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Christian voices worldwide marked Easter weekend with concern over the upcoming cinema thriller The Da Vinci Code, based on Dan Brown's best seller.
Objections center on the story line that the Vatican and Opus Dei, a small but influential conservative Catholic lay organization, conspired, even killed, to hide the "truth" about Christ -- that he didn't die on the cross but lived and fathered children with Mary Magdalene. On Good Friday, Opus Dei's spokesman in Japan released an April 6 letter to Sony Pictures Entertainment asking for a disclaimer to be added to the film. The group joined the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and a coalition of Catholic experts (davincioutreach.com), which made similar requests in March.
The letter, posted at opusdei.org, asks Sony to make it clear to filmgoers "this is a work of fiction, and that any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence." Doing so would be "a sign of respect towards the figure of Jesus Christ, the history of the Church, and the religious beliefs of viewers."
"We are stressing that the novel is unfair in its treatment of Opus Dei and the church and for a reminder that there should be some sensitivity shown," says Brian Finnerty, U.S. spokesman for Opus Dei.
Also on Good Friday, an evangelical Protestant seminary launched a rebuttal site (thetruthaboutdavinci.com). The site, sponsored by Westminster Theological Seminary, seeks to "create doubt about doubt," says a statement quoting seminary president Peter Lillback. There will be a national advertising campaign for the site in secular and Christian media.
Sony Pictures Entertainment has not yet responded to the disclaimer requests. But Sony has joined the controversy by sponsoring a discussion website (thedavincidialogue.com) where 40 Christian theologians, scholars and journalists present their views on biblical, historical and theological truth. Also:
*The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' site (jesusdecoded.com) challenges Brown's plot.
*The opusdei.org site links to a point-by-point argument with the book. And the Rev. John Wauck posts a lighthearted skewering of Brown's creation on his blog (davincicode-opusdei.com).
*First Baptist Church of Tallahassee sponsors a site linking to dozens of Da Vinci-disputing resources (baptiststart.com/special/davinci_code.html).
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