DaVinci Code - A Lesson about Extremism by Elise Baker
It is a blessed day for Christianity. Let's look at this movie from the extremist viewpoint - it's to be intolerant of a fictional cartoon, an imaginative work or anything that is deemed to poke fun at a religious sect and/or ideology.
The DaVinci Code is a movie that is critical of the Catholic Church and especially, all Christian believers who have been told that Jesus was born of Mary and Joseph in a manger in Bethlehem because the Inn was already full when they arrived in the city on their way to pay taxes.
The story tells us that Jesus remained a single man teaching the gospel and that he had twelve disciples, fishermen - no women. So to the intolerant amongst us, this movie borders on blasphemy. It calls our priests liars and perpetrators of this lie for centuries.
For those among us with a different agenda, it can be asked: is this why the Catholic Church continues to deny women a significant role in the Church? Is this the mystery that's behind the refusal of the Church to allow women to be ordained as priests?
Gays have used the story to their advantage by pointing out that as it has been told the bible suggests that Jesus was a gay man because he had only all male friends and we were never told that he even had a girlfriend. The DaVinci Code has now turned that theory on its head.
The movie is very convincing, creative and exciting. Tom Hanks was brilliant in his role and he demonstrates that in the final analysis, it only comes down to what one believes. Are you a believer? Can you accept that there are bad elements in every sphere of life?
We are all men and subject to human frailties. Does the movie question the Christian faith? Will the Church use the movie to renew its teaching and gather more non-believers into its midst? Can we get more non-believers to read the bible now that the movie presents another theory?
One thing we are told about Jesus is that he never backed away from a challenge. He was always championing the cause of the poor, the destitute, the hungry, the sick - his friends were not affluent members of society.
Is there anything we can learn from watching the DaVinci Code? To be tolerant of all people, their beliefs, points of view and way of life is the mark of a true Christian. The movie demonstrates well what holding on to a belief in a fanatical way can do to a person. It demonstrates the destruction that it breeds - perpetrators are willing to resort to the ultimate slaughter to try to protect their beliefs.
All religious extremists can gain from watching the DaVinci Code. It does not question Christianity as much as it clearly demonstrates what can happen when any religious doctrine is distorted or manipulated.
DaVinci Code - A Lesson about Extremism