I went and watched the movie, I’ve listened to an abridgement of the book, I even broke down and bought a copy of the book so I could read it and find out what all the hubbub is about when people get all misty eyed and tongue tied trying to describe the experience that is Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code. As yet, I have not read the book, I walked out of the movie, and I didn’t suffer, per say, through the audio book. I did really like Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons which I thought was a remarkable book (as I recall) you can read my review here.
With all of that out of the way I spent five or ten minutes reading, very quickly, the Prologue to a book on religious diversity in America. The author, a Christian, wrote to some length about the disparity between the stated norm of the United States and its religious tolerances, and the actual practice of religious tolerance. She used specific examples of violence that were, in part, spawned by the September 11, 2001 attacks against people of other non-Christian faiths, specifically Muslims, and stated that we, as Americans, were tolerant of all religions. I agree.
However, when you deal with a subject matter like what is in The DaVinci Code, which, quite frankly, is all about Christ, and then try to transport that to another nation which is, say, primarily Muslim or Jewish, the translation doesn’t really go very well. The reason for that is because many nations don’t believe, the people, in Christ and therefore Christianity or books about Christianity are somewhat redundant because, well, the people don’t buy it. They don’t get the symbolism of the subject matter, and many couldn’t care less whether or not one Jesus of Nazareth saved mankind by taking upon him everyone’s sins.
So, Iran announced (you can read a news article here) that they would not be allowing The DaVinci Code into their country. It’s a worldwide bestseller. You’re not going to stop it. But people, here, in America and other allegedly democratic nations, are probably outraged at this slight. Iran, a country that, according to Ted Koppel, we are at war with (read the news article here) Iran. He makes a rather convincing argument. We are just too stupid or too blind to realize that that’s what we are doing.
Still, Iran is banning The DaVinci Code. Great. Do it. However, if your nation doesn’t believe in Christ and the majority of people don’t practice Christianity, than, and please help me to understand, why are you banning something that becomes an interesting fable? It doesn’t affect the religious convictions of your people. You’re not like the Catholic church who is directly attacked in this book. You don’t have to worry about parishioners going to the priest or bishop and asking why the Church is keeping the truth about Christ’s progeny a secret.
I find is personally odd that Muslim or Jewish or Hindu or Buddhist countries care one way or another about that book. Believe me, I understand stopping the spreading of the New Testament or specific religious texts. The people decide to mass convert to another religion and you are in trouble. But really, it’s fiction. It’s a nice fable that causes people to ask questions and you’re banning it. Had you banned the movie, I could totally see that. It was one of the worst, hands down, things I’ve seen to date. It scaled up there with Ultraviolet as a really bad movie. But the book. It’s not real. Fiction. Fake. Not true. And yet, you ban it because?
Oh, right, it talks about Christianity and Christianity is the principle thing that Muslim and Jewish nations have to worry about. Heaven forbid someone wake up one morning and realize that maybe, just maybe, there is something better, or just different, out there. Wouldn’t want that to happen.
Anyway, found that to be an odd assertion today. Ban fiction. It’s bad for you. Tomorrow, I write about TV as Entertainment.