Conversation Board - The DaVinci Code

gretchen

New Member

Offline

Afterlife Knowledge Member

Posts: 35
Ohio
Gender: female

The DaVinci Code
May 16^th, 2006 at 2:43pm

Can someone please explain to me why "christians" are so upset about this movie? If it's not truth than isn't it enough for them to know that? Why do they find it necessary to panic and pray for all the "lost souls" and have protests?
Seriously, am I going to have to fight to get into a theatre if I should decide to go see this movie!? I find this to be utter craziness!!
Gretchen

Back to top

IP Logged

AH1976

Full Member

Offline

Afterlife Knowledge Member

Posts: 188
Midlands, UK
Gender: male

Re: The DaVinci Code
Reply #1 - May 16^th, 2006 at 3:44pm

Football fans, rockers, racists, these people all share one thing in common with Christians and thats belief and faith in something. People will defend their beliefs, sometimes in quiet extreme manners if they feel it threatened and thats whats happening with this davinci code book/movie, they did the same thing a few years back with Mel Gibsons jesus movie. While we may think its stupid looking onjectivly you can see why they dont like it.

What is ironic is that organised religion seems to be losing followers every year, either moving to their own belief systems or choosing modern ones like spiritualism or alpha etc and a big part of that is the churchs stubborn refusal to update and modernise. It may have been in this forum or another but i once read that a lot of school chidren didn't even know who Jesus was.

BTW let me know if the films any good, I don't want to waste £10 going to see a stinker ;-p

Back to top

IP Logged

Rob_Roy Super Member Offline Posts: 539 New Hampshire, USA Gender:	Re: The DaVinci Code Reply #2 - May 16^th, 2006 at 7:28pm Not all Christians are getting spun up about this. A lot of his is a direct result of media hype and the actions of an excitable and loud minority. Rob
Back to top	IP Logged

Berserk

Super Member

Offline

Afterlife Knowledge Member

Posts: 979
Gender: male

Re: The DaVinci Code
Reply #3 - May 17^th, 2006 at 12:46am

Gretchen,

Even the movie's star, Tom Hanks, recently acknowledged that the movie is nonsense from both an ancient and modern historical perspective. The book's premise that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and had children is traceable to two Gnostic Gospels, the Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Philip, which stem from the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries respectively. These Gospels are far too late to preserve historically genuine reminiscences. This realization is easily confirmed by a casual reading of the absurd Gnostic narratives. This point is not even disputed by modern critical scholarship.

The movie premiered tonight at the Cannes Film festival and got planned by one movie critic and several polled viewers. But I think the controversy will still make it a blockbuster. Frankly, Christians should appreciate the controversy because it is sparking interest in neglected aspects of Jesus' life and teaching among the unchurched.

Don

Back to top

IP Logged

Romain Super Member Offline Posts: 817 North/West Coast Gender:	Re: The DaVinci Code Reply #4 - May 17^th, 2006 at 11:32am Gretchen, I really don't know either..and i'm catholic, sort off..lol But i can't wait to go and see it, i've read the book and throughly enjoy it, so i'm sure i'll enjoy the movie. One thing i found though is that if you go see a movie after reading the book...sometimes it does not click...with the book, but will see.. Romain
Back to top	IP Logged

Romain Super Member Offline Posts: 817 North/West Coast Gender:	Re: The DaVinci Code Reply #5 - May 17^th, 2006 at 2:31pm Oops and i forgot, i wonder how long it will take to come on DVD's..humm. Romain
Back to top	IP Logged

identcat

Senior Member

Offline

Afterlife Knowledge Member

Posts: 454
New Hampshire
Gender: female

Re: The DaVinci Code
Reply #6 - May 17^th, 2006 at 8:29pm

I was brought up "Catholic" but never "believed" in religion. I did teach religious education and this is what I learned. The New Testement was written by a Greek named Saul (modern name is Paul) after he was struck by lightning and "saw the light". At this point, Paul decided that he, a Greek, would gather up the writtings of the followers of Christ (Christ now dead for 17 years) and translate the writtings into Greek. He didn't meet all the apoltoles, he never met Jesus and I have no knowledge of his study of the Hebrew language. And if there ARE parralels of our live, all the stories of Jesus are true depending on which spiritual plane you are on.
By the way---the book The DaVinci Code-- was very good and had several flaws. But so did Sherlock Holmes!! ie:no where in the Bible does it say the forbidden fruit was an apple.
Enjoy the movie--- I will. Love and Light--cat

Back to top

The three things you can never take back:
The spoken word.
The unkind thought.
The misused hour.

IP Logged

Berserk

Super Member

Offline

Afterlife Knowledge Member

Posts: 979
Gender: male

Re: The DaVinci Code
Reply #7 - May 18^th, 2006 at 1:13am

[Identcat:] "I did teach religious education and this is what I learned."
_____________________

I really don't want to be unkind, but I'm shocked that you were allowed to teach religious education, given the fact that practically every claim you make is mistaken. Let me explain.

[Identcat:] "The New Testement was written by a Greek named Saul (modern name is Paul) after he was struck by lightning and "saw the light".
___________________________________
This sentence contains 3 errors!
(1) Only 13 New Testament epistles are ascribed to Paul. But the New Testament contains 27 books.
(2) "Paul" is not "Saul's" modern name. As a name. "Paul" is simply the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew and Aramaic name "Saul."
(3) There is not a shred of evidence that Paul was ever struck by lightning. Read the detailed story of his conversion in Acts 9. Both Paul and Luke repeatedly describe the vision of Jesus that converted Paul.

[Identcat:] "At this point, Paul decided that he, a Greek, would gather up the writings of the followers of Christ (Christ now dead for 17 years) and translate the writings into Greek."
________________________________

This sentence contains 2 more errors.
(1) Paul is a Jew, not a Greek. He was a Jew who spoke and wrote Greek. Befoire his dramatic conversion, he studied under the Jewish teacher Gamaliel in Jerusalem and became a Pharisee, one of the 3 prominent Jewish sects in Palestine.

(2) There is not a shred of evidence that Paul translated the the writings of Jesus' followers or even the Paul collected them. Indeed, our 4 Gospels were all composed after Paul's death.

[Identcat"] "He didn't meet all the apostles, he never met Jesus and I have no knowledge of his study of the Hebrew language."
____________________________
Wrong! Paul did meet all the apostles (e. g. Acts 15:4). He spoke Hebrew as well as Greek. Though born in Tarsus, was brought up in Jerusalem (Acts 22:2-3). Paul and Jesus were in Jerusalem at the same time. So it is possible that he met Jesus. There is simply no evidence that he did.

Don

Back to top

IP Logged

augoeideian Super Member Offline Afterlife Knowledge Member Posts: 958 South Africa Gender:	Re: The DaVinci Code Reply #8 - May 18^th, 2006 at 6:20am Hi This movie is to come on circuit here in SA tomorrow and i am looking forward to seeing it. I haven't read the book (i am sure the book is better) Would be good to discuss it after viewing it.
Back to top	&& IP Logged

identcat Senior Member Offline Afterlife Knowledge Member Posts: 454 New Hampshire Gender:	Re: The DaVinci Code Reply #9 - May 18^th, 2006 at 6:37am Don-- so the Catholic Church taught me a limited version of Paul--the Greek. That's one of the reasons I am no longer a practicing "christian". Men made their own laws and regulations. Thank's for the history lesson. We learn everyday and it's good to have a teacher who is so knowledgeable. Thank you--teacher-- Carol Ann
Back to top	The three things you can never take back: The spoken word. The unkind thought. The misused hour. IP Logged

Berserk

Super Member

Offline

Afterlife Knowledge Member

Posts: 979
Gender: male

Re: The DaVinci Code
Reply #10 - May 18^th, 2006 at 5:04pm

Carol Ann,

For 12 years, I was a Protestant Theology professor at a Catholic university. I was part of a large group of male professors who successfully sued the university for sex discrmination. Our lawsuit was nationally discussed in the media. I dumped my winnings in mu pension fund. So I am no shill for Roman Catholicism. Still, the fact that you were victimized by spiritual disinformation from Catholic leaders is no reason to reject Christianity. In this regard, if you have any burning questions you'd like me to address that might assist you in your spiritual quest, I'd be glad to answer them as best I can.

Let me draw a parallel between your rejection of Catholicism and some of the reasons why I am appalled by Robert Monroe's books. Monroe performed dismally the one time his OBE abilities were tested by a reputable parapsychologist, Charles Tart. Monroe uncritically accepts OBE claims that aliens are here to collect jokes. He uncritically accepts OBE past life recall of (1) a prior life as a pilot flying his craft through a maze of spears thrown by cave men and (2) a prior life as a novice Catholic priest ordered his superiors to ritually rape and murder a virgin who just happens to be his wife Nancy in our lifetime. He reports this lunacy with no sense that all but the New Age ghetto would rightly scoff at such claims as the ravings of an unthinking New Age fundamentalist.

Despite this nonsense, Monroe was brilliant in important ways. Despite his OBE delusions and his inability to sort out the wheat from the chaff, I do believe he had some genuine OBEs. Indeed, I regularly experiment with his Gateway CDs and find them a delightful way to explore a deeper level of consciousness, though I find them irrelevant to the question of whether we survice death or can contact the deceased. But that verdict may change with continued use. Perhaps, my dismay at Monroe's gullibility is a major reason for my lack of progress, despite frequent use of his Gateway CDs. I encourage you to salvage the best of your Catholic heritage and then discard the rest, as I do with Monroe

Don

Back to top

« Last Edit: May 19^th, 2006 at 2:11pm by Berserk »

IP Logged

Tim F. Ex Member	Re: The DaVinci Code Reply #11 - May 19^th, 2006 at 11:11am Hey Don, Jumping in with my 2 cents! Which is: Charlie Tart has the utmost respect for Robert Monroe and his work. I know that, not from reading a book, but from talking with him. The Tarts live in my 'hood. Tim F.
Back to top	IP Logged

Touching Souls

Super Member

Offline

LOVE IS ALL, SHINE YOUR
LIGHT THAT OTHERS MAY
SEE

Posts: 1966
Metaline Falls, WA
Gender: female

Re: The DaVinci Code
Reply #12 - May 19^th, 2006 at 11:36am

And if I'm not mistaken, which I could be because I haven't been able to afford TMI membership for about 3 years, Charles Tart is on the Board of Directors/Advisors at TMI.

Get your facts straight Berserk. In the book "Catapult, The Biography of Robert A. Monroe", there are several pages dedicated to Bob's and Charles's friendship and experiments. He completely believed in Bob.

Mairlyn

Back to top

I AM THAT I AM -- WE ARE ALL ONE -- TOUCHING SOULS

IP Logged

DocM

Super Member

Offline

Afterlife Knowledge Member

Posts: 2168

Re: The DaVinci Code
Reply #13 - May 19^th, 2006 at 1:43pm

The other thing we must keep in mind with Astral travel is that one type of travel is on the physical plane. Another is the astral plane joined to the physical where things may not appear as they do in the physical world. Not to make excuses for Bob, but he may have accurately reported traveling to a friend's house and seen what he saw. If he were there on a nonphyscial plane bound to C1, the scientifically proveable part (reading numbers, etc.) might not be there.

There is much about astral travel (or essentially refocusing your awareness, since in fact we are all our own thoughts and awareness) that needs to be explained. I don't believe the astral body is any more "real" than our physical bodies. Monroe realized this too, later in life. I have heard that the need to keep a human form, as opposed to being an amorphous ball of energy or awareness is simply a matter of personal preference.

Hmmmmmmm........how did this get in to the Davinci code?

Well, as to the movie, I haven't seen it. I think it is interesting fiction ( I did read the book), and even if it could be true, I don't see how it would invalidate a christian's idea of Jesus as divine. Would taking a wife and siring offspring, make him any less divine? If, in coming to earth and taking human form he was to show the way we should tread, would not taking a wife and such be one of the most beautiful, human ways of living?

I don't believe in Dan Brown's evidence for it, or the whole merovingian idea (that Mary moved to Europe, and married early european royalty to keep the bloodline going).

Still, I don't see the fictional movie as an absolute assault on christianity or the teachings of Jesus.

(Phew, why do I feel Don is going to trounce me for this on?)

Matthew

Back to top

IP Logged

Touching Souls

Super Member

Offline

LOVE IS ALL, SHINE YOUR
LIGHT THAT OTHERS MAY
SEE

Posts: 1966
Metaline Falls, WA
Gender: female

Re: The DaVinci Code
Reply #14 - May 19^th, 2006 at 2:01pm

Quote:

Would taking a wife and siring offspring, make him any less divine? If, in coming to earth and taking human form he was to show the way we should tread, would not taking a wife and such be one of the most beautiful, human ways of living?

I have hestated in writing anything about all this but now I will speak up. Yes, from my own personal experience as Peter, it is very true. They were married (Peter was at the service) They had many children. They had a love (and still do) so beautiful that it is beyond words.

Now Berserk can trounce both of us.

With Love,
Mairlyn

Back to top

I AM THAT I AM -- WE ARE ALL ONE -- TOUCHING SOULS

IP Logged