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"There
are three classes of people: those who see. Those who see
when they are shown. Those who do not see." -
Leonardo da Vinci
The Da
Vinci Delusion ... is a marketing term used by some Christian ministers
to attempt to expose the errors in the book and the soon to be released
movie, "The Da Vinci Code." You can get more information
by going to: www.thedavincidelusion.com
and www.thedavincicode.com
and www.thedivincicode-movie.com
... and each of these websites will hopefully lead you to want to know
more about God, the Teachings of Jesus and especially The Truth. I
believe there is Good in all things and I have no doubt that there is
Good in all of these discussions and dialogues regarding the Da Vinci
Code. And there is something for each of us to learn ... to expand
our knowledge and awareness of the diversity of religious and spiritual
philosophies. Of course, there are those who are highly offended
when anything is said, printed or discussed that opposes their point of
view. However, if we are offended then we lose the opportunity to
explore our beliefs and truth to a greater degree. It
is a fact that the person who believes that they know everything already
... is stopped in consciousness from growing and expanding a greater
awareness of Truth.
From "Catholic Answers" website:
"It isn't a defense to say that The Da Vinci Code is a work
of fiction. Fiction can't change the basic facts about major
historical figures without being subject to criticism. People
would be outraged if Doubleday printed a novel portraying Adolph Hitler
in a positive light. Christians have a right to be outraged when
the basic historical facts about Christ are falsified. The
criticism will be even more intense when a publisher releases a book
parodying the most sacred beliefs of others in this fashion."
From American Family Association: "The
Da Vinci Code is an attack on the very foundation of the Christian
faith and it threatens to lead millions to believe that Jesus Christ was
a fraud ..... while the book and movie claim to be based on fact, they
clearly are not. Tragically many people, even Christians, will go
away believing the book and movie are factual."
Dr. Stan Reeder of Westminster Church of
the Nazarene, Westminster, Colorado ... has created a website to
distribute four sermons to counter The Da Vinci Code prior to its
opening titled "See The Real Truth" ... he writes,
"if the book sold 40 million copies, imagine the impact the movie
is going to have!"
Dr. D. James Kennedy, and Coral Ridge
Ministries, has produced a DVD titled "The Da Vinci Delusion"
... and AFA states that it is filled with "facts that are factual
[?]." The DVD sells for $25, including shipping.
The concern over the movie is global.
According to the Christian Science Monitor, the Russian Orthodox Church
has complained about the film, and Evangelicals in South Korea are even
trying to keep it out of theaters. One Christian leader, according
to Yonghap News Agency, has compared it to the Danish cartoons
denigrating Islam.
The Christian Science Monitor reports that
Evangelicals in the United States plan to launch their own website in
late April backed by an anonymous philanthropist and hosted by
Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, the project also
involves people close to Billy Graham.
I am amazed that Evangelical Christian
and Catholic leaders have such a low opinion of the measure of
intelligence within their congregants. It appears as if they do
not believe their congregants can intelligently view this movie as
fiction ... which it is ... and still not be led astray from their
theologies. The Catholic Church in previous years forbid Catholics
to read religious and spiritual literature that was contrary to Catholic
teaching ... and it seems they are reverting back to their old ways ...
but, now ... even they don't believe they can stop Catholics from seeing
this soon to be blockbuster movie ... and it has them scared!
In all of this controversy, we can see a
glaring difference between traditional theologies and the philosophy of
The Science of Mind. The Science of Mind empowers us to think, to
intelligently reach conclusions and to not be swayed by the
"un-truth" ... no matter how cleverly marketed it is. I
believe that everyone has the intelligence to separate fact from
fiction. In the next three weeks I will look at the issues that
the Evangelical Christians and Catholics are most disturbed about in the
Da Vinci Code ... as well as the fictions that they themselves continue
to perpetuate. And as we go through this next three weeks I will
know, as I always do, that each and every one of us has within us the
intelligence to know the Truth. "Whereas, I was blind ... now
I see."
And
So It Is!
Maximum
Love,
Rev.
Bates
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