
The movie's reaction so far has ranged from vicious in-sermon attacks to a proposed boycott of the film.
Yep, you got us there, Al. That's the full range of our reaction. No simple rolled eyes, mutterings of "idiots" or, heaven forfend, interesting discussions on the book's viewpoints for us. It's nothing but vicious attacks, proposing boycotts and burning Dan Brown in effigy. You wouldn't believe how hard it's been to get all the ash and spittle out of the church carpet.
Although I'm moved to wonder; if you're not a Christian, how do you know that there have been vicious in-sermon attacks? Are you lurking in church foyers with your ear pressed to the door? Have you planted bugs under the altars? Er, are you actually stalking us, Al?
The absurdity of such anger towards a work of fiction* notwithstanding...
*ie a work of fiction which claims to be true, as is believed by many gullible sorts to be true.
...the troubling issue here is the film's detractors' baffling ignorance of their own ideals.
Thank goodness you're here to explain our own ideals to us. Please, do tell.
Christians purport to value the ideal of tolerance...
Eight words in and down he goes, trailing acrid smoke. Humanists believe in tolerance, Al. Christians believe in loving one's fellow man. There's a difference.
...but this notion seems to be disregarded in favour of vitriolic attacks on anyone who dares question their beliefs.
I think you'll find that the 'vitriolic attacks' come when you mock our God, Al, not when you question our beliefs. Most Christians are happy to discuss what they believe. But we do not take kindly to glib smears on the dignity and majesty of the Almighty, any more than you would welcome claims that your wife is a pox-infested whore.
And by the way, if you want to see a real vitriolic attack, try writing to Zemblan and using the word 'disregard' when you mean 'discard'.
If this "tolerant" religion only tolerates ideas that it agrees with, it it really tolerating anything at all?
Alexander Holt
Wyoming, NSW
As South Park wise man Mr Garrison once said; "'Tolerate' means you're just putting up with it. You tolerate a crying child sitting next to you on the airplane, or you tolerate a bad cold. It can still piss you off!" We Christians put up with a lot of things that piss us off, in the interests of respecting the separation of church and state, and to maintain open lines of communication with non-Christians. But oddly enough, we don't extend that tolerance to endorsing a book that claims we are all liars or fools. We're kinda funny like that.
Why is the Christian community so upset about the imminent release of the Da Vinci Code?
I don't know, Al. It may have something to do with the fact that a trashy novel with delusions of grandeur claims that the foundational beliefs of our religion are a lie, and millions are basing their opinions of our religion on that. But, you know, I could be wrong.
The movie's reaction so far has ranged from vicious in-sermon attacks to a proposed boycott of the film.
Yep, you got us there, Al. That's the full range of our reaction. No simple rolled eyes, mutterings of "idiots" or, heaven forfend, interesting discussions on the book's viewpoints for us. It's nothing but vicious attacks, proposing boycotts and burning Dan Brown in effigy. You wouldn't believe how hard it's been to get all the ash and spittle out of the church carpet.
Although I'm moved to wonder; if you're not a Christian, how do you know that there have been vicious in-sermon attacks? Are you lurking in church foyers with your ear pressed to the door? Have you planted bugs under the altars? Er, are you actually stalking us, Al?
The absurdity of such anger towards a work of fiction* notwithstanding...
*ie a work of fiction which claims to be true, as is believed by many gullible sorts to be true.
...the troubling issue here is the film's detractors' baffling ignorance of their own ideals.
Thank goodness you're here to explain our own ideals to us. Please, do tell.
Christians purport to value the ideal of tolerance...
Eight words in and down he goes, trailing acrid smoke. Humanists believe in tolerance, Al. Christians believe in loving one's fellow man. There's a difference.
...but this notion seems to be disregarded in favour of vitriolic attacks on anyone who dares question their beliefs.
I think you'll find that the 'vitriolic attacks' come when you mock our God, Al, not when you question our beliefs. Most Christians are happy to discuss what they believe. But we do not take kindly to glib smears on the dignity and majesty of the Almighty, any more than you would welcome claims that your wife is a pox-infested whore.
And by the way, if you want to see a real vitriolic attack, try writing to Zemblan and using the word 'disregard' when you mean 'discard'.
If this "tolerant" religion only tolerates ideas that it agrees with, it it really tolerating anything at all?
Alexander Holt
Wyoming, NSW
As South Park wise man Mr Garrison once said; "'Tolerate' means you're just putting up with it. You tolerate a crying child sitting next to you on the airplane, or you tolerate a bad cold. It can still piss you off!" We Christians put up with a lot of things that piss us off, in the interests of respecting the separation of church and state, and to maintain open lines of communication with non-Christians. But oddly enough, we don't extend that tolerance to endorsing a book that claims we are all liars or fools. We're kinda funny like that.
posted by Blandwagon at 7:40 PM
8 Comments:
I get first post again! Yay me!
The movie's reaction so far has ranged from vicious in-sermon attacks to a proposed boycott of the film and it is being suggested that Christians have a baffling ignorance of their own ideals.
Mr Holt, I agree, Christianity has a great deal to learn about tolerance. The nationwide riots that choked our major cities and saw millions of dollars damage done, hundreds injured and dozens murdered are final proof, if more proof was needed, that the "religion of love" is nothing of the kind.
I know that "moderate Christians" will claim that these outrageous acts - and need I remind any Australian of the horrific Anzac day attacks in Sydney? - are the work of a fanatical, insane minority that in no way represent the true teaching of Jesus. But I challenge anyone to read the New Testament and conclude that Christianity is nothing if not an absolutist creed, birthed in violence. Jesus himself said that he came "not to bring peace, but a sword"!
It has become abundantly clear over the last few years that Christianity is a fundamentalist, absolutist creed bent on nothing short of world domination.
Frankly I'm sick of it.
The bloody murder of brilliant cartoonist Leunig for his satire of Christianity and the continuing death threats against and assassination attempts of Dan Brown are the final straw.
If these fundamentalist kooks don't want to live in free, tolerant society, they can go and find somewhere else to live.
Sorry, that sentence should read "But I challenge anyone to read the New Testament and *NOT* conclude that Christianity is nothing if not..."
I got all het up and was typing ahead of my fingers.
I am a Christian that read the DaVinci Code and liked it. I found it to be only occasionally truly sacrilegious. I do not think that it is a danger to Christianity as a whole nor do I think that it is an insult to our religion. It is a work of fiction. That being said, the reason that it has reached such great heights of popularity is because it is an exciting, good read that mixes fact with fiction in such a way that one must be clever to discern which is which.
Sad to say, but completely pragmatic at its root: in our current society, it does no good to boycott a work of fiction or even to speak out about it. The best form of counterattack in pop society is to completely ignore it. Ignore it, and soon it will simply fall off the radar screen like so many other books/movies. Glorify it by “taking a stand against it” and you have yourself a sure fire bestseller. Even I have to admit, I picked up the book and read it to see what the Vatican’s ban was all about.
The DaVinci Code is no more an insult to our Lord than thousands of other religious commentaries are. Christians are just scared of it because it is so popular. I remember thousands of Christians trying to boycott “The Last Temptation of Christ”. That, again, did nothing but make it more popular.
I'm sory to say this, but the Da Vinci Code is one of those books - like all John Grisham novels, Harry Potter - that I don't think I'll ever read.
On the film front, there are certain popular movies that I'll also never watch, like Titanic.
However, I have just read a terrific book, Theft, by Peter Carey - highly recommended!
It is rubbish from a literary standpoint - poorly written, cliched, vulgar and syntactically challenged (in short, the airport thriller it in fact is). My friends and I have had readings where we try to find the worst parts. Try the description of the English country house - it reads as if it has been cribbed by an illiterate real estate agent from an Architectural Digest article.
On the marketing front, see The New Yorker piece (via AL Daily). Hollywood has played this one well.
Mark Steyn's takedown is also well-worth reading.
Brilliant, Mr Holt. Just regurgitate the usual anti-Christian psycho babble that passes for commentary on religious beliefs in this country and call it your opinion . Can't say it any better than Blandwagon, I read the book and enjoyed it as the crappy "airport thriller it in fact is" (great comment Toby) - I was sooooo annoyed that the big mystery code at the end was the text written backwards in perfect cursive! Ha! I saw it immediately, perhaps because I have had a thing for writing cursive backwards since high school (a long time ago).
Anyway, I love trashy murder-thriller novels in all their splendour but get a little annoyed when the world goes gaga over one claiming to be fact, simply because it trashes Christianity, when it patently is not fact.
I read all of Dan Brown's other thrillers and they are all so FORMULA as to be quite boring from the second one you read. But I persisted because, well it only took less than 2 hours to read and it's good to get a feel for the talent (or lack thereof) of the latest poster boy. And no, I didn't waste any money buying them, I borrowed them from my local public library, bless them.
Sorry to comment so late and not add anything new or interesting...just couldn't help myself.
My brother is a murderous albino monk and he thought The Da Vinci Code was very offensive to murderous albino monks.
In fact, he is staging a silent vigil outside the General Post Office between 3 and 5 am tomorrow morning in protest of Dan Brown's treatment of his kind and profession.
Please - set your alarm, go down and see him and support him on behalf of murderous albino monks everywhere.
And that's my opinion on how much credibility should be given to this crap book!
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